Recruitment is an ongoing process that is hardly ever limited to a single job posting. More and more, new hires (especially those with options) are looking to work for a company whose values and vision align with their own. So how do you find and connect with motivated candidates that will fill the right roles and thrive in your team’s environment?
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The truth is that there is no one-step solution to hiring. It is a process that begins with attracting the right fit and ends with a solid on boarding process to position the new hire for success. When you don’t follow these steps below, you could end up like two of your peers that suffered from no growth and wasted marketing dollars.
Create a Thorough Job Description
Businesses with steady or growing client bases eventually find themselves in the position of hiring staff or looking for associate advisors to support growth. In many cases, though, the executives don’t know exactly what they need. They aren’t sure whether to hire a virtual or in-house, or full or part-time staff member, leading them to put off the decision until it’s negatively impacting their business. Writing a thorough job description helps to clarify the type of support that is needed.
The job description should include roles, responsibilities, goals, and compensation that matches the workload and expectations.
Attract New Hires Through Your Website and Social Media
Your online presence serves many different purposes. On any given day, your website and social media teaches and informs visitors about your business, serves as a customer service or client services portal, and collects visitor information. What it also does is showcase your brand and what your firm is all about, which is why your website and social media platforms are the first places job seekers will go to learn about you.
What potential candidates are looking for is some insight into your brand: what you stand for, who you service, and who is currently on your team. In order to make sure they have a positive experience, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do your website and social platforms showcase the firm’s brand? Be honest with yourself. Take a look at your website and social pages and decide whether or not they send a clear message about your firm. You may stand to tweak your web content or even begin streamlining your published content to paint a more accurate picture.
- Is the firm’s website mobile friendly? Over 90% of job seekers use their phones to search for their dream job online. If your website isn’t easily navigable by smartphone, a candidate is likely to grow frustrated and move on to another site.
- Are career opportunities easy to locate? Do you have a clear page in your top navigation bar or footer that lists all open roles and instructions for the hiring process? Have you included links to direct them to the next steps?
- Are you advertising open opportunities on your social platforms? Sometimes the right candidates are already fans of your firm. Promoting open positions on social media can help connect with those that already know and love your brand.
For ongoing recruitment, you may even consider using a data collection tool on your website. Gathering candidate information will allow you to stay connected, inform them about your business, and uncover whether or not they would be a good fit now or in the future.
Post Job Listings in Appropriate Places
If you aren’t looking for a cookie-cutter candidate, why use a cookie-cutter job posting site or DIY the search? Make sure you list open roles on reputable forums that cater to your industry so you don’t attract unqualified candidates and your positions don’t get lost in the noise.
Utilize a Recruiter
You best bet to skipping over unwanted candidates and getting right down to business may be to find a recruiter to take over the hiring process for you. Recruiters have the knowledge and experience to skillfully review resumes, screen candidates, perform the appropriate background checks, check references, and manage the back and forth communication with candidates throughout the process. Not only can a recruiter save you time and money, but could cut down your chances of on boarding a bad hire out of haste or personal emotions. Don’t know where to look? Check my directory of resources and set up a few calls.
Interview Properly: Follow a Robust Process
If you don’t decide to hire a recruiter, you’ll need to make sure you don’t rush the interview process. This is where you will (a) evaluate whether or not the candidate seems to possess the right qualifications for the job and (b) if they seem like a good fit for the company culture.
In addition to a standard preliminary interview, you may consider:
- Giving a tech literacy assessment (at the very minimum, a typing test)
- Requiring the candidate to take two assessments, such as DISC or Gallup, to gather clues about their natural traits, strengths, and weaknesses
- Asking a COI, business friend, colleague, or other trusted resource to also conduct an interview to get another perspective
- Meeting and “interviewing” the candidate’s significant other, perhaps by inviting the two of them for coffee
The more information you can glean from a candidate up front, the easier it will be to decide if you want to make an offer for employment.
Make an Offer
So you’ve chosen a candidate you think could be a good fit. Now it’s time to make a formal offer for employment. This should include a review of the job description, a discussion of perks, benefits, compensation, and any incentives or discretionary bonus plan you might put into place.
But, your job isn’t done yet. One of the most common mistakes advisors make in the hiring process is believing that it’s over once a contract has been signed. Check out next month’s article on pre-hiring, onboarding, career-pathing, and Life Career Mission Statements to give your new hire and your firm the best shot at long-term success.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or share with a friend if you think this information could add value. Good luck transforming your business!
Sincerely,
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