Perhaps you’ve found yourself in the position of recruiting or hiring for a new position in your company.
You might be considering a career working in the staffing industry, maybe at a temp agency. If you’re seeking a new hire, you want to attract–and secure–top applicants for the job.
Advertising
No one will know about your opening unless you get the word out there. There are plenty of online hiring platforms, such as Indeed and Monster. LinkedIn also offers a job posting service. You might even turn to a temping agency, which can put forward fitting candidates and even help in the process of temp-to-hire. If you work for a temp or staffing agency, you probably already have lots of applicants on a daily basis. All the same, you’ll want to stay on top of staffing industry news, so you know the latest trends and what employees and employers are looking for. As the middleperson between client companies and temp employees, you need to make sure everything goes smoothly for both sides. Of course, any job posting needs a clear job description that includes job duties, hours, and salary. State clearly what skills and personal traits an ideal candidate will have.Word-of-mouth is going to go a long way toward getting your best candidates. Make sure other employees at your company know that a position is opening. They will be able to reach out to contacts–or even apply themselves, if they’re looking to advance.
Vetting Applicants
It’s up to you to vet the candidates. On a preliminary level, you’ll be looking at resumés and cover letters. There are some basic things to consider with these. How personal is the cover letter? Is it just a stock letter, or does the applicant seem sincerely interested in your specific business? What is the candidate’s education level? Has he or she trained in the skills you are looking for? Does the person jump from job to job, or has he or she been with one or two places for a considerable length of time? You’ll want to suss out who the most likely fits will be and narrow down your pool. You may then want to do phone screenings and interviews. Eventually, you’ll narrow down your pool even further to the top few candidates. At this point, it may be worth it to bring candidates in in-person, or at least host a video conference. Your interview team may just be you, or just your boss, or it may be a team of people. Make sure everyone is on the same page as to what the company is looking for.
Making the Applicants Want You
Hiring is a two-way street. If you’ve found the ideal candidate, or if you’re bringing in someone you really like, you want to make sure they like you as much as you like them. A lot of this may have to do with the benefits, salary, and perks your company can offer the new hire.But even the little things count. Whether this is sending a private taxi, such as this car service in NYC; taking the candidate out to a nice dinner; or putting him or her up in a fancy hotel, you want to demonstrate how much you respect and want them.Be ready to answer each applicant’s questions. You want to be as desirable as possible. Is there room for advancement? What are the benefits, including insurance, vacation policies, etc? Hopefully, you will find a perfect fit for both you and a candidate.
