From implementing a hiring system to processing employee data, we’ve talked about many different aspects of recruitment and onboarding by now.
Here, we give to you a comprehensive list of key points to pay attention to during these initial steps in order to leverage your employee brand:
1) Write a good job description
The first, and perhaps one of the most important, steps to success is attracting the right candidates. And one of the first ways to ensure this is to write a good job description. A good job description not only makes a desirable case for the position you are looking to fill, but also presents a truthful account to avoid any surprises later on. This is your chance to make sure candidates know exactly what to expect from the position, but also that they are excited about applying. No pressure, eh? You can find a more detailed post on this here as well.
2) Reach the correct candidates
And of course, a good job description means nothing if it isn’t reaching the right candidates. In order to make sure you are getting applications from qualified potential employees who are also the right fit for the company, you not only have to make sure that your job description is accurate, but also that you reach an ample quantity of qualified job-seekers with it. One way to do this is to post on multiple websites at ones, and to automatically screen initial candidates to make sure that minimum criteria is fulfilled.
3) Develop an objective ranking system
It is more likely that you will already have this in place earlier on in the process. Screening for some specifics like educational levels, languages spoken, or certifications completed, will already be a standard in assessing which candidates have made it to the next level and which candidates have not. There will come a time in any hiring process, however, where the lines will get blurrier. How do you decide on whom to bump up to the next level when each candidate has similar experience levels? This is why it’s crucial to make sure you develop and rely on an objective ranking system that can be digitised and shared between all hiring managers – so that you’re not just going by bias, and that you make the best hire possible.
4) Make a competitive offer
Another important step, not just in getting qualified applicants but also in retaining them, is to make a competitive offer. As discussed in this previous blog post, however, a competitive offer doesn’t just mean high pay and good benefits. It can also include things such as training and development opportunities, flexible working conditions, or mental and physical wellbeing packages. Remember, the key isn’t to offer the bare minimum, it’s to make sure employees want to work and stay with you.
5) Highlight company values
Not just during the hiring stage, but also during the onboarding stage, making sure that you highlight company values and that employees are on the same page regarding these is crucial in long-term satisfaction levels. Do you value sustainability above everything else? A candidate who expects to travel by plane every week is probably not the greatest fit. Is it important to you that employees continue developing skills throughout their employment? Someone who is passionate about learning would probably be happiest here.
6) Process paperwork well
This sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, you’d be surprised! When it comes to recruitment and onboarding, it’s vital to make sure that all related paperwork is processed accurately and in a timely manner. This can be the make-or-break difference between a thriving system and a barely-functioning one. Pro tip: digitise as much as you can!
See this blog post for our advice on the 4 different types of paperwork and how to process them.
7) Highlight employee satisfaction
We all know that employee happiness and satisfaction is the key metric to minimising retention. But how do you make sure, right off the bat, that you are prioritising employee wellbeing? Well, there are many ways to do so. Perhaps one of the biggest of these is to make sure that the hiring and onboarding steps are made to feel as manageable as possible. Think about it from the new employees’ side: it’s overwhelming to be filling out countless paperwork, training, meeting coworkers, and adapting to a new workplace all at the same time. So the least you can do is to follow up as often as necessary, to allow employees to be in charge of their own progress on a shared dashboard, and to allow flexibility in this new journey.
8) Keep the conversation going
Regular conversation with applicants or new employees does more than just keep them in the loop: it also eases nerves and helps provide a space for them to express any feedback. During the hiring stage this can look like issuing reminders for the next stage of the process, or sending any rejections in a timely manner. After interviews it can be a timely follow up and thank-you for their time. And, during the onboarding stage, it can be to make sure that you are available for any questions, but also to schedule regular one-on-one time to track progress and to create the space for more organic conversation.
9) Ask for feedback
And, while you keep the conversation flowing, make sure to also ask for feedback in order to better understand what is, and isn’t, working. Any applicants who are rejected might be invited to answer a couple questions about their experience, while employees who might leave later on in the process might be sent anonymous surveys about their hiring and onboarding experiences. But don’t wait for the goodbyes – asking employees who have just completed the onboarding stage what they thought about their first few months, and inviting them to answer standardised questions about this experience, could be a great way to highlight certain aspects of it or to change those that need improvement.
10) Measure metrics, and revise as necessary
Once the conversations have been had, and feedback has been gathered, it’s now time to measure the metrics. What are some common answers about what worked well and what did not? Were there any stages that were often left incomplete? Is any of the training too difficult? Do employees need more flexibility in any of the stages?
Also pay attention to whether employees felt comfortable speaking to you and offering feedback. What does this say about how available HR was throughout the process?
Analysing all of this data is the perfect opportunity to make necessary changes to the hiring and onboarding processes to optimise them even further.
These are our 10 tips to optimise your hiring and onboarding systems in order to leverage your employee brand. For more detailed information on any of the steps, see some of our previous hiring and onboarding posts.