Where 
to Start: Know What You Are Hiring For
If you do not have a good understanding of what you need, you are likely to end up with something that you did not want.
Invest upfront to understand not only the skills and abilities needed, but also the type of person that will be a good “cultural fit”. Validate your understanding of the position, ask the hiring manager some “what if” questions. Something along the lines of: What if the person does not have 10 years experience but matches all the other criteria? Should they be included?
Questions like this help you to confirm what is essential versus desirable. Know what you are hiring for, if you do not take the time to understand what is important to people and what they are looking for you run the risk of missing out.
Organisations that successfully appeal to the hearts and minds of the people they seek to attract and retain, not only achieve better results, they actually are able to extend their brand reach. Engaged and committed employees create a multiplying factor; they are the individuals who would recommend a family member or friend to work at their company and are happy to share why their company is so great.
Where to Look – Do your Research
The explosion of online recruitment sites means that there are more places that ever to advertise and highlight your opportunities. Couple that with LinkedIn, the 2015 edition of the Global Recruiting Trends Report suggests that social networks are becoming the preferred channels for employment branding, means that companies need to think social when they are looking to market to prospective candidates. To keep up with industry trends, hiring managers need to think ahead and prepare a solid recruitment strategies for the future.
Large online job sites, LinkedIn and other social network sites are the new normal when it comes to finding candidates. What’s critical important, is understanding what avenues are going to get you the best return. You need to understand where your target audiences spend time while online and what type of information and activities they engage with.
Know How to Attract the Right Candidates – Make it Easy
Step into the shoes of the candidate and see if they are a good fit. Ask yourself how easy it is to do business with your company when it comes to recruitment. Is the process simple and straightforward, or do candidates have to jump through hoops to get on your radar.
Make it Personal, as it’s a buyer’s market. Make sure you get up close and personal when potential candidates show interest. A bad experience does not just affect how they view your company today; their impression can reach multiple people. View your candidates as customers.
How to decide – Have a Robust Assessment Process
Develop a set of criteria to assess who best fits the spec and ensure you have a robust interview process. Make sure your leaders are trained to interview and assess. Remember the cost of a bad hiring decision isn’t just a monetary drain, its affect can linger so ensuring that you invest time make the right decision and not just filling a seat, is key to a successful hire.
Move Fast – Don’t Linger, Good Candidates are in High Demand
It’s not over until you have secured a yes decision, so ensuring that you can move quickly once you have decided is key to landing the right talent. Common missteps include waiting until you have found the right candidate to decide on the compensation package or not having a process in place to move from reference checking to offer. Candidates will not hang around, especially the good ones, so once you have identified the right candidate; make sure you can close the deal.
Lastly – recruiting does not stop at the acceptance stage. On boarding is critically important to ensuring that the individual can be up and running fast. Those that view recruitment as a continuous process, understand that recruitment equates to engagement, so recruiting your employees every day is about ensuring that the
Develop your strategy
Decide where you are going to manage the recruitment strategy yourself or if you going to engage a search firm to help. In either case, be clear on the type skills and capabilities you want and the type of person that is likely to be a good cultural fit.
Define the channels you will use to attract the type of candidate that you are seeking.
Rita Trehan is the Founder and Principal of Rita Trehan, LLC, a change management and leadership advisory firm focused on corporate leadership, emerging technology, and cutting-edge organizational design. As a seasoned top executive that has successfully transformed organizations at the Fortune 200 and beyond, she has extensive experience working with CEOs and top corporate management on process and organizational improvement for maximum profitability. A soon-to-be published author, Rita regularly speaks at industry conferences around the world. You can contact Rita on twitter at @rita_trehan and connect with her via LinkedIn. Rita’s blog can be found at www.ritatrehan.com.