Tips for Hiring Staff

Especially in Melbourne as we come out of COVID lockdown I have heard from a number of business owners that it is challenging to attract and employ suitable staff for your business.

It is a candidate market and especially during lockdown where there is uncertainty people are reluctant to change jobs. Candidates are looking for flexibility especially for office based roles working from home 1+ days per week is the norm.

I am working with organisations that are growing their businesses and with consistency and the following tips I have been able to source suitable candidates.

Job description

• List the job requirements for the role – what specific tasks do you need the new staff member to do

• What is the ideal experience and skill set that is required for this role

• Step back and consider what are essential skills and experience and what can be learnt on the job e.g. specific systems knowledge can be taught if the candidate is IT savvy and has used similar systems.

Advertisement

• Write a job advertisement that is punchy and to the point remembering to highlight the benefits of joining your organisation over similar jobs. Remember that the majority of candidates read job advertisements on their mobile devices and are less likely to read a wordy advertisement.

• Don’t copy the job description into the job advertisement, if a candidate wants more information about the role they can request to view the job description.

• Consider where you will advertise the job e.g. through your networks, social media, Seek, Jora, LinkedIn etc.

Candidate Feedback

• Get back to all candidates even if they are not suitable, positive word of mouth builds your employer brand and a candidate may be suitable for future opportunities or refer friends/contacts.

• Get back to candidates in a timely manner. In a competitive candidate market, candidates will be snapped up really quickly and delaying getting back to candidates can result in the candidate already accepting another role.

Shortlisting candidates

• Review applications as they arrive in your inbox and contact suitable candidates straight away.

• Shortlisting candidates can include a phone screen/interview where you have a brief chat with a candidate about their interest in the role and suitability. This is also an opportunity to sell your organisation to the candidate.

Interview process

• Ask candidates to attend an interview either in person or on Zoom. Prepare interview questions and review the candidate’s resume prior to the interview. Remember that the interview process is two way, meaning that the candidate is assessing the organisation’s suitability as much as you are assessing the candidate’s suitability.

• Get back to candidates asap after the interview.

Reference checks and offer

• Complete reference checks and if positive then offer the candidate the role.

• Be prepared for the candidate to negotiate the salary so consider your budget upfront, again delays can cost you the candidate.

• Follow up the verbal offer with a written offer/contract

Need assistance with hiring staff for your team? Book a FREE discovery call to discuss how I can assist you to grow your business.