Great Recruiting Principles

If you're having difficulty scoring top talent for your open positions, it might be time to reassess your recruiting principles and figure out whether you're on the cutting edge of the hiring scene or lagging behind. HR expert Liz Ryan recommends several principles to keep in mind for your job postings and hiring process when your company is recruiting candidates.

Is Each Requirement Essential?

Go over your job posting very carefully, and determine whether or not each requirement is essential for the job. Those extra few required skills or certifications might cause talented candidates to look the other way. Make it clear that you would like potential candidates to have certain abilities, but they're not required to apply for the job. If the new hire can learn new skills on the job or if the training is easy to master, simply offer training to the new hire.

Do You Have Tunnel Vision?

If you're trying to recruit through normal means and it isn't working, it's time to look at your job posting with fresh eyes. What is it about the job description that's unappealing to top talent? Is it the salary or the job duties? Are you using the same description from 10 years ago? If so, your company might no longer seem relevant. The language in the posting might be outdated or no longer represent your industry. Take a look at how successful companies are advertising similar positions, and see how they describe the same duties. You want the job posting to be accurate but also enticing. Not only are you vetting potential new hires, but they're vetting you.

Is Your Company Relatable?

Does your company have a reputation for being hard to work for? How do your current employees view your company as a place to work? Take the time to do some research on employer review sites like Glassdoor, Vault or Indeed. Find out what your employees have to say about your recruiting practices, hiring process and training schedule. Ask your employees to fill out an anonymous survey about their experiences with those practices. Did the job posting they answered accurately describe the work they are doing? Their feedback could be invaluable for giving your recruiting methods a complete overhaul. Make sure your company is relatable. How do you respond to inquiries about open positions? Is HR welcoming and enthusiastic? Is your application process confusing? Answer these questions honestly, and don't hesitate to make positive changes, if necessary. To get great people, you've got to be a great company.

Adopting great recruiting principles is the key to hiring great employees. Your company can't succeed without high-level talent to keep it relevant and relatable. Keep your job postings appealing, simple and true to the job at hand, and do your best to have your company come across in the most positive way possible.

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