As business confidence continues to rise, more and more companies are looking to recruit. This means it is becoming more competitive and harder to find the right caliber of staff.
Sometimes, when I meet new clients they admit that they have been desperate to fill a vacancy, and have employed somebody because they are “good enough”. This is tantamount to any warm body will do.
Why good enough is not enough in recruitment
The trouble is this often ends in disaster. You discover your new recruit is not a good cultural fit for your business. Or they don’t have all the skills you really need. Or they just don’t meet your expectations.
This is a costly mistake, with you spending valuable time on additional training, performance management, disciplinary or even dismissal. And of course, then you are back where you started.
So how can you avoid the temptation to “just fill a vacancy”?
- Firstly, be absolutely clear on what are your non negotiables – what skills and experience is essential to you?
- Ask yourself if you are being realistic with your expectations – can you really find somebody with the blend of skills you are looking for, and at the salary you want to pay?
- Is there a different way? For instance, could you employ somebody part time, or a job share and combine the skills across two people?
- Look at your recruitment process – is it robust enough? Are you shortlisting effectively? Are you testing their competencies, and checking they will fit in with the ethos of your business?
- Review your interview techniques – are your questions effective? Are you giving candidates enough opportunity to speak? What about having a second interview?
But also, consider other ways of resourcing tasks rather than taking on the wrong person. There are a number of ways you can do this – outsourcing, using a temp or employing a contractor, offering work experience or even an apprenticeship. One of these might be the ideal way to handle additional work without the expense in time and money of making a recruitment mistake.
If you would like help with recruitment in your business, please contact us on 01256 328 428.