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The HR guide to recruitment

13th October 2015 Print

In order to select the very best job applicants and not waste thousands of pounds on your recruitment process it’s always useful to take on board advice from HR professionals.

Selecting the best

A recent report from HR Review discovered that it costs ‘over £30K to replace a member of staff.’ This figure alone highlights the fact that it’s important that employers use the best tools at their disposal to get the selection process right. 

You should never choose a candidate simply because they appear willing and eager to please, the candidate may be willing but they may never be competent enough to master the role for which they are applying. By using a professional agency and exploring recruitment solutions from The Smartlist, among other agencies, you can let someone else take on the role of weeding out the unsuitable candidates  and concentrate on interviewing the able and competent candidates.  

Define the role you offer

Many applicants might interview well, but if your company hasn’t defined the role that it’s offering then the interviewer can never be really sure that the applicant is really right for the job. It’s important to be specific about the role on offer, so ask questions that a candidate might wish to know before advertising the post. 

If there’s the potential for promotion, include this on your advertising. Company benefits are also important, though you do need to know that the candidate wants to work for your brand and team and doesn’t just want to join the company because you offer a ‘dress down Friday’ or your Christmas parties are fantastic. Don’t just promote company treats in a bid to look cool!

Induction is important

You may have selected the best candidate for the job, but if that person doesn’t get on with your other employees, the whole process has been a complete waste of time. Contemporary working life is as much about team relationships as building a strong bottom line. An article in the Guardian suggests that by assigning a work buddy to a new member of staff, employers can rest assured that building important networks and relationships across the company will go more smoothly and the new recruit will find it easier to fit in with everyone else.

Involve others in the interview process

A way of improving the interview process is to involve existing members of the team, that the successful candidate will be joining, in the selection procedure. Of course, you should include the company HR professional and the head of department, but future work colleagues may well spot certain character traits that don’t always appear in the formal interview process. 

All the psychometric evaluations in the world can’t replicate human intuition, or tell existing members of staff whether a potential new colleague will fit in with the rest of the team. 

Always offer support

In order to retain a new member of staff, ensure that you set up a defined probation period and make sure that the recruit realises that they will be able to express any disquiet during the regular support meetings that will be set up during this period. After all, once you’ve selected the right candidate for a job, you’ll want to make sure they are happy and wish to remain with your company.