Hiring qualified recruits is a difficult task. Being in charge of your organization's hiring process entails not only screening for skilled individuals, but also for employees who are compatible with the business culture and will assist the business to achieve its goals.

Human resources professionals should have a vision for the hiring process and avoid only focusing on specific areas, such as recruitment or onboarding, to establish effective hiring processes. 

What Makes a Successful Recruitment Process?

An effective recruitment process is a company-specific sourcing approach that strives to discover the appropriate person for the right position at the right time. It is a methodical technique to bring in exceptional individuals who can help the company expand. An all-inclusive recruiting process consists of five essential stages, which may differ from company to company depending on the business structure, the size of the company, type of operations, existing recruitment workflow, and selection procedure.

If you're just getting started with your recruitment program or seeking to upgrade your procedures, we've broken down the hiring process into 5 main components.  

Let's have a look!

1. Identify Hiring Requirements

Determine the type of employee you require for the position.

If you are hiring for a newly established role, be sure you know exactly what you are searching for and your purpose. Consider what exactly this role entails, as well as the job requirements and key skills for this position.

If you are replacing someone, examine what this individual leaving brought to the table that is needed in this capacity again, but also what skill gaps there may have been that you are looking to cover. Make sure you have a detailed discussion with the recruiting manager to ensure that everyone participating in the process is on the same page and understands what you are looking for.

2. Create a Job Description

Once you've determined exactly what you require in terms of knowledge, abilities, and experience, it's important to define the job's duties and responsibilities. Preparing a detailed job description will help you to understand what your potential employees must possess to fulfill the role's requirements. More importantly, it gives your prospects a checklist to which they may compare themselves before applying. It is a technique for ensuring that you receive applications from qualified candidates.

A job description should cover all of the following and can be as detailed as you like:

• Title.
• Job Responsibilities and Duties.
• Qualifications and Skills for the Job.
• Location.
• Job Salary, Perks, and Benefits.

3. Talent Hunt

The most critical components of the recruitment process are identifying the right talent, attracting it, and motivating it to apply. The job posting should be publicized both internally and externally, on prominent social networking sites and recommended employment websites. To cast a wider net, recruiters might also hold job fairs and post positions in key industry journals.

Many eligible candidates are not actively hunting for work, depending on the type of position you are looking to fill. You might need to connect to a more passive network. Here are some suggestions:

Referrals -Speak with other individuals in your organization who have similar skill sets to see if they can refer someone for the post.

Database search- Make sure you leave no room for doubt by conducting a database search to discover if a prospective candidate has previously applied for a comparable post. They may have been too junior at the time, but now have the exact talents you require.

LinkedIn Recruiter- LinkedIn Recruiter is an excellent tool for locating people with the necessary abilities. You can use keywords to narrow your talent pool - this can provide you access to a larger pool of prospects. Keep in mind that not all of them are currently looking for work. Even if they are not interested in a job change at this time, always ask for references. They may know someone in their circle with a comparable skill set who is actively looking for new opportunities.

Networking- Attend specific networking events to meet with talent in a certain field.

4. Analyze Applicant Applications

Assessments can be handled manually or via an applicant tracking system (ATS), based on the role and the number of candidates. 

In many cases, the evaluation process starts with Human Resources staff reviewing applications and eliminating any candidates who do not satisfy the basic standards for the position or the organization as a whole. In some cases, the recruitment team or recruiting manager may wish to analyze each applicant individually. Once a batch of qualified applications has been compiled, the hiring team should assess the remaining candidates and select those to interview.

5. Screening and Shortlisting

According to a survey of recruiters, while 46% struggle to attract top talent in today's candidate-driven market, 52% say the most difficult component of hiring is choosing the best prospects from a big pool of applicants.

To move the recruitment process forward, you must screen and shortlist applicants swiftly and accurately. This is where the hiring process becomes complicated. Follow these four strategies to address the recruitment bottleneck.

4 Strategies to Screen or Shortlist Candidates Effectively

• Screen applications based on basic qualifications.
• Sort resumes based on desirable credentials by looking at certificates, relevant experience, domain knowledge, technological competence, and other job-specific skills.
• Select applicants who meet both the preferred and minimum standards.
• Make a note of any issues or questions in the resume so that they can be addressed during the interview.

Tools for Simplifying and Streamlining the Recruitment Process

Google Docs: Google Drive is the ideal answer for your ever-increasing storage demands, with unlimited storage, instant access, live teleconferencing, and safe data sharing.

Evernote: A consolidated portal where everything is kept in one location so you can quickly and easily discover what you need. You may also quickly search for your handwritten notes.

Dropbox: Recruiters can use this simple, practical, and free tool to communicate critical documents, videos, and photographs without needing to sync anything.

Wrapping Up

A thorough hiring process is essential for organizational success. Following best practices in the selection process can result in better quality hiring, a higher retention rate, lower costs, and higher work satisfaction. When all of these advantages are combined, they increase business success.