How to improve your 'quality of hire': 4 tips for a successful recruitment process

A rehashed job ad and a few interviews are simply not enough to fill a company vacancy successfully. After all the new hire should bring specific know-how to the company, fit into the team and stay with the organisation for as long as possible. This entails more than just careful screening of the applications you receive. Successful recruitment starts with positioning your employer brand. It also requires an accurate job and candidate profile, as well as a smooth application process. Companies that care about the quality of their recruitment workflow have a competitive advantage in the job market.

1. Job Adverts: The more accurate the profile, the better the hit rate

In a sense recruiters are also profilers. The more accurate the job ad, job profile and applicant profile, the greater your chances are of finding the right candidate. This is less about listing all the requirements, skills or tasks that go with the job, but more about the correct weighting. Make sure you clearly differentiate between 'must haves' and 'nice to haves' in the job ad. Why? Because that way you avoid applications from candidates who are reasonably good, but don't have the essentials.

Producing a perfectly tailored job ad that includes a job and applicant profile requires teamwork. Recruiters don't always know about the specialist skills that an applicant should have. According to the 2015 CareerBuilder Candidate Behaviour Survey, 43 percent of professionals complain that the job ad did not match the actual position. That's why it's important to agree the job profile with the departmental head and the new employee's future colleagues. Exchanging ideas with the department concerned can also help in describing the ideal candidate. It will enable you to identify what characteristics are particularly well-suited to the team and your company culture.

2. Candidate Search: who seeks (correctly) will find

It's not only the content of the job ad that is important for successful recruitment, but also where it's published. According to the survey, candidates use up to 22 different sources for their job searches. This shows the importance of using a mix of different media and channels to reach the maximum number of potential candidates. In order to make efficient use of your advertising budget, you need to find out where your job ad is most visible to your target applicants. Professional distribution solutions generally offer comprehensive tracking that makes it easier for you to evaluate the performance of your chosen channels.

3. Online Application Process: Exceed expectations

The candidate experience that applicants have with your company during the application process is a success factor in your recruitment activities that can no longer be neglected. High potentials in particular place great importance on a smooth application process. It's a good idea to check your company's career website in this respect. It should be optimised for mobile devices - making it available anywhere and at any time.

Online application forms need to be intuitive and easy to understand. Completing one should not take more than ten to fifteen minutes, so as not to scare off potential candidates. Applicants now expect an automatic same-day email notification, confirming receipt of the application, as a matter of course. Your company can also benefit from keeping applicants fully informed. According to the survey, 73 percent of applicants appreciate email updates regarding the status of their application. Here it's worth optimising processes and speeding up workflows. Why? Because the recruitment process determines the first impression that an applicant has of a potential new employer.

4. Onboarding: Don't wait until the first day

Signing the contract is in no way the end of the recruitment process. This is because the experience that the candidate subsequently has with you, as a new employer, significantly influences future motivation and loyalty. A successful onboarding process, which systematically introduces the new member of staff to the working environment, structures and relevant rules, is essential to reduce the risk of losing the employee after only a short time – resulting in not only a financial loss, but also damage to your reputation. Onboarding begins well before the first day of work. The time between signing the contract and starting work can be used to prepare the new employee, and also the line manager, for their upcoming tasks. A full range of onboarding measures, including a detailed induction plan and an official contact person for the first few weeks, will help you to secure a motivated and committed employee for your company.

More practical tips in the eBook "The ideal recruitment workflow"

You can find useful tips on how to integrate and optimise all elements of your recruitment workflow in our eBook. With it you can make sure that your company has an important competitive advantage in the job market and recruits the best employees.