How To Start Hiring Candidates: Recruiting Your Dream Team

How To Start Hiring Candidates

Is hiring candidates is more of a guessing game than a science? 

You’re not alone!  Finding the perfect person for the job can be time consuming. At Route Networking Group, we personally know the struggles of companies looking to hire qualified talent. So we created this blog as your one-stop shop for conquering the hiring process. We’ll equip you with the strategies and techniques to confidently assess candidates, identify top talent, and make stellar hiring decisions.

Here is what we will cover:

#How-can-I-write-a-job-description-that-attracts-the-right-talent

Should I use a resume scanner or a recruiter when I start hiring candidates?

What are some mistakes I should avoid in the hiring process?

How can I organize all these interviews with candidates?

How can I prepare before a candidate’s interview? 

What questions can I ask candidates during the interview?

How can I score candidates during the interview?

How can I write a job description that attracts the right talent?

One of the very first steps to attracting a stellar candidate starts at the job description. A job description has two functions in a candidate’s job search: to attract and inform. Writing an accurate job description will help you filter out the wrong candidates and attract the right applicants to apply! You’ll be able to set some realistic expectations as well which helps with filtering out applicants. Here’s some of our best tips to writing stellar job descriptions:

• Reflect Your Company’s Ethos and Personality – Be honest about the type of culture at the company. 
• Be upfront with expectations and benefits – If you need several years of experience in a role, then be clear about that requirement. 
• Leave an instruction after the candidate applies – Candidates who will read and follow the instructions will be more serious about the role than just someone clicks on a dozen “Easy Apply” applications. 

Learn more on how to write job descriptions for your company’s open roles. 

Should I use a resume scanner or a recruiter when I start hiring candidates?

When it comes to hiring candidates, recruiters will have several advantages over AI. We can give you a significant edge in your recruitment process by providing access to a deeper talent pool, valuable market insights, and a faster path to finding the perfect fit for your team. Here’s how we bring the expertise needed in the hiring process:

• Guidance and Industry Insights – From reviewing salaries to creating an engaging interview process, recruiters offer guidance that result in better quality candidates for your company’s open roles. 
• Candidate assessment and negotiation – We leverage our experience to assess a candidate’s soft skills, like communication and teamwork, which are difficult to gauge through an ATS. We can also negotiate salary and benefits on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your company.
• Tap Into Hidden Local Talent: As local recruiters, we have strong relationships with candidates in the area. Some potential candidates might not be actively searching for jobs but would be open to a great opportunity. An agency like us can leverage our network to find these hidden gems!

Learn more about why choosing recruiters over Applicant Tracking Systems matters in your candidate search. 

What are some mistakes I should avoid in the hiring process?

Interviewing people takes time and resources but what if you’re making the hiring process harder on yourself? Some common recruiting mistakes can push away talent leaving you with a smaller talent pool.  Here’s how you can ensure a smoother hiring process to land that top talent!

• Taking Too Much Time – Taking too much time (or just not responding at all) can leave a negative impression that they didn’t make it to the next round, so an applicant might move on to other opportunities. 
• The Perfection Mentality: Don’t get hung up on finding the perfect, all-star candidate.  Focus on finding qualified candidates who can excel in the role and contribute to your team’s success.
• Lowballing The Salary – Salary negotiations are complex but offering a salary that’s below expectations could lead to a candidate rejecting an offer. 

Remember, attracting top talent is about creating a positive experience for both you and the candidate. So, ditch the bad habits, refine your approach, and watch your team flourish with the perfect new hire!

Learn how to make clear and actionable solutions to these common hiring mistakes. 

How can I organize all these interviews with candidates?

After the resume screening, you now have several candidates to interview…but how can you juggle all those interviews? What do you do when you need to test technical skills apart from the initial interviews?

Here’s a secret weapon: group your interview rounds!

Here’s how to put it into action:

• Initial Screenings: Group initial phone or video interviews with HR or hiring managers.
• Technical Skills: For roles requiring specific technical skills, dedicate a day or two for back-to-back technical interviews.
• Culture Fit & Soft Skills: Schedule one-on-ones with team members or company leaders to assess cultural fit and soft skills

Finding the best talent can be a time-consuming process. So strategically scheduling your interview rounds keeps this part of recruiting under control!

How can I prepare before a candidate’s interview?  

Here are a few pre-interview tips that will have you feeling confident and ready to find your next superstar team member.

• Communicate must-have candidate qualifications – Share with your team what’s essential for the candidate to have and what’s nice to have. Standardizing these qualities avoids any confusion over the many, many interviews you’re about to have. 
• Create Open And Closed Questions: Include a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions allow candidates to elaborate on their experiences, while closed-ended questions help gauge specific skills.

The Harvard Business Review has a few insightful tips to conducting better interviews.

What questions can I ask candidates during the interview?

Crafting a stellar interview scorecard is key to a smooth and efficient hiring process. But what questions should you include to assess a candidate’s capabilities? Here are some powerful interview questions to consider asking any candidate!

• Give an example of collaborating with a difficult teammate on a project. How did you navigate the situation, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Describe a challenging situation you faced at work. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?

These questions are merely starting points so tailor your questions and evaluation criteria to the specific requirements of the role. For instance, an accountant might require a question about handling financial discrepancies, while a marketing specialist might need to demonstrate their ability to brainstorm creative campaigns under pressure.

How can I score candidates during the interview?

Struggling to compare candidates with different interviewer feedback styles? Try an interview scorecard! It creates a fair & consistent way to evaluate candidates across the board.

Here’s why we love using interview scorecards:

• Standardized feedback: Everyone scores on the same criteria, making comparisons a breeze.
• Clearer picture: Consolidate comments for a quick & easy candidate overview.
• Faster decisions: No more deciphering different writing styles – get hiring quicker!

Developing your own interview scorecard is easy. Just focus on the key competencies required for the role and create a rating scale for each. Leave space for other interviewers to add specific examples from the candidate’s responses.

With scorecards in place, your hiring team will be a well-oiled machine, making data-driven decisions that lead to the perfect hire, every time.

Final Thoughts On Hiring Candidates

Remember, the process to hiring candidates is rarely a one-person show.  Make sure to involve colleagues from different departments who can offer diverse perspectives on the candidate’s skills and fit within the team. Debriefing each other after interviews and resume applications will lead to a more well-rounded evaluation.  By working together, you can make informed decisions that benefit both your company and the ideal candidate.

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Are you ready to connect with exceptional local talent in your area?

Start your talent search the right way…If you’re struggling to find the right candidate for your company, discover a new route with us! 

We’re ready to help you connect with exceptional local talent from Spokane to Idaho, and Montana. 

Contact us now to get started!