For small and medium businesses, recruiting is one of the most important tasks you can do, but also one of the most time consuming. When you operate with a lean team, every single team member is critical, and we all know how different the outcomes are when we hire an average performer, compared to a top performer.

Good recruiting processes (and systems) and make a huge difference to your recruiting outcomes. Here are 5 easy ways to improve your recruiting results…

1) Start with a Clear and Compelling Job Advertisement

Your job advertisement should be factual, but it also needs to convince potential applicants to apply - especially those that may not be actively looking. Remember, you’re trying to attract a pool of the best applicants possible! It should not be a straight copy of the position description. Be sure to include words and phrases that potential applicants will be searching for as these can make the difference between your ad being seen or being invisible.

2) Put together a Selection Panel

Decide who will be involved in the recruiting process for this role. Perhaps you’ll include the line manager, but maybe also some of the colleagues who’ll be working alongside this new hire will also have some good insights to share.

3) Use an Application Form for Efficient Screening

Think through some questions to ask on your application form. If you require certain qualifications, or experience, ask for it here. If you require strong writing skills, ask them to write a response to something that would demonstrate those skills. A well thought out application form can help you get a lot faster with the initial screening process.

4) Take a Methodical Approach

Before publishing your position, decide how you will move candidates through your recruitment process. For example, your stages might include application screening, phone interviews, online interviews, face-to-face interviews, technical tests, personality tests, practical projects, reference checks and more. Keep your candidates organised using a Kanban approach.

5) Use an Applicant Scorecard

When creating the position, decide upfront on the attributes that are most important for this role (and also for the company). Have a list of 3-6 key qualities that you and other selection panelists can hone in on when assessing each candidate. This helps everyone stay more objecting and focussed when comparing different candidates.

6) Recruit Fast!

The best candidates will always have plenty of options to choose from, so don’t delay or be complacent. Use email templates to make communication fast and easy, and keep candidates informed of where they’re up to. If the decision-makers are not sure, it’s best to encourage them to organise another interview and dive into any areas of concern rather than stall the process (and potentially lose the candidate).

In Conclusion

If you’re recruiting regularly, using an email system quickly becomes a nightmare for processing applicants. It’s too easy to lose track of good candidates and get overwhelmed with which stage everyone is up to.

HR Partner is an online HR platform designed specifically for businesses between 20 and 500 employees. It includes a full Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to make recruiting simple, and also integrates with Xero for tracking employee leave.