The Recruitment Process
Finding someone to work in your business can be a very daunting task. And all small business owners know full well the costs of employing people. Getting it wrong can be very costly in terms of the time and expense involved in recruitment and training. Harmony too among your staff is important, particularly so in a small operation, where everyone has to work closely together. So, how can you do it in the least painful way?
- Define your needs
- Write a Job Description
- Decide on your method of recruitment
- Select candidates for interview
- Carry out interviews
- Choose your person
Firstly, consider these questions: Ask yourself, why do you need to employ somebody in the first place? What will this person be employed to do? How much can you afford to pay?
The Job Description
Straight away, you need a Job Description. This is a written statement which will describe the work to be performed, the responsibilities involved, the skills, training and qualifications needed, the working conditions, relationships with other people and the personnel qualities and characteristics required for the job. Salary and other payment details should also be included.
This will then give you a clear idea of the sort of person that you are looking for. But you also have to consider some of the following: Will they be full time or part time, temporary or permanent? How much will you pay them? Is that the going rate? Do you need to draw up a contract? Is there any relevant legislation that applies to the job? And what about the various government employment schemes?
Methods of Recruitment
- Advertising in local/national press
- Recruitment Consultants / Employment Agencies
- The Internet
Don't forget to consider fair employment and if your recruitment techniques meet the legislative requirements. See our Legislation section.
Advertising
This is a common way of recruiting people. The wording of your advert and what media you place it in are the two most important aspects of recruitment advertising.
In general recruitment ads should have four basic parts:
- The name of the company
- The job itself
- The type of person required and the skills and the experience they need
- The salary
A detailed advert will have the following:
- Name of the Company
- A Telephone, Address or email address to apply to
- Preferably a contact name
- Job description to include title, experience, skills, qualifications, personal characteristics and level of commitment required
- if CV's are to be sent in or whether an application form will be sent out. Note: application forms have the advantage of standardising responses which can aid decision making.
- Outline the advantages to anyone who joins your company. What do you have to offer a new employee?
- You should mention the starting salary and any perks or benefits on offer. The more specific the job description the more likely that you will get a lower number of replies and a higher quality applicant. And by the same token, this should eliminate as many people as possible who will only waste your time and money if they apply.
Choice
The main media for recruitment advertising is the local and national newspapers. The choice will depend on the recruitment budget and the target audience.
Recruitment Consultants / Employment Agencies
These are specialist companies who find people for jobs. Consultants not only take most of the hassle away from the recruitment process, but they have the particular skills, expertise and knowledge of the market to find you the right person for the job.
Using a consultant or employment agency
Tell them exactly what sort of person you are looking for. A good recruitment consultant will ask you many questions about your business, your products & services and how you operate in order to fully understand your business.
This will assist them in finding the person most suited to fit with you and your organisation. Only then will they show you CV's of suitable candidates for your consideration.
Recruitment consultants charge a percentage of the first year's salary.
The Internet
The Internet is becoming increasingly used in recruitment especially as some sectors open to a global marketplace. A website is only as good as the organisation behind it. Make sure you investigate who runs the site.
Are they a credible organisation and can they deliver what they say? Look at examples on the site. If your company has an Internet site it can act as a electronic brochure for your company in attracting staff however, many recruitment decisions are still based on face-to-face interviews.
The Selection Process
What to look for in letters of application and CV's Good spelling, punctuation, neatness, presentation and clarity of thought are the obvious things to look out for at the beginning. Refer to your written Job Description. Decide on the requirements for the job based on this and then sift thought the CVs and match them very closely against your Job Description.
This will give you your short list. You can reject the rest. Always respond to all applications. (It is good business manners and good business sense).
It's all simply a case of weeding out those who are unsuitable and trying to find the best one. Personal prejudices too should be put aside. You have to keep bias out of your reasoning as much as possible.
Remember that employment legislation requires you to keep a record of your decisions and that they must be based on applicability to the job desription. See our section on the employment legislation for specific examples of forms to use.
For interviewing guidelines click here to view our section on " How to conduct an Interview".
