You have an opening in your company. How can you find the right person for your team? What is the best way to approach this challenge? Let's find out...
Your Ideal Candidate
Before you start thinking about HOW you are going to recruit or advertise for this position, first you need to think about WHO you are looking for.
Who is your ideal candidate? Will they need to have specific skills and qualifications or are their personality and life experience more important? A person who is looking to learn and further their career may be great for a diverse role, but they may quickly become bored of a repetitive role. Knowing who your ideal candidate is will help to guide every step you take from the channel you advertise through, to the wording of the advertisement, the remuneration package and the questions you will ask in the interview. It will also help you to streamline the process of narrowing down candidates.
Top tip:
Make a list of all of the attributes your ideal candidate would have, for instance the following:
The stage they are at in their career and their career goals
Their outlook on life, personal values and qualities
Skillset, experience and proven past results
Anything else you can think of that would contribute to their ability to do the job and fit into your team
Organise these attributes into minimum requirements v nice to haves. We call this your ideal candidate sheet. During the applications phase you will refer back to this sheet.
Approach
Now that you have identified who your ideal candidate would be, you have to use an approach where you are likely to attract that candidate. If it is a senior or highly specialised and skilled role, a recruitment agency that specialises in that field may provide a competitive advantage. After all, recruitment is a multi-million dollar industry in New Zealand. If the role is an entry-level to mid-level role using websites like Seek.co.nz or TradeMe.co.nz may be more cost effective and still help you find that perfect candidate.
Advertisement. If you are choosing to write the ad yourself here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Outline the key aspects of the role and the key skills required to fulfil it
Clearly state what the hours of work would be for this role
Outline the qualifications and experience required for applicants
Be careful not to disqualify good candidates by communicating 'nice-to-haves' as necessities.
Stating your company name and the remuneration package increases the likelihood of skilled candidates applying by over 40% according to one study.
Use language that will attract your ideal candidate - if you want an enthusiastic lateral thinker, use words that carry excitement and emotion. If you want a structured professional use words that carry function and logic.
In conclusion
It can be difficult to find the right candidate, but it can be done. Take your time, be thorough with your processes, put yourself in your ideal candidates shoes and you just might find that your next team member is out there looking for you!
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