11 Top Tips for Recruiting Employees

Have an opening at your company? Work in the HR department? Then, you’re likely responsible for recruiting employees. 

Recruiting employees can be a complex process. It can also be a challenge to find the most qualified candidates to interview. And, as we all know, hiring the wrong candidate can be costly. 

The onboarding process, while exciting, also needs to be completed in a timely manner. As a member of the HR department, recruiting and hiring aren’t your only responsibilities. You’re likely also responsible for handling employee concerns, employee benefits, and being a liaison between employees and upper management. 

So, when the time comes when you need to recruit and hire a new employee, you may feel a bit stressed. But, with the right tips and an organized process for recruiting employees, you can successfully hire the company’s next rising star. 

By knowing the best ways to recruit employees you can turn this process from being stressful to exciting.

As a member of the HR department, you’re invested in the company and want to see it perform at its best. And, you get to hire someone to make that vision a reality. 

Read on to find out 11 tips for recruiting employees.

11 Tips for Successfully Recruiting Employees

The recruiting and hiring processes has many stages. The first stage of recruiting new employees is to post the job opening. This can be done online or in your local newspaper. 

You can also email current employees about the new opening. Next, it’s time to wade through job applicant resumes. Once you narrow down the list, it’s time to contact the applicant for an interview. 

Next, you’ll set up multiple interviews to determine which candidate is the best fit. But, there are many ways to make these steps go more smoothly. Explore the following tips for recruiting employees to ensure you end up with the best candidates possible. 

1. Promote from Within

Current employees may be the best candidates for the position. Current employees that are successful have already proved that they are compatible with the company culture and values. They also have demonstrated their reliability and commitment. 

For these reasons, it’s a good idea to notify employees of the new opening.

2. Seek Out Employee Referrals 

If a current employee doesn’t have the skills necessary for the new position, then seek out employee support. Employees can be trustworthy resources that can provide you with candidate referrals. They may know someone who is currently seeking a new job who might be a great fit.

3. Enhance the Job Description

Job descriptions need to thoroughly explain the duties, requirements, and qualifications needed for the position. This allows potential candidates to know exactly what to expect, so there aren’t any conflicts later on. Be completely transparent about what you need for the position and the company’s culture.

4. Use Recruiting Tools

Recruiting tools can help you to quickly look through resumes and reach multiple candidates with ease. These tools can also provide pre-interview assessments to weed out unqualified or poor fitting candidates. These tools can also help you to lessen your workload.

5. Create a Priority List

When hiring candidates, it can be tempting to go with the candidate who has the best personality. But, if their experience and education don’t match the job description then both you and the future employee could feel disappointed. 

Attempt to prioritize experience, skills, and education above all else.

6. High-Quality Mindset

Make no mistake, there will be plenty of applicants vying for your new position. However, when recruiting employees, you should take on a high-quality mindset. This means that you should only select the best candidates to interview instead of interviewing too many applicants.

7. Elevate Benefits

Hiring a new employee is a mutual exchange and negotiation. Your new hire will also want to feel like they are getting the best benefits possible. Determine what benefits you can offer a new hire and post these clearly within the job description. 

For example, include salary, health benefits, 401k plan, and/or the option for a flexible schedule. 

8. Improve Your Employer Brand

We understand the benefits of brand recognition for customers, but improving your employer brand is equally as important. By improving your employer brand, you will be able to recruit high talent. People will be excited to work for your company and seek out opportunities on their own. 

You can improve your employer brand by figuring out ways to value employees, offering additional benefits, and by creating a safe and exciting work environment.

9. Gain Support

You never need to recruit employees by yourself. Gain support during the recruiting process by enlisting the help of current employees. Ask them what type of candidate they believe would be best for the job and encourage them to join you during interviews.

10. Ask Excellent Questions

To ensure you’re hiring the best candidates, you need to ask great questions. Ask candidates questions that pertain to your company’s highest values and mission. You should also ask them about their expectations about the position.

11. Be Clear about Hiring Timelines

Recruiting and hiring new employees takes time. While you understand that you need to be patient, some candidates may not. To remove any frustration, it’s important to update candidates regularly about the hiring stages.

Provide them with realistic timelines so they can make the best decision possible.

Recruiting Employees and Gaining Support

Using these tips to recruit employees will help your hiring process to run more smoothly. It will also assist you in attracting the most qualified candidates. 

But, before you can put these tips into action, you need to understand your company’s goals. Make sure to speak with upper management to determine what qualities they would like to see in a future employee. You should also discuss with upper management the parameters of the position to determine if any additional qualifications, requirements, or duties need to be added. 

It’s also a good idea to call a team HR meeting. During this meeting, you can create a recruiting plan and designate who will be in charge of each hiring task. For example, one HR employee can be in charge of interviewing and another can be in charge of looking through resumes. 

Want to improve your HR skills to gain more confidence when recruiting employees? Check out our online courses to learn more.