“If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail”
This quote is attributed to Benjamin Franklin; no doubt you have heard it said, read it written, or seen it dolled up in a fancy font and posted somewhere online. As with many motivational quotes that get trotted out in a multitude of corporate presentations, as much as it seems trite, it is also true.
Having a clear plan with achievable and scalable objectives is, put simply, the secret sauce to reaching your goals. And hiring well is a critical component to this success.
The new year is well and truly upon us. Have you set your IT hiring objectives for the year ahead?
Clicks is an industry expert in tech, digital and IT recruitment. We are committed to helping organisations fulfil their IT staffing needs, through insights, support and comprehensive recruitment services. In this article, we will cover the best way to forward plan your hiring success.
Look Back to Look Forward
Take some time to reflect on your past hiring practices. What learnings have you gained from past hiring campaigns? Be pragmatic about things you could have done differently. Consider:
- Could a lengthy recruitment process have cost you your preferred candidate?
See our tips for improving your internal hiring process. - Were you able to truly assess whether the candidate had what it took to be successful?
See our tips for how to best assess technical skills. - Were you able to support your diversity goals while adding to the team culture?
See our tips for achieving diversity in your workplace.
Ace the Basics
These simple objectives are fundamental to a successful recruitment campaign, to attract and recruit the right candidate.
Clear, Realistic, Specific Position Descriptions
Positions descriptions are not a wish list. Think about what skills and experience you really need the successful candidate to have. Get specific by including personal attributes, context for the role, and an overview of the organisation in the PD.
Effective, Attractive Job Ads
Working with experienced recruiters like Clicks will take the guesswork out of perfecting your job ad. But, if you need to go through an internal process first, be sure that you use gender neutral and inclusive language. This will create the largest possible talent pool for you to select from. Learn more about crafting the best job ad to attract the best candidates.
Use Objective Interview Guides, Testing and Assessments Tools
This allows you to deeply assess suitability and appropriately compare candidates. These can include behavioural based interview questions, case studies, presentations, psychometric assessments, and technical tests.
Boost the Basics
These small but mighty suggestions are not to be overlooked and may minimise the distance between attracting and securing an in-demand candidate from your competitor.
Candidate Experience
Candidates may already or potentially be customers. Consider it part of your customer experience. Your application process can build or damage the reputation of your organisation. Ensure that candidates walk away with a positive experience, regardless of whether they were successful in their application.
Employer Branding
Your recruitment process begins before your job ad hits the market. Establishing a strong employer brand is critical to attract, engage and retain top talent. Make sure you are aware of what others are saying about your company, by researching SEEK Company Reviews and Glassdoor.
Develop a solid EVP. Let it do some of the work for you by referencing your unique benefits in job ads, interviews, position descriptions and social posts.
Be Tech Savvy
Use technology to work smarter. And we’re not talking about running a query through Chat GPT to write your job ads for you. AI is a powerful tool when used well and is ever-evolving. Embrace it. Consider tools such as Textio, a writing platform will score the effectiveness of job ads and provide feedback and suggestions or VideoMyJob to record video job ads if you think your ad could do with a little edge.
Diversity is an Advantage, Not a Box to be Ticked
Data continues to support the value of a diverse workforce. Companies who employ strong DEI initiatives are shown to improve innovation, financial performance, and stronger and faster decision outcomes.
Clicks can attribute our talented and diverse workforce to much of our own success, culturally and commercially.
Gender Equity
Implementing these simple diversity strategies in your hiring will address gender equity in hiring and widen your scope for skilled candidates:
- Include women on your hiring panel
- Add the following statement to your job ad “We welcome applications from those returning to the workforce”, as most return-to-work parents are women
- Be specific about your essential requirements. Reconsider the need to include your ‘nice to have’ requirements, as women will generally only apply for a position if they meet 100% of the requirements
Become Conscious of Unconscious Bias
Assessments such as the Harvard Implicit Associate Test may help you uncover your unconscious bias. We all have them. They have no place in the workplace. And, they could be robbing your organisation of the perfect candidate.
Address Gender Pay Equity
Research current salary rates and pay what the job is worth. Avoid asking a candidate their current salary, as their current or most recent salary could be below market rates, and a key reason they are on the hunt for another role. Research shows women are far less comfortable asking for money compared to their male peers. If your hiring strategy includes ‘bargain shopping’ for someone who accepts a lower salary, it is likely they will soon leave when they find an employer prepared to pay their market worth. This will create a loss far greater than the difference in salary you should have paid. Pay fairness is a key factor in employee engagement.
Be Accommodating
Consider offering roles on a job share basis. Job sharing is an effective way to attract working parents who are looking for flexibility. A job-share role has so many advantages: creating more employment opportunities, increasing and diversifying your skill-base in one role, and efficiently filling the role. Your team will also benefit from built-in leave coverage.
Finally, Prepare Your New Starter for Success
Be Clear on Your Onboarding and Induction Experience
Have a comprehensive onboarding and induction experience plan. First impressions last. Consider how their first day will look and feel. Is their workspace and technology set up and ready? Give the candidate time to become apprised of your organisational goals, strategy, direction, ways of working, company structure and culture, as well as becoming familiar with their team, role, and responsibilities.
After perfecting your hiring practices and finding the perfect hire, the process does not end there. Ensuring the new hire has a great starting experience and is set up for success is key to retaining top talent.
