As you’ve probably encountered firsthand, hiring the right people can feel like an uphill battle. In fact, research from Glassdoor indicates that 76% of hiring decision makers say that attracting quality candidates is their number one challenge.
While sourcing top talent can be challenging, there are certain things you can do to increase your success rate. To learn more about how to boost your chances of hiring amazing talent, we asked five HR experts and business leaders to share their very top hiring tips. Keep reading to discover what they are.
1. Adopt a structured hiring process
“Structured interviews tend to be much more reliable and valid than unstructured interviews. Structured interviewing involves asking all candidates the same skill-based questions. The steps to a structured interview process are simple:
- Determine three to five competencies necessary for a person to succeed in a role.
- Select behavior-based questions that will help you evaluate each of the competencies.
- Ask all candidates those same questions.
- Score all candidates on a rubric using the same scale.
Diversity, equity and inclusion experts encourage structured interviewing because the process reduces bias in hiring. Reducing bias is key to hiring top talent because it allows you to identify the actual best person for the role, and not be clouded by your assumptions and preconceived ideas of who the best person might be.”
- Amber Madison, cofounder of Peoplism
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2. Give test situations to see candidates’ skills in action
“Some people interview well and some people interview really poorly. An interview alone is not the best indication that somebody will actually be able to do the job.
For every role, we design a test situation that will let a candidate put their craft to work and show you what they are really capable of. It’s important to create a test situation that mimics a real working environment as much as possible.
For example, if you are hiring a telesales person, then get them to do a roleplay phone call. Whereas, if you are hiring a software engineer, get them to code something. Be considerate of your candidate’s time and don’t make your test too onerous or complex. The point here isn’t to trick someone into making a mistake; it’s about getting a real sense of how a person would perform on the job.”
- Johanna Seton, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Doorsteps
3. Focus on inclusive hiring practices to attract diverse talent
“My one tip for hiring top talent is to have a robust recruiting plan with a real focus on inclusive and diverse talent. Today’s talent is becoming more diverse. The best way to bring in top talent is to have the widest possible pool of talent to recruit from.
Inclusive recruiting tactics may include: focusing on language in job posts that appeal to the broadest range of diverse talent; using diverse people within your recruiting and interview process; training interviewing managers to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias; and seeking talent from underutilized sources.
Some of these ‘hidden’ sources of top talent can include mature employees with lots of experience who want to continue working, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people needing a second chance, and veterans.”
- Stan Kimer, President of Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer
4. Offer enticing employee rewards
“Compensation has changed dramatically in the last 12 months, and salaries have increased in most markets. Companies that are not willing nor able to take a hard look at their value proposition will continue to struggle with both counter offers and employees consistently being recruited away.
However, those that take a holistic view towards compensation and the total rewards package they offer their employees will find that money isn’t everything to today’s candidates.
Flexibility, benefits, and autonomy are much higher on the priority list for candidates these days, so be sure to keep that in mind if you want to start hiring top talent.”
- J.L. Baker, CEO at GattiHR
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5. Remember how you treat your existing employees will impact the candidates you attract
“The best ambassadors of your company to future talent are your current employees. This is why your best move is to ensure their employee experience is positive by treating them with the utmost respect. By respecting them, you’re showing them how much you value their hard work.
Work on acknowledging not only their contributions, but also their individuality. Positivity within your organization will shine through, attracting top talent like a moth to a flame.
If you don’t respect your employees, they may end up becoming unmotivated and unproductive.
And what kind of future coworkers will they end up attracting? People with no ‘love’ for your business and are only looking to come to work, perform some tasks, and leave.”
- Arnold Chapman, Founder and CEO of ELDFocus.com
Final remarks
As the expert tips in this article highlight, it’s vital to take a more considered approach if you want to start hiring top talent. It’s simply not enough to offer job seekers what you believe is a good career opportunity.
You need to be proactive about implementing hiring practices that attract and retain top talent. Start by implementing the tips above. Once you identify what works and what doesn’t, you can tweak your recruitment process accordingly. Soon, you’ll be attracting more talent than you can handle!
