10 Steps for a Successful Employee Selection Process
We already know that recruitment is a critical HR role to pull off. You can’t just go over a list of candidates, randomly pick names, and hire them on the spot. You’ll just be wasting your time and roster spots for people who are actually qualified to take positions. This article introduces another important piece in the HR puzzle: the hiring process. If you want good talent to come to you, make sure your hiring process is a well-oiled machine with little to no hitches. Consider this article as a checklist for building a process that’ll keep your talent pool and candidate database flowing with great people.
10 Steps for a Successful Employee Selection Process
Before candidates knock on your doors, everything you need should already be good to go. Don’t wing this one—not only will that make you look unprofessional, but it can jeopardize your entire recruitment department too. Save yourself from the trouble of scouting bad hires by following these hiring tips:
Prepare a Job Description
For every recruiter, this is where the magic begins. Given that you already know what you’re looking for, this is the time to identify the responsibilities of the job vacancy you’re trying to fill. Crafting a clear job description is a win-win for employers and employees.
It allows the former to narrow down their search, while the latter knows what to expect when applying for their desired jobs. Every job description must have the following details: job title, duties and responsibilities, skills and qualifications, job address, and compensation and benefits. Be as comprehensive as possible when writing them down.
Announce a Job
Alert people that you have a job (or jobs, if there are multiple open vacancies) up for grabs. You can do this internally, externally, or a mix of both. If you’re going to announce job openings internally, you can go about this type of advertising by posting on bulletin boards, newsletters, and company-wide emails. These channels let your entire workforce know that there’s a job that needs filling.
If you’re pursuing external advertising, let your employees know that this is an option you’re taking. To find more people, you need to utilize the power of technology; headhunters can only scout so many people for your selection. Just make use of your company website and online job portals for your search.
Preliminary Screenings
This first round of screening usually begins with reviewing cover letters and resumes. If you plan on hiring a few bodies, make sure they just don’t fill empty seats—they actually have to fit the bill too. Once you’re done with the reviewing, submit your list of qualified applicants to your hiring manager.
Do note, however, that your manager may want to do an evaluation of every document you’ve reviewed; that list may change after he or she finishes going through every one of them. After determining the list of qualified applicants, you’re tasked to conduct interviews on the phone. Phone interviews let you find out if your applicant ticks all the boxes their desired job entails. This saves you time and money too, especially if you’re talking to applicants who live far from your company’s headquarters.
Application Blanks
Most (if not, all) hiring managers make use of application blanks. This common tool allows them to gain information on their prospects in a short amount of time. At this juncture, candidates must fill in blank application forms. Each application form should contain a candidate’s biographical information, educational attainment, work/professional experience, salary, extracurricular information, and character references.
In most companies, application forms serve as candidates’ personal records. Not every detail is going to be used, but it’s always ideal to fill this out. Should a candidate face rejection over a position, hiring managers can always go back to their application forms in case they want them for another job.
Selection Tests
Step number 5 on this list requires you to administer tests to candidates. This is a sure-fire way to measure their characteristics. There are numerous tests out there that help you gauge their fit within your company. Companies usually let candidates take personality tests to make sure they’re in the right headspace for the jobs they want to pursue.
Along with specified tests for their desired positions, IQ tests are conducted to assess their skills and knowledge. Selection tests are a good way to filter out qualified candidates from a bunch of different applicants. While they can give an estimate of their performances, they don’t predict how successful they’ll be if they land the jobs.
Candidate In-Person Interviews
Candidates that pass the initial screenings and selection tests will receive invitations to come to the company address for face-to-face interviews. Companies conduct interviews differently; some have hourly interview sessions, while others opt for interviewing just one person per day. Regardless of your approach, make the most of your time and ask relevant questions to get meaningful answers from candidates.
Be prepared to answer their questions as well since they may have some concerns. Schedule sessions at least 2 to 3 business days ahead of time to allow candidates to prepare themselves. In the event of clashing schedules, offer them alternative dates to make things convenient for both parties. Don’t forget to include the time and address too.
Final Selections
After all the tests and interviews, it now boils down to your final decisions. Who are you going to pick? If you’ve taken notes during your interviews, now’s the time to bust them out and compare them. Since qualifications are only one part of the selection process, make sure you consider other factors such as conduct and work ethic. This will weed out your top picks from the remaining candidates. Consult your hiring manager and any other HR employees involved in the hiring process before you make your selections. They may offer different takes that may be influential once your decision-making begins.
Medical Examinations
These tests are an absolute necessity, especially for labor-related jobs. Every responsible hiring manager should make this a requirement to comply with organizational, federal, and state health standards. Medical exams determine if candidates are physically or medically able to do the jobs they’re applying for. They can also pick out any previously unidentified conditions that may hinder their capabilities.
Verifications and References
The character reference section in application forms isn’t there without a purpose. This gives you more information on a candidate’s professional history, which can tell you if you’ve made a good decision or not. At this point, it’s ideal to perform background checks as well. This should be stated in your job posting so as not to catch any applicant off-guard. If you can’t find any red flags, there’s only one thing left to do after this.
Job Offer
We’re now down to the final item of this 10-step list. By now, you should prepare to make job offers to your chosen candidates. An initial offer should be made to those candidates. This offer needs you to send an offer letter, which should state the start date and time, work hours, salary, compensation, and benefits. Every detail should be free of ambiguities to avoid further confusions.
We’ve now reached the tail end of this article. Hopefully, you’ve learned all the basics of hiring employees. The hiring process is a key component of HR planning, so this art is something you should ideally master. Like most HR skills, this one takes time to learn; don’t be too stressed with your first attempt since hiring people takes practice to polish. After reading this, you should have a clear idea on what to do when you’re asked to take part in recruitment efforts. Good luck on your journey to recruitment!
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