It has always been important for businesses to develop effective recruitment strategies to attract the right people and then retain them. However, getting recruitment wrong can be a costly expense. According to Oxford Economics, it costs on average, £30,000 for every recruit who is on a salary of £25,000. It is not just the cost of the agency fee or advertising but there are also hidden costs, such as time spent on conducting the interviews and preparing for them; onboarding costs and training the new employee.
It is a sad fact that according to various surveys, around 50% of new hires leave their job within the first six months. So, what can you do to counteract this in your next recruitment drive? Margaret Keane from B P Collins’ HR consultancy, HR2HELP, advises.
1.Conduct a job analysis
One of the reasons why people leave a role within six months is that they feel they have been misled by either the job description or the interviewer. When an employee leaves, it is an opportunity to review the job role in relation to the current and future needs of the business.
Once you know what the job role entails, you can then devise a person specification which describes the qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge, and other attributes (selection criteria) that a candidate must possess to perform the job duties.
You are then ready to advertise.
2.Advertising and attracting candidates
Adverts should have clear, accurate information about the business and the role with bias free language. The items potential candidates search on is, job title, location of the role and salary.
When considering how to attract candidates, there are various methods of recruiting including:
- External recruiting
- Employee referral schemes
- External recruitment or consulting services
- Internal recruiting as part of succession planning
Whichever way you attract candidates, track where they come from, encourage people to submit CVs on your website and implement a process of staying connected with prospects such as connecting on LinkedIn.
3.Tips for the interviewing process
Before interviewing, check the candidate’s right to work in the UK. If they don’t have one and the business does not hold a sponsorship licence, this will save time in the long run.
All applications should be treated confidentially and circulated only to those involved with the recruitment process. It is good practise to acknowledge applicants, as this presents a positive image of the business and its reputation as an employer.
- Check if candidates need any reasonable adjustments to attend an interview.
- Consider how to be inclusive for all candidates.
- Plan a structured interview process so each candidate has a consistent experience.
- Questions must be in relation to the job description and person specification.
- Managers who interview candidates should be trained.
- At the beginning of the interview, inform the candidate of next steps, if there will be a second interview stage and timeline for decisions. This also gives the interviewer a structure, to work to.
- Do not ask irrelevant or discriminating questions.
- Let the candidate do most of the talking. Ask them questions about their skills and experience before describing the company. If you tell them what you are looking for before you ask the questions, a candidate can frame their answers to what the interviewer wants to hear.
- Devise selection tests if appropriate i.e. use of computer packages, reviewing case studies.
4.Informing the candidate
- Try to stick to the timeline. If there is a delay, let the candidates know.
- Ensure that unsuccessful candidates are informed promptly and given feedback. They might not be right for this role but could be suitable for another.
- Ensure all documentation is sent to the successful candidate, and keep in contact with them as they work out their notice.
- Have an organised on boarding process.
For further advice and information about recruitment please contact HR2HELP at enquiries@bpcollins.co.uk or call 01753 889995.
