As we enter yet another year, it’s essential to begin thinking about how you’re going to grow and nurture your company in the months ahead. For many businesses, 12 months of new opportunities will open the door to roles for new and aspiring talent. How you address your needs for new personnel can determine whether the next year is successful, or a complete disaster.
According to research from HR Zone, a bad hire can cost as much as four times the annual salary of your recruit. With statistics like that in mind, it’s little wonder that many organisations have begun to turn to specialist manufacturing recruitment agencies for help picking the perfect job candidate.
While the easiest way to avoid typical hiring mistakes is to get the right support, there are a few other points you can keep in mind to improve your chances of success in 2018.
1. Know What You Want
One of the biggest reasons why hiring managers struggle getting their hands on the perfect talent for their organisation is that they don’t know what they need in the first place. It’s hard to find the ideal employee when you have no idea what you need them to do for your business.
A vague job description or a blurry view of your ideal recruit can mean that you waste time interviewing people who are only semi-qualified for your projected role. Start by considering the positive changes that you need to make in 2018, and which skills will make your transformation easier.
2. Invest Time
Sometimes, choosing a new staff member can feel like a race to the finish line. You have projects to complete and problems to overcome, so you don’t have time to interview dozens of professionals who might be suited to the job. However, rushing the process increases your chances of hiring someone that doesn’t have the skills and personality you want.
The simplest way to improve the efficiency of your recruitment experience is to hire an recruitment company that can help to put you in touch with the right people from day one. This means that you spend less time sifting through inappropriate applicants.
3. Stop Searching for Perfection
In contrast to the organisations that hire “just anyone” as quickly as possible, there are some hiring managers out there who refuse to stop their search until they’ve found the perfect employee. While there’s nothing wrong with being discerning about the kind of talent you want to bring onto your team, the chances are that the ideal candidate doesn’t really exist.
The longer you spend pursuing the mythical creature you desperately want in your network, the more likely you are to miss out on the fantastic applicant that’s standing right in front of you.
4. Refine Your Candidate Experience
Today, successful hiring isn’t just about attracting the right employees; it’s about retaining them too. Even if you manage to bring the right team member into your midst, you might lose them quickly if you provide them with a sub-standard onboarding experience.
Everything from the interview that you use to assess your recruit’s ability to do the job, to the way that you welcome that individual into your staff, can improve or diminish your chances of holding onto the right talent.
Remember that today’s top performers expect intuitive and straightforward hiring experiences, where they’re kept up-to-date every step of the way. Your recruitment company will help you to improve your candidate experience if you’re struggling.
5. Forget the “Gut” Feeling
The best leaders learn how to trust their feelings when they’re bringing someone new onto the team, or making a crucial decision for the future of the business. However, you’re going to need a lot more than a “gut feeling” about someone to ensure that you’re making the right hire. It’s imperative to design a transparent and efficient process for hiring that involves:
- A reliable and easy to understand job description: This will tell your applicants what you expect while helping to keep you on track at the same time.
- An efficient search for appropriate candidates with the help of your professional recruitment agency. Don’t waste time sifting through thousands of unnecessary CVs
- A careful assessment of skills and attitude. While you need to know that your new manufacturing professional knows how to use the resources in your company, you must also feel confident that they’ll fit well into your company culture.
6. Remember Cultural Fit
Finally, remember that there’s more to choosing the perfect candidate for 2018 than making sure they have all the right credentials and certifications. A great employee is one that can work well in a team, so remember to hire based on attitude as well as skill.
Before you formally offer the role to anyone, make sure that the person you’re speaking to is passionate about the long-term opportunities that your business can provide. This will help you to reduce the risk of job-hoppers. It’s also worth looking for characteristics that blend well with your current working environment.
We are ‘South Wales Recruitment Specialists’ based in Cardiff, Wales.
We offer a full range of permanent recruitment solutions to many of South Wales’ and the South Wests’ leading manufacturing, technical, automotive and life science organisations. This includes companies in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Port Talbot, Bridgend and the surrounding areas in South Wales.
Sigma Recruitment has one of the largest and most comprehensive recruitment candidate databases in the area. To get in touch with our team call us now on 02920 450 100. Alternatively, contact us here.
