In 2017, Let's Make Hiring Great!

2016 was… let’s just say it left its mark—which is why 2017 has so much potential. In the recruiting game, there have been significant gains in terms of quality candidates, but in order to put your best foot forward, let’s shake off 2016 and focus on improving companies, one candidate at a time. Here’s how you can be a rock star in the recruiting world in 2017.

Create a game plan

As the old saying goes “Fail to plan, plan to fail”—same holds true to recruiters without clear objectives. To be a successful recruiter you have to master several moving parts. This year, partner with your direct supervisor. Discuss your hiring goals, recruiting strategy, and any additional feedback they may have for you. In addition, look back at the past year and do a little self-assessment. What did you excel at? Further, what were your areas of improvement? Once you pinpoint those, build in some time for development. This may mean you practice organizational skills, or you hop on a webinar about recruiting techniques. Creating a plan that helps you grow in your role is a crucial step in allowing you to have maximum impact on the business.

Target the right talent

A recruiter’s main goal is to find the right candidates to join the ranks within an organization. It’s a very strategic and necessary role, which is why it is so critical for recruiters to hone this particular skill set. Know the requirements of the job you’re recruiting for as well as the requirements of the hiring manager. Accurately create a job description that reflects the duties of the position. Several issues arise when a recruiter upsells a job description.

First, the candidate thinks the jobs is different than it actually is—leaving them to feel bamboozled when they start the job. This ultimately leads to them running for the doors.

Second, the reputation of the organization takes a dive—as they get pegged for being duplicitous about their positions—which can lead to negatively impacting the brand.

Lastly, by altering the job description, not only are you receiving the wrong candidate profiles, the applicants who truly are suitable don’t apply as the description does not reflect what they are interested in. Fortunately, this problem is easily solvable, so this year, start it off on the right foot by targeting the right candidates.

Become an interview guru

Let’s get real; interviews can feel like a challenging task. Whether it’s on the phone or in-person, recruiters have to work their magic to get a feel for the interviewees. Don’t worry, here are a few tips that will go a long way. By mastering the art of the interview, you accomplish several things:

You’re able to get an objective read on the candidate, which is great because it lowers personal bias.
Providing a comfortable environment for the candidate helps them feel at ease, allowing them to give you an honest representation of themselves—which helps give you an idea of how they will fit in with the organization.
It helps make the interview process fun. After all, who doesn’t want to enjoy their job?

By sharpening your interview skills, you’ll blow your previous standards out of the water.

New Year, better recruiter

It’s the beginning of a new year, which means great things can happen. No matter how you ended last year, there’s no time like the present. Be all you can be by working on your recruiting skills. Not only will it help your organization, it will be an asset to your professional development.