Have you ever been in the position of watching your new recruit flounder away and then drop out or worse, have to be pushed?\u00a0 When a new employee doesn\u2019t make it past the end of the probation period, the blame game usually kicks in and it is often the recruiter who is put front and centre.\u00a0 Comments like \u201cthey sent me a bad candidate\u201d, \u201cthey obviously didn\u2019t know what we were looking for\u201d, and \u201cI could have advertised myself and got a better candidate than the one they sent me\u201d, are all too familiar when a placement goes sour.\u00a0 The truth is, the responsibility for a bad placement is a shared one.<\/p>\n
Placements usually fail for one simple reason, a lack of clarity around the role and the client organisation and a less than warm welcome on the newbie\u2019s first day. Recruiters will say they were not told certain things about the company or the role.\u00a0 Clients will say the candidate wasn\u2019t suitable and the recruiter just didn\u2019t get it right.\u00a0 Candidates will say the job wasn\u2019t what they were led to believe it would be.<\/p>\n
Here are some tips to making sure you get a new employee who will not only make it through probation but will become one of your treasured team members.<\/p>\n
In the same way a road map gives a driver a sense of direction in unfamiliar territory, a clear Position Description ensures both the employer and the employee have a clear sense of direction in what the role is designed to achieve, the tasks that need to be completed to achieve it and how the person\u2019s performance will be evaluated.\u00a0 A good Position Description will make a statement about the scope of the role, confirm the reporting line, clarify the levels of authority, communicate the key areas of responsibility, and outline the specific tasks required.<\/p>\n
Organisations are simply small communities working together toward a common goal.\u00a0 Every community is made up of a variety of personalities (that\u2019s what makes them interesting) but there are particular personality types that fit better than others.\u00a0 Understanding the personality traits and behaviours that work best in your company and across your team will ensure harmonious and productive working relationships.\u00a0 Like any relationship, \u201cif it doesn\u2019t feel right, it\u2019s not right!\u201d<\/p>\n
Recruitment is a skilled profession like any other and just like Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants, Recruiters have developed specialisations throughout their careers.\u00a0 A skilled Recruiter clearly understands the skills and experience required in particular roles and this knowledge, combined with a clear position description and a clear understanding of your organisation\u2019s personality and culture, means a good \u201cfit\u201d is a much more likely outcome.\u00a0 The screening process is efficient and accurate and your shortlist will be candidates with a high level of suitability for the role.\u00a0 No dropouts!<\/p>\n
A nice suit, tidy hair and dashing smile tells us a candidate cares about their appearance and has good dress sense and where they went to school might tell us something about their social group but quite frankly, that\u2019s about it!\u00a0 Is he\/she resilient and resourceful?\u00a0 Is he\/she an effective problem solver?\u00a0 And what of their work ethic?\u00a0 There is no substitute for spending the time thoroughly interviewing every shortlisted candidate.\u00a0 Utilising well researched and effective methodologies will help you truly understand what you are \u201cbuying\u201d.\u00a0 Open-ended questions to elicit information that points to behaviour and competency are the best.<\/p>\n
So, the candidate presents well and your interview process has identified they have the skills to do the job and are likely to be a great fit but how can you be really sure?\u00a0 In this brave new world of the internet, candidates can research and rehearse their responses to a plethora of interview questions.\u00a0 Reference checks with past employers are a vital part of any recruitment process.\u00a0 A professional and targeted approach to reference checking gives insights into how the candidate has performed in the past, how they have responded to certain situations, and why they were a valued team member\u2026.or not.\u00a0 Reference checks also give you the opportunity to verify certain information the candidate may have provided, another step in the quest for clarity.<\/p>\n
The letter of offer has been signed and a start date agreed.\u00a0 The candidate turns up, agog with an equal dose of excitement and apprehension \u2013 after all, it\u2019s their first day in the new school.\u00a0 Make sure they are expected \u2013 nothing beats a warm welcome.\u00a0 Make sure their workspace has been well prepared for them and take them on an introductory tour of the team before heading into a structured and informative Induction session. \u00a0But that\u2019s another blog!<\/p>\n
Photo courtesy of reynermedia.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever been in the position of watching your new recruit flounder away and then drop out or worse, have to be pushed? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":4722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[109],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n