You should have a thorough vetting process that identifies any red flags and is quick enough to keep your top prospects interested every step of the way.
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Why is the right Screening of Candidates so essential?
It can be tempting to cut corners when you’re having difficulty filling vacancies. Employers have learned the hard lesson of how costly a bad hire is. A thorough candidate screening is crucial in preventing bad hires. To avoid losing the best candidates during the hiring process, it’s equally important to ensure that your vetting process runs smoothly and efficiently.
You don’t want to hire someone without the right skills, experience, or fit to succeed within your company. However, the best people are able to take on multiple jobs. It is not a good idea to lose your top choice candidate to the competition.
How to do Screening the right way?
Candidate screening is more than a task that you can cross off your list. It is an integral part of the hiring process. To ensure that you find the right match, there are several steps you can take during the hiring process. Start by reviewing how you advertise the opportunity to potential employees.
Examine the interview process, including how you approach background checks. Vetting may continue well beyond the date of hire. To see if new employees are adapting and capable of performing the job, check on them within the first few months or so.
It is better to let go of an employee earlier in their tenure than to invest too much time and energy in their development.
Appropriate & detailed Job Description
A job description that accurately describes the position is essential for the entire process. This will help you attract qualified candidates, and it will also help you weed out the unqualified candidates that will opt-out.
You must distinguish between the job descriptions you use internally to categorize and create metrics for company positions and job ads that are intended to attract top prospects.
Your ad must be relevant to the target audience. It should be clear and concise. It shouldn’t be a list with must-haves. While it is important that the job description clearly outlines the responsibilities and requirements of the post, it is also crucial to attract the best candidates.
You can make your job stand out among the rest because there will always be many top candidates.
Use initial Assessment of Candidates’ Skills
A candidate’s initial assessment can help you both avoid wasting time and keep the process moving forward. Even if the hiring manager is not available, you can give the candidate a skills test and have them interview with someone who knows the job well.
Ask the previous incumbent to interview the candidate to determine if they are capable of succeeding in the job.
Do Phone Screening Interview
An efficient way to assess the compatibility of you and your candidate is to have a phone interview. In-person interviews require candidates to be available for work, to dress professionally, and to drive to your location. You can avoid this costly investment by screening candidates via phone.
It’s easier to process multiple candidates in one afternoon than it is to set aside an hour for each candidate for an in-person interview. In a 15-minute call, a screener may ask five to ten questions about each candidate.
These questions should be pertinent to the job, flow logically, and provide the information that you need to take the next step. It is important to be consistent. You can compare apples to apples if you ask the same questions.
Follow Up with detailed Interview to validate candidates
Interviews are a critical part of the vetting process. Interviews are not only about fit and suitability for the job, but you also need to make sure their answers match their resume. If they don’t, make sure they are clear about the job description and the company culture. Ask them to clarify any areas of concern or gaps in their resumes.
Check References for further validation
You don’t have to rush to fill the job. But, it is important that you contact references. The candidate will provide references that they believe will portray them in the best light. You should not hesitate to add the candidate to your staff if you don’t receive positive feedback from a reference.
Remember that references might use neutral, careful language. Before you hire a candidate, it is important to understand the details.
Do Background Checks to confirm all details
Background checks are an important part of the hiring process. Background checks can provide information that is difficult to find. They won’t have any negative information on their resumes and you may not get bad feedback from them.
You might need to request driving records, criminal background checks, and credit reports depending on the job you are hiring for. You don’t need to do all of these checks for every job.
You should be extra vigilant if the job is one that could pose a risk to the company and its employees. Check their professional experience, as well as any certifications or degrees they have.
Make productive use of Applicant Tracking System
The vetting process can be streamlined by using applicant tracking systems. It allows you to quickly filter resumes and other applications based on experience and skills.
This can speed up the process and reduce the risk of losing the best candidates during a lengthy process. It is important to make the application easy and simple so that the best prospects are kept in the loop.
Do Social Media validations as well
Reviewing candidates’ online applications is an important step in vetting them. Do not be critical of candidates who only show their daily life, even if you don’t agree with it.
Red flags such as threats of violence and excessive vacation cocktails should be looked for. You can ask for the client to change their name or make relevant accounts more private if you are concerned about possible client interactions.
Keep an eye on Candidate Ghosting possibilities
Many employers have dealt with candidate ghosting. Candidate ghosting refers to when a candidate appears to have disappeared during the hiring process. If recruiters fail to return calls when they promise or do not follow up with candidates to inform them that they haven’t been hired, they can ghost candidates.
Employers can also be ghosted by candidates. They do not show up for interviews, take assessments, or submit documentation. Even worse, they may not show up for work on their first day. This is costly and annoying and should be avoided.
Make sure Candidate Ghosting isn’t in play
Many employers have dealt with candidate ghosting. Candidate ghosting refers to when a candidate appears to have disappeared during the hiring process. If recruiters fail to return calls when they promise or do not follow up with candidates to inform them that they haven’t been hired, they can ghost candidates.
Employers can also be ghosted by candidates. They do not show up for interviews, take assessments, or submit documentation. Even worse, they may not show up for work on their first day. This is costly and annoying and should be avoided.
Offer appropriate Benefits along with Salary
Candidates often leave because they didn’t like the job or the opportunity. They found another one. To ensure that you are competitively compensated in your industry or area, or better, it is important to review the market. Include benefits that will draw candidates. Do not overthink it. Sometimes it is as easy as having good health insurance and being paid for time off.
Share What To Expect
Ensure they are kept informed throughout the vetting process. You know that you are trying to gather all documentation necessary to make an offer. The candidate’s side knows nothing except that they have not heard back from you in the past two weeks.
They don’t know that you have been waiting for two weeks for your college’s confirmation of their degree or that the person responsible for creating offer packages is away. You can avoid losing a top candidate by communicating regularly.
Use quick Onboarding Process
If the process takes too long, it’s easy for candidates to lose their way. It is easy for candidates to get frustrated if there are a lot of steps between them. To avoid losing a candidate to a competitor, make the process as fast as possible.
If they don’t hear back from you, they may think you are losing interest in them. Make sure they have written notice of any job offers so that they can feel confident in giving notice to their employer.
Does Regular Follow up to keep engaged and interested?
Ensure that you stay in touch with your candidate throughout the entire hiring process. Be friendly, but professional. Do not view hiring as an adversarial process. Both of you have the same goal. You should tell them what they can expect at each step, and then follow up on a regular basis.
After the new employee starts work, keep in touch. To make sure they are excited for their first day at work, call them on the day before. To see how their day went, check in at the end.
You can continue at regular intervals, such as at the end of each week, month, or after ninety days. If you aren’t attentive to their needs, you can lose great people.
Use Recruiting Firm to gain a competitive advantage to source the right resources!
A recruiter firm is a great source of information for candidate vetting. Their vetting process is a science. They can work with hundreds or more candidates per year. Let your partner in recruiting know what you are looking for in your next hire, and they will take care of the rest.
While they do the legwork, you can concentrate on other priorities. Only candidates will be selected that have been screened and vetted.
Akscellence Is A Candidate Vetting Expert
The On-Target process is a proven way to streamline your hiring process and connect you with great candidates. To start your search, get in touch with your Akscellence local office.
