But what exactly does it mean to have a great hiring process?

We reached out to recruiting experts to get recruiting tips on the best hiring practices that are getting popular in the HR space now.

Recruiting tips 

A lot of the tips we acquired were new tips that go against our traditional understanding of how hiring should be. Keep reading to find our their hiring secrets.

1. Deliver an excellent candidate experience 

It’s not often that you hear a recruiter putting the candidate before anything else in the hiring process. Usually the recruiter is the biggest player, and the candidates are at their mercy.

Ashley Roman of Mejuri highlights how important it is to put the candidate first:

“Your top priority should be delivering an excellent candidate experience. When this is designed and delivered correctly, high potential candidates get the impression that we value our people, even before joining our team. Constant communication, interactions with different people in our organization (both managers and peers) and feedback throughout the interview process is key. This helps us reinforce the importance our organization places on our people. Both from a candidate prospective, and an employee perspective.” 

A good recruiter knows that the manner that they conduct themselves is an indication of the company culture. No company wants to have their recruiter reflect badly on their company, it’ll drive top talent away.

A recruiter needs to make sure that they are being responsive. Making the candidate feel valued is key. Interpersonal skills in recruiting is key here.

2. Track your recruiting data

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly popular in recruitment. It removes bias from the recruiting process and enables you to have a more diverse hiring pool. An automated tracking system will help you keep track of data over time and figure out what works and what doesn’t work. It could also help you track data that you may overlook.

Shonezi Noor expands on the idea of tracking data:

“Don't forget to keep candidates in the loop at every stage of the process, especially if you decided to go in a different direction. Using a simple tracking system helps you stay organized and makes sure no one slips through the cracks. Treating every potential candidate with transparency will go a long way to establish your reputation. Who knows - they might refer another great candidate, be your next customer or be part of your team down the line.” 

The more data you have over the months and years, the more you will be able to perfect your recruiting process. This will be resourceful for your company so that you can avoid wasting valuable time and money constantly hiring new people because you failed to attract top talent. Tracking the data and using it is all about being resourceful. 

3. Look beyond a candidate’s CV 

Let’s be real, no one is perfect. Many skills can be learned on the job. You want to attract people who have more than just the skills. You want top talent that demonstrates that they will add value to your company culture. 

Jonathan Clarke explains this even further:

“Don’t look for the “perfect” candidate. Too many times companies are overly stuck on finding someone who fits their criteria 100%. Look beyond their CV and find someone who has the capability, adaptability and potential to grow within your business...That way you are building a team and a culture that wants to learn and improve as well as give you new insights that you may not have considered before. Hire people, not paper.”

Focus more on whether the candidate will be a cultural add to your company’s culture. You want to have more of a focus on the company’s growth and future more than just the present. Think long term. 

4. Develop marketing skills

Marketing is an important part of many job titles that require you to communicate with people. Usually people don’t think that recruiting and marketing are so closely tied together. 

Tarek Pertew gives important advice with regards to marketing in recruiting:

“My tip for recruiters would be to start developing serious marketing skills or your job as a recruiter will be at risk. The role is demanding this skill more and more and the shift for recruiting to be a marketing function (or sister of) is highly likely.”

A great recruiter knows how to market not only their company, but themselves. Some important things to consider are: target audience, company benefits, and social media. 

You need to know who you are trying to attract. You need to have incentives so that top talent are enticed by your offering. You also need to be great at social media; your personal branding will get people to want to work for you.

5. Be transparent and build momentum

Transparency is key, and with a competitive market, you need to be upfront with the candidates you're working with. 

Jay Berard points out how being transparent and building momentum is important:

“So much about talent acquisition now depends on your ability to actually "acquire" talent, given how competitive the market is. If you have a well designed recruitment process, you're transparent with your candidates, and you can build that momentum and excitement as you continue to schedule next steps...it's a huge competitive advantage.” 

Excitement builds momentum. With the momentum comes competitive advantages. All of a sudden top talent want to be a part of your experience rather than you trying to desperately get their attention.  

6. Have a human approach to recruiting

Everything you do should have heart in it. People feel it. This tip is last because it is so important. 

Kristin Patrick elaborates:

“Don’t lose your empathy; remember what it’s like to look for a job, it’s emotionally exhausting work! Don’t forget to see candidates as people, not just objects to stick in personnel holes. It’s the human piece of recruiting that connects great people with great companies” 

You are dealing with human beings! Having a humanistic approach to anything you do will always bring the most genuine results. If you are genuine in your recruiting process, you will attract that same energy.

Conclusion

In the past few years, companies have realized the importance of facilitating a better recruiting strategy. The feedback to improve the recruiting process has been increasing over the years, as recruiters share their best hiring tips. 

What's more, recruiting software can help even the most expert-level recruiters achieve optimum levels of success. Find the right solution for your needs on G2.