Finding the best candidates possible is a matter of strategy

The job market is always full of people looking for new opportunities, but looking for the right fit for a specific role is not an easy task. Here you have key insights that will help recruiters navigate the process more efficiently: 

Get to know your ideal candidate 

It is almost impossible to find an adequate candidate for a specific job position if you do not know the skills, motivations and personality traits required to perform that role successfully. 

Defining your ideal candidate takes time. Your current employers are a source of inspiration to discover which qualities and skills are a good fit for your company. You also have to take into account the specific characteristics necessary for the specific job offer. 

Focus in their skills and competences instead of their studies 

Studies normally provide solid knowledge, but what truly matters is the performance of the potential worker. Direct your attention to figuring out if they possess the skills required to fulfill the role. 

Give them a task to solve 

Tasks and projects are the best way to see the skills of a potential candidate in practice.

The closer those activities are to the daily chores of the position, the more accurate your analysis of the capacity of the person to perform well in the job.

Presenting them a possible problem that might occur and seeing which steps they will take to solve as well the reasoning behind it is another great way to evaluate their capacity. 

Some ideas to test the skills of your potential new employees: 

1. Customer service: prepare a call or an email that they have to respond to
2. Sales agent: give them a product or service to sell and act as if you were a potential customer
3. Computer specialist: ask them to make proposals to improve the current website of your company

Is the candidate flexible and a fast learner? 

This is a key element to get the best candidate. People who are constantly adding new skills and tools are probably fast learners. This is necessary to perform successfully in a rapidly changing environment. 

Provide crystal clear descriptions of the job offer 

Making sure that job descriptions are complete and detailed is a great way to attract candidates similar to the ideal candidate you are looking for. It is important to not only convey the role and the daily tasks, but also the values of the company.  

Do Employer Branding 

The image that is projected of your company can be a great magnet for ideal candidates. Focusing on visualizing why it is great to work at your company is one of the best tools to do it. Your current employees are the best allies in order to showcase your company as an ideal place to work. 

Pay attention to the details 

The way in which the candidates present their resume, their cover letter or fill in the application forms tells us a lot of insightful information about their value as potential employees of our company. If they do not treat it with care when they are trying to give a great first impression, neither are they going to do it in their daily chores at work. 

Ask for referrals

Talk with employees, people in your industry, family and friends about the candidate you are looking for. Be specific about the skills that an ideal candidate should have and their daily chores to make clear what kind of profile you are looking for. People in your social circles will always make an effort to provide candidates that they trust. Apart from mentioning it, posting it online is key to increase the referrals and maximise your chances of finding a great fit for your current open positions.

Attend recruiting events

Pay attention to the job fairs, career events and recruitment events specific to your sectors to make sure you stay in contact with a high number of potential candidates. Creating your own recruitment event is also a great way to localize candidates that are interested in the job offers at your company. 

Create a potential workers’ database 

Developing a pool of potential candidates in advance will help you significantly when a new and urgent job offer emerges. The sooner you start it, the better prepared you will be. 

Keeping track of all the candidates interviewed and rejected in the past is another good source of potential candidates that might be the best fit for new roles. 

Check out our recruitment services on our website: www.cityjoboffers.com