Many companies have a system for hiring that starts with popular career websites like Craigslist and Monster, for example. However, there are many companies that are back to the resume search in a few months time. Posting is just the beginning of candidate sourcing. If your company follows and integrates a clearer purpose and search method, the quality of your company’s candidate sourcing and longevity can dramatically increase. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Clearly Define Your Need
In order to clarify what your company needs, the purpose for the role must be clearly defined. Here are three of the most prevalent needs for companies:
- Short-term, project-based need
- Temp-to-hire
- Hire full-time
For example, your company may only need someone for a 6-12 month project. Your company needs to know if the role will only be temporary, a test, or if you are looking to hire full-time and commit. An example of a temp-to-hire would be hiring an account manager for 3-6 months to see if the candidate can build momentum towards a long-term focus. Or, a temp-to-hire SQL Developer who performs well may have the opportunity to become full-time. But no matter how well a candidate may perform, if you have no ongoing purpose for them, it may be better to keep the contract limited to a time frame.
Don’t Over Analyze Keyword Matches and Resumes
On popular careers sites, it is possible to receive hundreds of resumes for a single position, especially if you are using multiple sources. It is difficult to understand who the candidate is from a list of skills and accomplishments and if they will match the position you are looking to fill. If you are getting too many resumes, it is important to be aware of how you are advertising the role. If too many unqualified people are applying, maybe the expectations are not defined clearly enough. If you have little to no responses and weeks have passed by, maybe you’re reaching too high with your expectations. In the end, a good fit on paper is not necessarily a good fit for the company, so defining the type of person you are looking for may help to match the right personalities. A best practice to candidate sourcing is through client and internal employee referrals, because there are personal experiences and observations to share about.
Finding the Best Candidate
All in all, what the candidate has done in their career will be a good indicator as to whether they are a potential fit. Factors, like longevity, upwards movement in the same company, projects complete, and even grammatical mistakes on their resume can speak volumes about who this candidate may be. Affirma’s staffing experts can help you find the candidates for many of the hardest skill sets to find, including: software engineers, technical and non-technical project managers, finance and business analysts, and many more! Contact us for a free consultation today!
