Enterprise Nation

Continuing with our ‘hire in help’ theme of the week, we were delighted to hear from Geraldine Cole who is a Director of CV sifting service, eSift.co.uk. Geraldine has come up with her top 10 tips for effective recruitment.

A helping hand

The Financial Times recently reported that the length of time it takes to recruit has doubled due to the overwhelming number of CV’s in-house recruitment teams now receive.  With a lack of HR staff to cope with the demand Geraldine discusses the top 10 tips for small businesses looking to recruit.

1. Write a comprehensive job specification and ideally person specification.  Ensure that the specification does not discriminate in anyway.
2. Agree on specific skills and experience that are essential for the role.  Use these as your benchmark.  It is essential candidates are selected objectively.
3. Agree on the recruitment process and who is involved.  This will vary from business to business dependant on the seniority of the role.  The recruitment process can be simple or complex.  For example, 1st, 2nd & 3rd interviews, panel interviews, on line tests, presentations etc.
4. Consider your options of sourcing candidates.  Direct advertising, HR outsourcing, recruitment agencies, etc. (Be mindful some recruitment services can be very expensive. Ensure you read terms and conditions carefully.)
5. Agree on timescales and allocate specific dates for interviews so the process is not delayed due to other business commitments.  Good candidates can be lost if the process is delayed.
6. Have the right resources in place to deal with the demand and be prepared for a huge response to you vacancy.  In the current climate candidates are being very proactive to secure work and therefore the number of CV's can be excessive and produce an administration burden on a business. 
7. Prior to the interviews taking place ensure the candidate is provided with the full job/person specification and company website to familiarise themselves with the business.  In addition request that the candidate brings their passport, so you can be satisfied they have a legal right to work in the UK.
8. Irrespective of the recruitment process, ensure that the following points are covered;
   - Candidates current work history
   - Reason for leaving
   - Notice periods (if any)
   - Contacts for references if required
   - What do they know about your business?
   - Candidates understanding of the role
   - Salary expectations
   - What questions do they have for you?
   - Finally explain the next stage of the process.
9. Offers in writing are often made subject to obtained suitable references. For that reason make this a priority and ensure they are returned quickly so any issues can be highlighted prior to the candidate starting.
10. Ensure candidates that have not been successful are contacted and made aware they have not been successful. Candidates respect honesty, this also demonstrates that your business is professional.

• Geraldine Cole, esift.co.uk 

eSift.co.uk offers a dedicated recruitment service. A one off cost of £450 provides clients with online recruitment advertising, response management, CV sifting, and a shortlist of suitable candidates - there are no placement fees. This has proved highly valuable to businesses that want to outsource their recruitment, yet maintain control of the process and allow them to focus on their core responsibilities.