With the obvious and “unprecedented” impact of Coronavirus on the hospitality and events industries, improving recruitment and hiring processes has never been of more importance for business owners.

In the recovery period, it’s going to be crucial to attract the right person to join your team to help re-build your business, you will also need to be able to efficiently handle the high number of applications you can expect from the crowded job market. Here are some quick and easy tricks to improve your internal recruitment and hiring process during this “offseason”.   

1. Be clear on what the job entails 

Usually, around 4 pages in length, a professionally written Position Description (PD) details the duties, responsibilities, requisite KPIs and other key details which support the employment contract. Spending a bit more time to get this right before you start recruiting will help your team clarify what soft and hard skills are essential to the role. 

However, due to most PD’s being quite formal documents, we recommend creating a shorter, less detailed Job Brief (JB) which can be used to “sell the sizzle” of the role, company and overall career opportunity.  

The JB’s purpose is to outline the job, using dialogue that will help you attract the right type of candidate for your company, and give candidates a hint of what your company culture is like. The JB is usually less than 1 page in length and can be used as part of the job ad. 

2. Candidate preparation 

Job hunting and the entire interview process is a nerve-racking and stressful experience. Prepping your potential new employees as to what to expect throughout your unique hiring process, is not only a professional courtesy, it will ensure you get the best out of each candidate while shining a favourable light on your company culture.  

Whether interviews are face-to-face or virtual, preparing candidates includes providing directions to tricky-to-find building entrances, login instructions for your preferred video conferencing tools, advising who they can expect to meet during the interview process – names and positions, as well as giving an expected timeframe. 

3. Consistent interview format 

While you want to assess each candidate with consistency, trying to conduct identical interviews can be too much pressure and is not always realistic. It’s best to let the interview flow and have a list of 5-10 key questions that each candidate is asked and evaluated upon, covering relevant components of the job, such as leadership, financials and communication.   

Taking this one step further, if you have more than one interviewer, have a game plan for who asks what questions. 

4. Candidate follow up  

Although it’s difficult to be the bearer of bad news, following up promptly with every candidate demonstrates integrity and professionalism which feeds directly into your Employer Brand.  A study from Indeed found 48% of job applicants’ number one pain point was waiting to hear back from prospective employers. So, even if an applicant didn’t get the job, they will appreciate being notified and given any feedback which might help them next time.   

5. Plan for week 1, not just day 1

Contrary to what most people believe, the recruitment and hiring process does not stop once the contract is signed. The early stages of employee engagement are critical to you retaining and maximising the potential of your new employee, as well as reflecting positively on your employer brand and culture.  

We recommend employers prepare a detailed onboarding checklist or 1-2-week induction plan for all new staff members. Giving them enough time, resources, and knowledge to learn the ins and outs of their new role, meet and connect with their new colleagues, and feel like a valued part of the team, will pay dividends in the form of increased staff retention. 

This article originally featured in Spice Magazine.

Need help with all or part of your recruitment process? 

Consider The Monday Group’s flexible Recruitment Process Outsourcing services, tailored to your company’s individual needs or call 1300 358 072 to make an enquiry