Jeff McLanahan
Contributing Writer
Service Experts/Enercare

Recruiting great talent is not easy.  We have all heard about the shortage of skilled workers, yet we do not always put our best effort forward during the recruiting process.  In fact, we sometimes make it difficult for candidates to move through our process and we forget that good people always have options.

Take some time this month to perform some routine maintenance on your recruiting process.  Ensure that everyone involved in recruitment efforts is on the same page.  Communicate expectations to all involved and establish the level of importance you place on recruiting top talent.

Here are some specific items to examine and communicate.

1. Do the hiring managers and the recruiter meet to discuss open roles before jobs are posted?   This will help the recruiter source acceptable candidates and prevent the manager from disqualifying candidates after the effort has been made to screen them.  The job description provides an overview of the open role.  The hiring manager must provide the details of what they are looking for in a candidate beyond the job description.

2. Are hiring managers making themselves available for scheduled interviews? In our business, there is always something that happens unexpectedly.  Outside of the emergency situation that might arise, the hiring manager needs to be available to conduct scheduled interviews.

3. Along with being available for the scheduled interview, is the manager on time for the scheduled interview?  Being late for an interview sends the wrong messages to a candidate.  These messages can vary from disorganization, to it being acceptable to be late for appointments.

4. Are hiring managers prepared for the interview?  The resume and application need to be reviewed BEFORE the interview begins, not during it.  As with being late for the interview, not being prepared can send the wrong messages.  Do you expect employees to be prepared prior to a service call, or to check for needed tools and equipment after they arrive?  Do you want employees to be prepared to work when they arrive or to prepare after they have clocked in?

5. Are managers following a structured interview guide or asking random questions to each candidate?  Don’t ask stupid questions.  I have heard of questions such as, “If you were ice cream, what flavor would you be and why?”  Use tools and resources such as a structured interview guide.  It makes interviewing consistent and even helps keep you legal.

6. Does your process go on and on and on?  Once a qualified pool of applicants has been recruited and put through the interview process, make a decision!  That old theory, “If the candidate doesn’t want to wait to hear from me, they must not want to work here” is simply not true.  Candidates take their time as well to go through the process and they expect to hear a decision in a timely manner or they will move on to the next potential employer.

The summer season will be here before you know it.  Perform some maintenance on your recruiting process to ensure it runs smoothly when needed.