In earlier times, hiring staff involved the placing of an advertisement in the paper or other publications to attract the right candidates for the position. After a stipulated time period, interested candidates would be called in for an interview and the most successful candidate hired for the job. However, after following these steps many employers found themselves with staffs that were not a good match thus resulting in another exhausting recruitment process. Fortunately, things have changed with the establishment of recruitment agencies that assist companies to find the best employees. These agencies have recruitment specialists that are trained and experienced in picking out the best candidate for diverse positions.
To ensure that they select suitable candidates, a recruitment specialist takes the candidates through a process that will guarantee their clients the best employees. The recruitment process may differ from one specialist to another, but there are some practices that have been adopted across the board, which include:
- Advertising Vacant Positions
Apart from the information provided by the client, recruitment specialists also develop a position description that they use to advertise on various platforms. They can use traditional media or even look through their applicant pool to find suitable candidates for the job position. In most cases, the advertisement will have the contacts of the recruitment specialist who will receive the CVs or resumes of interested candidates.
- Review Applicants
As soon as the application period is over, the recruitment specialist begins to review the applications according to the job description used in the advertisement. The review process may take some time as their goal is to pick candidates with the highest qualification for the position. After careful review, a shortlist is prepared and interviews arranged for those on the list.
- Conduct Interviews
This is the most crucial stage of the recruitment process because the specialist gets to meet the potential candidates and decide whether they are fit for the job or not. Some specialists conduct several interviews before making a decision to ensure that they choose the best person. It is common to find them giving written tests as well as face to face interviews to assist them in evaluating candidates that are likely to be offered the job. In most cases, recruitment specialists have an idea of who to pick after the interview stage.
- Select Candidate
Although a recruitment specialist is able to identify the candidate that fits a job description, they still discuss the outcome of the interview with other staff members that were present to find out their thoughts on the process. In some cases, such discussions give them better clarity on the candidate to present to a client that has hired them to help fill a vacant position. When a decision has been reached, the name and contacts of the successful candidate is forwarded to the client.
Overall, working with a recruitment specialist increases the chances of getting the best employee without having to go through the process on your own. It also saves time and energy that would have been spent interviewing and selecting a new employee for the company.