31/07/19

While searching for talented candidates to join your team, sometimes, the hiring process can become overwhelming. For popular jobs, such as sales and marketing roles or opportunities in the IT sector, a large number of applications are expected.

With this in mind, spotting talented candidates from a large crowd can be difficult. Even identifying what top talent is to you can be a minefield in itself. Although some front runners may stick out, narrowing down your pool of talent can be time consuming, prolonging your hiring process.

As the market has shifted, where candidates are in control, it is important that your hiring process is both effective and efficient for you, while following a concise, valuable process for your candidates.

This is possible to achieve with the right guidance… So, before you throw in the towel with your hiring, here’s some top tips to help spot talented candidates a mile off…

WAYS TO SPOT TALENTED CANDIDATES THROUGHOUT EACH STEP OF THE HIRING PROCESS

From sourcing CVs and searching through LinkedIn profiles, to completing telephone and face-to-face interviews, there are many ways you can identify whether a candidate is ideal for your role. Here’s our expert Smartsearch take on spotting talent…

FIRSTLY, UNDERSTAND YOUR PERCEPTION OF TALENTED CANDIDATES

Before starting your hiring process, it is important to identify what your perception of ‘talented candidates’ is. For every hiring manager, company and position this will be different.

Prior to uploading that job advert and opening the floodgates to applicants, pin pointing the exact candidate you are looking for will make the hiring process easier. Of course, having an element of flexibility is important, as it is impossible to find the ‘perfect’ person. However, setting boundaries with the skillset and seniority you’re requiring is vital.

SEARCH THROUGH CVS EFFECTIVELY

Once you have a picture-perfect idea of who you’re looking for, the next step of the hiring process will entail searching through a wealth of CVs; whether they’ve been sourced by yourself or flew over to your inbox via direct applicants. Reading through a whole CV can take time, therefore, it is important that you briefly scan the document for relevant keywords, skills, qualifications and experience linked to the role you are filling – This is where your understanding of what you’re looking for comes into play.

This will help you narrow down a large proportion of initial candidates. Talented candidates will usually have a wealth of differing experience, all relatable for your role/industry.

EXPLORE LINKEDIN PROFILES

Now this may seem a little strange, especially for anyone who follows a traditional, old-fashioned hiring process. However, for certain roles, a LinkedIn profile can tell you a lot about a person.

From colleague recommendations and endorsements, to content shared across a profile, key LinkedIn features are embedded to support both candidates and hiring managers/recruiters in the hiring process. This step will help you narrow down your initial pile of CVs, while giving you a clearer snapshot of what a candidate is like.

INCORPORATE PHONE INTERVIEWS INTO YOUR HIRING PROCESS

Before writing off any candidate you believe could have some potential, whether their CV fully reflects this or not, it is important that you provide opportunity.

Some of the most talented candidates out there may have poor documentation to back their application yet may have everything you’re looking for deep down. This can usually be gauged over the phone greater, while saving you time by avoiding numerous face-to-face interviews. By averting this step, you could miss out on talented candidates who would exceed your requirements in the workplace, yet have failed to grab your attention in the first 2 seconds of their CV…

This step will vary depending on the role you are filling. Yet if you require a candidate with excellent communication skills, this will help you differentiate between a candidate’s real capabilities and what they say they can do on their CV. This is a great opportunity to pick up any red flags linked to a candidate’s knowledge/experience/goals.

BOOST ENGAGEMENT THROUGH FACE TO FACE INTERVIEWS

Once you have completed phone interviews, you’ll have a greater likelihood of finding a handful of high-quality talented candidates, ready for interview. Your initial phone interview will ensure that suitability is present, however, a face-to-face interview is the time to test this.

One way to differentiate talented candidates is by asking questions requiring real life examples. Talented candidates will provide valuable answers, while sharing measured results to back their capabilities. Standard candidates will provide a general answer to your questions, allowing the ball to be in your court. Yet talented candidates who are passionate about your opportunity, company and industry will engage with you on the same level throughout.

Post interview, by following the above efficient steps, your hiring process will condense, while allowing for valuable engagement with talented candidates. You’ll avoid spreading yourself too thinly by completed a large number of face-to-face interviews, while quickly gauging whether a candidate is for you.

IF YOU’RE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MANAGE YOUR HIRING PROCESS AND SPOT TALENTED CANDIDATES OUT OF A LARGE PROPORTION OF APPLICANTS, HERE AT SMARTSEARCH, WE CAN HELP. FROM COMPLETING EXECUTIVE SEARCHES, BASED ON YOUR REQUIREMENTS, TO HOLDING PHONE INTERVIEWS, WE CAN GUIDE YOU ON THE MOST EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT SOLUTION TO BOOST THE QUALITY OF YOUR HIRES.

GET IN TOUCH TODAY TO IMPROVE YOUR HIRING PROCESS – INFO@SMARTSEARCH-RECRUITMENT.COM/ 0333 9390074.