Getting the right people to work for you is something that should surely come fairly high up on any employer’s priority list and rightly so. People are your biggest asset and they are also one of the most expensive both in terms of financial resource but also, often, in time as well … particularly if you get the recruitment decision wrong!
I have been assisting various clients with situations where, during a probationary period, the contract with their new member of staff just hasn’t worked out for a number of reasons and I’ll blog about this particular matter later. What I’d like to cover in more detail, just now, are some recruitment hints and tips which hopefully will help you to find the best candidates.
Firstly, consider carefully where you will advertise and don’t be put off by investing in this. Consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, the salary you are prepared to pay and then invest accordingly in the right places to find those skills – this could well include specific journals and magazines as well as the usual websites. Also consider the location to which you are appointing that individual and don’t forget places to advertise for free such as libraries and local places of interest/local press if that is appropriate - which it might be for example, when trying to recruit care workers for a particular location.
Ensure you know exactly what you are looking for and include this in your advert to make it easier for people to de-select themselves and for you to shortlist for interviews. You also have to balance this with not over-egging the pudding and stating qualifications which are clearly not required and which could lead to potential claims of indirect discrimination which you cannot justify.
When inviting candidates for interview ensure you are verifying information – particularly their qualifications and it is sensible, at this point, to ensure they are eligible to work in the UK. This comes as a surprise to many employers but it is illegal to employ someone who isn’t eligible to work in the UK – employers may be fined up to £10,000 for doing so.Get out of JailYour “get out of jail free” card is the statutory excuse paperwork which simply means taking a photocopy of a relevant document – if you’re not sure check it out here: https://www.gov.uk/legal-right-work-uk and there’s a checklist on my website you can use as part of your recruitment.
Finally be very clear about the terms of the job offer. It’s better to put this in writing to the successful candidate; if they’re already in employment they’re unlikely to leave before receiving this formal offer. But also this is the start of the employment contract so get the terms right.
Remember that recruitment is the biggest PR exercise your company will be involved in and so it should be slick, efficient, professional and leave everyone who contacts your company with the right impression about you and