How to Hire the Ideal Candidate for a Job Position

When was the last time you revamped your hiring processes? If it’s been more than a year or two, chances are, you’re missing crucial pieces that could help you find and hire the ideal candidate for any job position you’re posting.

The typical hiring process starts with a job description and checklist of essential and preferred skills a candidate needs to do the work. Then, applicants apply, and the hiring managers sort through the resumes and schedule interviews with those who made it into the “yes” pile. It’s an efficient yet outdated approach.

Changes in technology and how candidates approach the hiring process mean that if you want the best talent, you must adjust your recruitment methods. From where you source your talent pipeline to how you interview and offer a job, we have the tips to help you find the ideal candidate for work in the 21st century.

1. Go Where the Talent Is

When you have a job opening, the first place to look for candidates is within the qualified staff you already have. Yet, this obvious source is often overlooked by many employers.

If the new position is advanced, it’s easier and (frequently) more effective to move someone up or into a lateral position from entry level spots within the company, then hire someone new for beginner work. This method was used almost all the time until a few decades ago, but today’s employers tend to look outside before seeking internal promotion.

Be Choosy With Where You Post Job Openings

But if looking within isn’t an option, be cautious of where you post your job openings. Job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed remain a common source of potential workers, but they’ve become inefficient and overloaded. Reddit forums and other discussions are filled with complaints about large companies that post general job advertisements in the hopes that they’ll find people with the right skills for a job that may be open. However, when the candidate applies, they learn that the actual position they saw isn’t available, and they leave the experience with a bad taste in their mouth for that business and the platform.

Candidates who value their work and know they have the skills to land the best jobs don’t waste their time on watered-down platforms. Instead, they go directly to job boards designed for their specific industry. For instance, tech workers post their resumes and scour jobs on sites like TechFetch, Dice, and Obsidi®.

Find out where your preferred candidates look for work, and partner with those sites to post your job openings. You’ll reach a smaller audience, but narrow down the applicants to only those with the skills you’re looking for.

2. Consider What You Offer the Candidate

Unless you’re looking for entry-level workers with little experience, much of the job of hiring top talent includes your salary package. What are you offering in exchange for qualified workers, and is it competitive with similar job openings your competitors are hiring for?

Before you post your job description, take time to look at the statistics. What are other companies paying for the same work? What are the top minds looking to receive? Do they want perks like hybrid or remote work options? What can you offer that your competitors don’t that might entice someone to choose you?

Things like your brand reputation and company culture matter, too. If a candidate doesn’t feel like they’d be valued within your organization, they’re more likely to turn down your job in favor of someplace where factors like diversity, ethnicity, and inclusion are part of the company’s reputation.

Compile an impossible-to-turn-down job package with a competitive salary, benefits, perks, and an employee-friendly company culture, and you’re going to attract better applicants.

3. Interview, But Don’t Stop There

So you’ve found the candidates you think will be ideal for your job position and they’ve aced the interview process. Hit pause on the hiring step and check out their backgrounds before you offer a contract.

One of the advantages of living in a tech-centric world is that you can find out plenty of information on your applicants before hiring them.

First, call or email previous employers and check references. Some companies have thrown this step out the window as outdated, but this article by Obsidi® explains why you should improve your employment reference check system.

If they’ve mastered the reference checks, the next step is a cursory review of their history. Depending on the job, you may run an official background check (with the applicant’s permission). But if that’s not necessary, a quick search of their digital footprint can tell you a lot about a person. Some people find this step a “breach of privacy,” but studies show that reviewing a candidate’s online presence can help you determine if they’re who they claim to be and whether they’ll fit in with your company’s values and current team.

References checked, digital footprint approved, and qualifications correct? Offer the applicant a contract, and celebrate when they accept!

Conclusion

As one of the top job platforms uses as its byline, hiring the ideal candidate can feel like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. But when you go where the talent is, offer attractive salary packages, and do your due diligence background review, the perfect person isn’t as out of reach as you think!