How to find, attract and feed a superhero!
“Until you have an employee, you are one!”
It may sound harsh, but the reality is, until you have at least one employee, automatically it means you are the only one employed to do everything in the business, and doing everything is NOT good for business! So attracting, recruiting and feeding your superhero is imperative to growing a successful business.
I’ll start by sharing with you the 7 simple recruitment steps, and then close with a statement you HAVE to read to ensure you have everything in context BEFORE you start any planning! So read TO THE END before you even start your SUPERHERO recruitment campaign.
There are seven simple recruitment process steps that you should follow every time you hire. The recruitment process seemed obvious – until you become the person responsible for it. Now it just feels daunting. The good news is that, give or take, nearly every recruitment drive can be broken down into seven steps – some of which you will be familiar with already.
Here’s a one-stop guide that you can use time and again. Perfect for staying in line with legislation, running a fool-proof recruitment process and hiring candidates that are a better fit than Cinderella’s shoes.
Yes, there’s a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. But the payoff is SO worth it.
Profile the position
The key to getting what you want? Knowing what you are looking for. That’s where good planning comes in. Now, we know you are stretched. Most likely you are already spinning a number of plates. But getting this first step right will make the rest of the recruitment process easier and faster – not to mention more geared towards finding the superhero your business actually needs.
Prepare the job description and person specification
These are written descriptions of: 1) the role you are recruiting for and; 2) the type of candidate needed to fill it. They will be one of the first things job seekers read when they find your job vacancy. Attracting the right applicants is largely about getting these two documents right, so it’s worth spending time on them.
Choose where to hunt for candidates
In the age of information, there are literally thousands of places to promote your job vacancy. If you are taking a DIY approach to your recruitment, you certainly won’t struggle to find job sites that will be happy to promote your vacancy to thousands of job seekers.
But perhaps the first thing to ask yourself is whether the best person for the job is already right under your nose? Internal hiring has some big benefits: it motivates staff, it can save a lot of money and the successful candidate will already be au fait with the company culture. (You won’t have to explain how the printer works either.)
A good recruitment agency can take care of everything, without forcing you to relinquish control of the important decisions. That’s why I’m happy to recommend Https://AdamButlerLtd.co.uk Adam knows and understands the language, feeding habits and hang outs of a whole bunch of superhero’s and he’s got a great reputation of working with business owners to source, introduce and enable super meetings to evolve.
Review your applications (you will have a lot)
Good candidates should quickly and clearly highlight how their experience aligns with the available role. So revisit your job description and person specification for a reminder of what you are looking for. Don’t feel bad about scan-reading applications. The onus is on your applicants to prove their suitability as quickly as possible. And, trust us, after reading 100 CV’s you’ll be able to spot the standout candidates a mile off. Take a deep breath and dive in.
Pro tip: expect curveballs. Some candidates will surprise you, lacking the experience you were looking for but clearly possessive of transferable skills that could see them succeed in the available position.
Conducting interviews
So you’ve reached the interview stage. The Marmite step of the recruitment process. But whether you love them or hate them, interviews cannot be sidestepped. They give you invaluable contact time with your candidates, allowing you to deep-dive into each applicant’s professional background to see how well they might be suited to your vacancy. Avoid the needlessly confusing curveball questions and look to find out as much about each interviewees’ experience as you can. Your time together will go fast. You don’t want to be left wondering.
Checking references, drawing up a contract and offering the job
Once you have shortlisted your top candidates it’s time to check their references. Many employers miss this recruitment step, but it’s essential to check your candidate’s background to help make sure they are everything they claim to be. (Hiring the wrong person can be eye-wateringly costly.)
If everything is in order you will need to draw up a contract of employment. You will most likely have a template that can be adapted to the salary, number of holiday days, working hours and responsibilities? If not, a well written contract of employment is worth as much as their salary. Get it right and everyone’s happy, get it wrong and it could cost you dearly again and again and again. My good friend Samantha Quinn offers a FREE CONTRACT REVIEW service, which can be accessed here: http://laveerlegal.co.uk/free-contract-review/
Help your new hotshot settle in
Some things never change. Like the fact that being the new guy/girl often feels awkward and difficult and uncomfortable. You and your business can win some serious loyalty points by making a special effort to help your new candidate settle in, rather than just showing them to their desk and expecting them to knuckle down on your new account.
So, that’s the CONVENTIONAL stuff that you ought to bear in mind. However, we are not just recruiting a new member of staff, we are on the look out for a superhero, and for that we also need to consider a few more essential things! And for that, you ought to download our SUPER HERO Finders Guide!
There is LOADS more I could share on this topic, which can be sourced by booking a 1:1 coaching session by visiting www.MyTrueNORTHUK.youcanbook.me or by emailing Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz however I’m sure I’ve given you LOADS to be thinking about as to how YOU can stand out and attract the very top talent.
A few last tips:
- Don’t assume you have to pay TOP WACK for a GREAT person. Some of the top people in the industry are not driven by money but by opportunity.
- Don’t assume you always have to have a position available immediately to run a recruitment campaign. There are superhero’s out there right now who could generate thousands of pounds every month for your business, if they knew about you and the business!
- Don’t assume you have to have £10K, £15K, £20K sat in the bank to cover a salary! Recruiting a new person should be a 4-6 week decision. If they are good, you’ll sense that quickly, as a small business owner its imperative you learn to hire slowly and fire fast!
- Don’t assume you can attract SUPERHERO’s to your standard, traditional mediocre business! (Harsh, but true) Superhero’s live on a special diet of fun, enjoyment, challenges, deadlines and rewards, make sure you have those available in order to attract, recruit, and feed a SUPERHERO!