Once upon a time…
there was a purple squirrel.
All the hiring specialists in the land tried to lure it in.
Only, it doesn’t exist.
The end.
Instead of purple squirrels, let’s attract the right candidates
The moral of the story is that we may start out thinking that the 150% perfect candidate – our purple squirrel – is just sitting there nibbling its acorns, waiting for you to come along. It checks all your boxes – essential, desired, and more – is available immediately, is within your salary range, AND agrees to your terms, no questions asked.
The only thing is, that list of job description checkboxes is often long, tediously outdated, and – let’s face it- somewhat unrealistic.
While you’re chasing that mythical creature which aligns with the starry-eyed job description and easily hops through the typical interview questions you may always ask, the ideal candidate may slip through your fingers.
And if you’re lucky enough to attract a great candidate based on the job post or through headhunting, they may subsequently get filtered out by a recruitment process that revolves around the purple squirrel methodology.
So, instead of starting out with the ‘purple squirrel’ in mind, let’s focus on the outcome that every recruiter really strives for: finding the “right fit”. By “right fit”, we mean a candidate who meets all the realistic requirements of the role, and who is likely to stay on board for the long-term.
Yes, we hear you, you’re absolutely right! But how do I better identify them?
Let’s take a figurative walk together and find out.
Don’t just do what you always do
Instead of hitting “submit” on that posting and hoping for the best, there are many ways to increase the likelihood of finding the ideal match every time.
- Review (and rewrite) the job description
- Create a flexible interview experience
- Ask different questions
- Offer a challenge
Review (and rewrite) the job description
Let’s start with the job description. This is one of the first stages where a mismatch between the candidates you typically attract and the candidates you really want to attract occurs.
Before you finalize the job description, ask yourself:
- Is the job description up-to-date? (not just something that’s been on file forever)
- Does it authentically capture the actual responsibilities and expectations of the role?
- Is it full of nice-to-haves that are not really necessary?
- Does the role holder really need that MBA or particular qualification?
- Is the job description overly-wordy and fluff-ridden?
- Does the wording inspire the right candidate to apply?
Create a flexible interview experience
Fantastic! By overhauling your job description, more high-quality “right fits” have applied for the position.
Another aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked is location. A lot of the time, recruiters tend to prefer candidates who are already based in the local area. The idea is that it’s easier to meet with, assess, and hire someone who’s readily available in the desired location.
But in this age of greater mobility and advanced technology, it’s easier than ever before to screen and interview interested candidates from afar, particularly in the initial recruitment stages.
Skreenbe’s virtual interviewing platform is specifically designed to streamline the e-recruitment process. Ultra-reliable, easy-to-navigate, attractive, and multi-functional, Skreenbe enables companies to reach more potential “right fits”, cut down on screening time, and maximize the quality of hires.
Ask different questions
Do you usually customize interview questions for the specific position, or does time pressure mean that you typically go for a one-size-fits-all approach?
While it’s awfully tempting to stick to the same ol’, same ol’ when we’re super busy, it’s impossible to effectively assess candidate fit if you’re not asking the right questions.
Skreenbe’s extensive interview question bank enables recruiters to break away from the usual run-of-the-mill probes by selecting and customizing questions based on specific categories.
Instead of the time slog required to develop your own list, Skreenbe provides a wealth of icebreaker, personal, professional, curveball, and behavioral questions that deliver a holistic and engaging interview experience – for both hiring specialists and candidates.
Offer a challenge
Who says interviews have to be sombre affairs? Add another data-rich dimension to help you better assess your candidate’s skills with real-time interactive testing.
The Skreenbe interface engages candidates with multitasking applications to take them out of their usual thought processes, while the recruiter can observe how they perform under mild stress and react to a variety of scenarios in real-time.
Real-time skills testing is an engaging and effective approach that enables you to get ever-closer to identifying that “right fit”.
Skreenbe helps you optimize your hiring processes
Our mission is to make quality hiring a breeze for recruiters by providing you with all the tools you need to virtually interview and select the best candidates.
Sounds super, doesn’t it? Click here to learn more about Skreenbe and how our hiring tools can support your quest for the “right fit”. No training or integration needed, just sign up and go!
Do you want to up your interviewing game? Our content bees recommend you read The Impact of Google’s Interview Methodology on the Recruitment Landscape
Skreenbe. Built by recruiters, for recruiters.
Article: © Skreenbe 2021