4 ways to make the recruitment process less stressful

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Hiring new employees is an important yet often difficult and time-consuming aspect of running a business.

The responsibilities and challenges that come with ensuring you appoint the right person to the right job can be overwhelming and stressful. If you know you’re going to be responsible for an upcoming recruitment drive, below we have highlighted four great ways to make the process far less taxing.

Plan Ahead

Start by ensuring you know exactly what your new employees’ responsibilities will be, the skills you’re looking for, how much you will be paying them and what benefits they will be entitled to. There are often many different people involved with the recruitment process so a detailed job specification ensures that everyone is on the same page.

Don’t forget to factor in all costs and bear in mind that you will have to start spending money before you’ve even hired someone regardless of whether you manage the process yourself or use an agency. If you’re looking after your own recruitment, be aware that there are strict laws governing what you can and cannot say in employment advertising.

The Interview

Job interviews can be just as nerve-wracking for the interviewer as the interviewee. Going in well-prepared ensures that you know exactly what you’re going to ask, the kind of person you’re looking for and how to answer any questions your candidate may have. Having all this information to hand will really help to alleviate any nerves.

Ensure that your questions are directly related to the position you’re advertising so that you can make a solid and informative decision about whether someone is right for the role or not. Enquiring about previous experience, skills they’ve acquired, their strengths and weaknesses and what their goals for the future are will all help you to make the best possible decision.

Making an offer   

It’s your responsibility to check that an employee has the right to work in the UK before you offer them a job. Don’t just take somebody’s word for it either because if you get caught, you can face a hefty fine even if you genuinely had no idea.

Also bear in mind that even if you make an offer over the phone, your new employee has to receive written confirmation detailing their job title, responsibilities, salary and benefits. If for whatever reason you cannot do this, by law you must provide them with a written statement of employment within the first month of their employment.

Requesting references is a standard but crucial part of employing somebody. Ensuring that the person you’re about to hire is loyal, trustworthy, hard-working and dedicated is the best way to avoid finding yourself facing the recruitment process once again in just a few weeks’ time.

Use a recruitment agency

If you want to ensure that you make a successful hire but don’t have the time or expertise to dedicate to the process, enlisting the help of a recruitment agency offers a number of benefits:

• Recruiters have a lot of experience and are therefore in a better position to establish whether or not someone would make a good hire. Spotting who will and won’t be the right cultural fit for your company is second nature to a recruiter who has been in the industry for a long time.
• They often work with candidates on a long-term basis so they have first-hand knowledge of how this person performs in a role and the type of organisation they tend to fit in well with.
• Because it’s their job, a professional recruiter can dedicate more time to the process, leaving you free to carry on with the day-to-day running of your business.

If you need any help with any aspect of your recruitment process or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.