Over the past three months, we have spoken to leaders in their field about the changes that will impact their teams in the coming years. With decades of experience between them in hiring exceptional talent for their organisations, we have compiled their advice for hiring managers. Whether you are planning to expand your team in the near future, or you’re in the middle of recruiting right now, these six tips will help you ensure your next hire makes a positive impact on your organisation.
- Align your recruitment with business strategy
By understanding the values and vision of the company, you can align your hiring with the business strategy, making your next hire not only ready to meet your needs now, but also the needs of the organisation in the future.
Henning Lauritsen, Acting Head of Tax at Wyeland Capital (GFG Alliance), shares: “at a fast-growing company I needed people who could deal with the practical issues that arose – I hired an M&A professional who lacked the big names on his CV, but who had built up his own systems, and that was exactly what the business needed.” Without connecting to the broader strategy, the risk is that you miss out on talent by only considering ‘the best CV’. - Hire slow and fire fast
For most organisations, hiring needs can be anticipated. Try to plan early and accommodate enough time to source the right candidates, then have a robust recruitment process, that includes a broad range of colleagues, to select the right person.
Richard Francis, CFO at Netcentric explains “most of the regrets in my career have been around bad hiring decisions, and the common trait is recruiting too fast.” The time and cost spent at this stage will be far greater than the chaos if the wrong person is brought on board. - Partner with your recruiter
If you’re choosing to use a recruitment consultant, it’s essential that they fully understand what you need so they can deliver results at pace. Invest the time with your recruitment consultant and do it face to face, so they truly understand the needs of your business. - Avoid a shopping list
Put yourself in the position of your candidates. As Richard at Netcentric explains, “if they’re already doing the exact same tasks as the job description you’ve written, and they already have all the skills you’re looking for, why are they looking to move?”
Think more strategically about the growth opportunities in the role you’re hiring for and have an open mind about which areas you’re willing to train someone in versus the skills you need them to have on day one. This should open the candidate pool up to a more diverse range of people and potentially source you someone who can bring a fresh perspective to the organisation. - Do your research at the CV stage
Interviewing is a hugely time-consuming process for all parties. John Wilson, Finance Director at Morrison Utilities, recommends filtering candidates by checking their understanding of the role, the business and its people before interviews start.
“You can’t get everything you need from a CV to invite a person to interview. Work with an agency who have met with the candidate and understand them as a person, then trust that recruiter to recommend your shortlist. If the homework is done upfront, you’re ahead of the game” - Get to know your preferred candidates
Increasingly we see our clients adding informal interview stages to their recruitment process, where hiring managers and their colleagues can get to know their preferred candidate in a more relaxed environment. This can offer more insight into their personality, which as Richard Nordgreen, Head of Investments at Proseed explains, can be invaluable in a smaller firm: “that’s not just so we get to know the person we’re interviewing, it’s equally so they get to know the personalities around the table”.
If you would benefit from a strategic recruitment partner to assist with your next role, we’d love to have a chat about your needs. Please get in touch and we can discuss how to approach your recruitment process to source the right talent for your organisation.