Hiring Excellence: How to Improve Your Hiring Process and Look Beyond Technical Skills

"Nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies." This quote from Lawrence Bossidy, former COO of General Electric, describes the important roles of talent acquisition and development in the workplace. Because sure, your organization may have the latest tools and programs, but without the right people, running a successful company will be next to impossible.

But nowadays, it's not enough to simply have a checklist of technical skills and hire the candidate that ticks these boxes. The evolving workplace requires recruitment professionals to be more strategic and discerning than ever. Organizations need people who are the right fit, not just in terms of hard skills but their behavior and qualities as well. And it all starts with excellent hiring practices.

Importance of Excellent Hiring Practices

Adopting the best hiring practices can help your business in almost every facet, including keeping costs low and customer satisfaction high.

Attract Top Talent

Every business that wants to be successful needs to improve its hiring practices. Excellent hiring practices are not just about taking on the most suitable candidate for the job—although it is a good indication you're doing it right. But it's also about establishing a structure that can improve your employer brand.

When you have an excellent talent acquisition structure, all applicants, including those who didn't make it through the last stage, have a good application experience. It can help build up your employer brand and attract more qualified candidates for future opportunities.

Improved Employee Retention

Effective hiring practices help set your business up for success. You'll be more likely to hire someone who will stay in your organization, keeping employee turnover rates low. This will help decrease the employee turnover rate and save you money on recruitment costs over time.

Additionally, the right person for the role means they can perform well at their job and have values that align with what your company stands for. This can help you build a stronger company culture and a better working environment.

Cost Savings

Getting it right the first time can save you from exerting extra energy, time, and money on rework. The same thought applies to talent acquisition. Hiring quality candidates from the get-go can save you on costs associated with restarting the recruitment process, onboarding, and retraining new hires. It eliminates the cycle of having to constantly source new hires due to poor job fit or misalignment in expectations.

Promote Diversity and Inclusion

Saying goodbye to outdated hiring practices and bringing your company's talent acquisition process to the modern world will help you increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Setting up the proper hiring measures will help you ensure fair and equal opportunities for all candidates. With sound diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that begin in the talent acquisition phase, you can build a company that represents the diverse group of people you cater to. It also promotes a culture that acknowledges and embraces differences and sees our uniqueness as a strength rather than a divisive factor.

Higher Customer Satisfaction

The way employees interact with customers reflects how their organization treats them. When employees feel valued from the get-go, they're more motivated to do well. They aren't likely to express or involuntarily pass their disinterest or dissatisfaction to external partners and clients.

Hiring people with valuable qualities like empathy and active listening skills can also improve customer satisfaction rates. These qualities, partnered with proper training and management, help produce more efficient, customer-centric employees.

Tips for Screening and Hiring Excellence

An excellent hiring process gives way to acquiring exceptional talent. Explore these screening and hiring tips to observe favorable results across the board.

Establish a Structured Screening Process

A structured screening process helps you create a similar experience for all applicants. It also enables you to stay organized, ensuring nothing goes through the cracks and that due diligence is practiced during every round of screening and hiring.

Having a structure also helps keep the expectations of internal partners and candidates aligned. It can help management make the necessary adjustments while they wait for the role to be filled, while applicants have a better idea of how short (or long) the complete process will last.

Incorporate Your DEI Initiatives

It's also essential to incorporate your values in the different facets of your business, proving that your organization can walk the talk. Make sure to adopt inclusive language in job descriptions and advertisements to attract diverse candidates (e.g., using salesperson instead of salesman, which only addresses the male gender).

Standardizing processes can also help keep the screening process impartial. A standardized evaluation framework and consistent screening criteria can help you achieve this.

You may also want to consider having a diverse hiring team. A more diverse group of people making talent acquisition decisions will be helpful in making sure you're doing what you can to ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation process for all candidates.

Create a Clear Job Description

Just like a structured recruitment process, a clear job description aids in keeping expectations aligned. Instead of a vague, generic job ad, craft one that clearly outlines the job descriptions and responsibilities. This way, candidates know what they're applying to and have a better idea of the skills and qualities the role calls for. Most of the time, they'll also be able to assess whether they are a good enough fit for the role and the company.

A clear job description can also act as a guide for recruiters and hiring managers. Recruiters can screen applicants based on the specifics listed in the job ad. With a more precise guide, they are better equipped to endorse suitable candidates to the next step. At the same time, managers can use the details to understand better what they are looking for in the perfect candidate. They can refer to the job description when deciding what interview questions to ask to help them see whether a candidate is a good fit for the role in terms of both skills and qualities.

Leverage Technology and Automation

Some businesses and workers tend to shy away from technology, but those who embrace it and learn how to use it properly will reap its many benefits. Instead of swearing off AI and other digital systems, consider learning about them and how they can help you automate routine, time-consuming tasks. Doing so can you maximize your time and do more high-level talent acquisition tasks like interviewing shortlisted candidates and negotiating. Here are practical applications of tech in the talent recruitment phase:

• Use Targeted Job Advertisements
• Utilize relevant job boards and platforms
• Craft compelling job advertisements that attract qualified candidates
• Leverage social media and professional networks for a wider reach
• Utilize applicant tracking systems (ATS) for efficient candidate management
• Explore AI-based tools for resume screening and skills assessments
• Automate administrative tasks to streamline the hiring process
• And more

Practice Transparency in the Recruitment Process

Anyone who has applied for a corporate job will have experienced submitting their resume, going in for an interview, and never hearing from the recruiter again. Unfortunately, there are still similar experiences in today's modern world. You must set your business apart by practicing transparency and managing expectations with your candidates.

When an applicant has been shortlisted, it will be a good idea to discuss the process with them. This way, they know how long to wait and the different assessments they may need to take. And when an applicant does not pass the screening process, don't leave them hanging. It's easy to create standardized messaging and updates for applicants. You need to maximize such tools to ensure every job seeker has a positive candidate experience regardless of the application result.

Measure Qualities Through Assessments

Aside from asking relevant questions, administering skills tests and behavioral assessments relevant to the role and the qualities you're looking for can help you improve your hiring process.

Consider using simulation exercises or work samples to help evaluate candidates better. It's also important to keep these tests concise but effective. If there are too many or too long assessments can deter your best candidates from going through with their applications.

Build Your Talent Pool and Network

Don't limit your pool to current applicants. Build a talent pool by engaging with passive candidates who may not be actively looking for new opportunities but possess the desired skills and experience that make them excellent candidates for future positions. Continue engaging with them by creating relevant content or encouraging them to follow you on professional platforms.

Consider including candidates who were not hired for past opportunities within your organization as well. They may not have been the best fit for your current opening, but they may be suitable for other roles or departments within your organization. Plus, having them on file makes it easier to tap into this talent pool when relevant positions become available.

Other than building your talent pool with external connections, consider current employees for vertical or lateral movements. Looking at your internal talent pool can help increase employee engagement and save you time and energy compared to starting your recruitment phase from square one.

Look Beyond Technical Skills

One important way you can improve your hiring strategy is by looking beyond technical skills. Yes, these are essential qualities an ideal candidate should have, but so are soft skills and attitude. Looking beyond hard skills can allow you to hire someone who can not only do the job they're hired to do but do it in a way that aligns with your company values. Plus, employees with the right qualities are also the best ones to nurture for leadership positions.

Essential Qualities to Look for in Your Next Hire

When recruiting, make sure to include these qualities in your checklist:

Adaptability

Highly adaptable employees tend to also be quick learners. They might not initially possess key technical skills, but with the right training and coaching, they can pick up just about any skill. Look for someone who possesses the willingness to embrace change and flexibility and demonstrates an ability to adapt to different environments. Highly-adaptable people are the ones who can get your organization through the toughest of challenges.

Communication Skills

Effective communication is an important quality of a successful organization. To maintain clear and open connections in the workplace, you need people with strong verbal and written communication skills. An effective communicator is not just someone who can talk well; they also know how to actively listen and convey ideas clearly and concisely, even more complex, data-heavy topics.

Critical Thinking and Problem-solving Skills

The smartest candidate may have the top technical skills on paper, but the best one knows how to use their critical thinking skills. Look for someone with an aptitude for making rational decisions even when under pressure. They know how to pull from both experience and training to find creative and effective solutions.

Collaborative

Someone with the ability to work independently as well as in a team environment is a great addition to your team. People with strong interpersonal skills and empathy are excellent collaborators. They possess the willingness to listen and contribute to ideas to reach team goals and know how to support colleagues instead of pushing them down.

Conclusion

Of course, there are other considerations you should make when making hiring decisions, like leadership potential, cultural fit, and budget. But you shouldn't forget the value of hiring someone who has the soft skills and qualities to make your organization not just more productive but better across all boards. Improving your hiring process can help your organization continuously improve and build a stronger corporate culture.

And here's a final reminder, your company's success may begin with hiring excellence, but it doesn't end there. You still need to invest time and energy in employee training and development, employee engagement, and better management.