How to Find a Quality Candidate in 4 Easy Steps

Since the days of the classified section in the newspaper, the hiring process has certainly changed quite a bit. With so many new ways to hire talent, and so many more qualified and experienced applicants out there, it’s easy to be unsure what the best way to hire someone might be. Well, rest easy, because we’ve got a simple guide for making sure that you get your pick of top-shelf applicants. Just follow these five easy steps.

Step 1: Craft a quality job description. You want your job description to be well written. Does your job description say, “Seeking dedicated and driven employee capable of working independently and collaboratively; includes minor data entry, presentations, and communicative strategies,” or something like that?

More than half the job descriptions out there contain absolutely no substantial information on what the job actually entails, or what real characteristics the company is looking for in a candidate. Be straight forward, clear, and offer enough detail so that the applicant knows exactly what it is that they’re applying for. A good structure should look like this:

Job title and quick description.
Responsibilities include: a, b, c.
Ideal candidate possesses: 1, 2, 3.
To apply, email [email protected]

This structure makes it easy and understandable for applicants! If your description doesn’t look like this, revamp it today. Be sure that your company website has a clear place where these the link to the job is posted. You don’t want applicants to turn away because your Careers page is buried. A clear description that it obvious and accessible is key to attracting a wide pool of talent.

Step 2: Invest in an applicant screening service. There are many job seekers out there, and many of them apply to just about anything they come across. The job market can be tough, so that’s understandable, but it does mean that you’ll end up with buckets of applicants that really just don’t fit the bill for what you’re looking for in a candidate. Plus, you can never be too careful if you’re hiring for a position that handles sensitive information. Be sure that you invest in employment screening services when you’re looking for that new hire. You’ll be glad to weed out irrelevant applications as well as folks with potentially sordid pasts that you don’t want lurking around your company.

Step 3: Market your position online. As you know, the classified section in the newspaper is a thing of the past. If you’re hoping to draw from as large a pool of applicants as possible, you’re going to want to spend some time marketing your position on all the internet jobs boards you can. There are obvious picks, like LinkedIn and Indeed, where just about any kind of job might be posted.

That’s a great start, but you should also be sure to look into industry-specific jobs boards to ensure that you’re not only drawing from a large pool of applicants, but also one that’s already knowledgeable about your industry and committed to the kind of work your company does. Every industry is different, so you should do some research into what jobs boards best fit your industry, and post your job there – for instance, if you’re running a nonprofit, Idealist.org is a great option. It’s also important that you keep your job description consistent across all postings; you wouldn’t want the same people to apply across multiple platforms because they think that it’s a different employment opportunity.

Step 4: Networking. When you’re on the job hunt, everyone tells you that it’s all about networking: you’ve got to know people in the industry and at the companies you’re trying to work for. However, this actually goes both ways. Hiring people through connections can be a great way to automatically vet a huge pool of applicants. If you’re not getting any enticing candidates through the usual channels, like online jobs boards or your company website’s Careers page, it’s time to invest in a qualitative search. Implementing an employee referral system is a great way to do this. Often, talent attracts talent, so it’s very likely that your awesome employees will know someone who will be a great match for your company.

Finding a great match for your company doesn’t have to be a headache. Just be sure that you’re diligent about marketing the new position in a smart way by following the steps listed here!