It’s a common fact (or should be!) that business is all about people rather than money. Get the right people onboard and the money and success will follow…right?
But how easy is that to achieve in reality. We know recruiting the right people is a nightmare never mind keeping them motivated to stay. It is a well-known fact that recruitment is a highly expensive element of business, and we aren’t just talking about paying and agency or job board. We are talking about the time to advertise, sift and interview.
Then the time to train and nurture and then if they leave……you have wasted 3/6 months of money and effort. It’s also not a great impression for your customers or other team members.
At RBC we know growth is all based around people so we have a designed a specific service to help you do this. More about that later! Firstly, we want to share with you some useful advice on how to achieve successful recruitment, onboarding and retention of good staff.
So, let’s start with our headline advice:
If it's not a yes, it's a no!
In simple terms, if you don’t think “Yes, they are perfect for this role” then say no. This may sound like the most logical and simple advice but it’s actually rarely followed! We have had countless situation where post-employment; concerns have arisen which are evidenced by thoughts from the interview! Your most reliable recruitment tool is your instinct and gut! If they are late for interview, they will be late for work. Not sure about their attitude? No, neither will your customers be!
Don’t do it, don’t take the best of a bad bunch as you will regret it the moment you onboard them. Don’t talk yourself or others around. If you find yourself saying “well they were ok it was just….” Stop! In our experience, you get a sixth sense when a candidate walks into the room. If they come across as curt or over confident, shy or too quiet that’s what they will be like in the workplace. Your gut feeling is always right so when you are discussing someone post interview and you say “I liked them but…” it’s an automatic no.
Elements to Good Recruitment - Small to Smaller Medium SME’s
Having more staff does not always lead to more success! Success in your business should be judged by a good cash flow, consistent turnover and growth in profits. More staff means more wages, employers NI contribution, pensions, bigger offices and overheads.
If you have the need to recruit, then do so but you must sanity check your costs and decide how much the person has to contribute prior to you making a penny in profit. My rule of thumb is each person has to bring in 130% of their wage value otherwise they are a waste of money.
- Set a clear role
Understand what you want from this new member of staff. Remember a good team is made up of different characters which can be tested in the interview but objectives should be role related. Script a simple but effective job description and set out what the business needs from this role. Doing this will ensure that both you and the candidate have a clear understanding of the expectations from day one.
- Consider your timings
You need to put time aside to find applicants, interview, onboard and train so ensure you understand this prior to commencing. If you are short on time you might want to consider using a recruitment consultant. They may appear to be expensive but weigh this up against the cost of you not fully focusing on your business. It’s preferable to stick to a set fee however many consultants will work on a commission basis especially with higher tiered positions but don’t forget, you won’t pay unless you appoint.
- Interview, interview again and then triple check
It is really important that you have a two-stage interview. Always conduct a first interview and a second and never interview alone. Even if you are the only member of staff ask a friend whose opinion you respect or a business contact to interview with you. If you have no experience of interviewing remember they are there to sell themselves not to hear you pitch your business.
- Prepare questions but start by getting them to talk about what they do and question them on each aspect
- Expect demonstrable and measurable examples of previous experience and achievements.
- Sanity check their reasons for leaving a job as this often gives clues into performance. If they jump roles every 6 months to a year is this because of progression or underperformance?
- Use the second interview to test their memory, do their answers match? What do they remember about the role and your business?
- If you think they are right for the role ensure you make a reference check with their last 2 employers.
- Get off on the right foot
As the recruitment process takes time, it is crucial that you ensure your new employee hits the ground running. The following are tasks that should be completed before they start:
– Set up their desk or work space
– Set up a company email
– Purchase all the kit they require such as a laptop and mobile phone
– Send an internal memo announcing them to other staff
– Ensure within their first week you introduce them to all key staff
– Plan out their first two weeks so they have structure and cover all the basic training they need
The Legals!
- Always issue a written contract of employment either before or on Day 1 of employment.
- Always ensure they have a probationary period of either 3 or 6 months to ensure you can road test your new employee.
- Always give them a written copy of their job description.
It’s time to head on over to Part 2…
