Recruiting staff is one of the most important, but also most time-consuming, tasks for a growing business. In today's competitive job market, it's not enough to simply post an ad and hope for the best. Finding and hiring the right talent requires a structured, efficient and candidate-friendly process.
Here we take you through five steps to optimize your recruitment - and how modern tools can help along the way.
Step 1: Define the need and attract the right people
All successful recruitment starts with a clear understanding of who you need and why.
- Create a skills-based requirements profile: go beyond vague requests. Define what specific knowledge, skills and behaviors are essential to succeed in the role. (Read our guide on competency-based recruitment for more in-depth tips).
- Think employer branding: why should someone want to work for you? Communicate your company culture, your values and what you offer employees. An attractive job ad (maybe even in video format?) that reflects your employer brand makes a big difference.
How Higher helps: The tool helps you structure which competencies to measure from the start.
Step 2: Choose the right channels to reach out
Where are your ideal candidates? Being visible in the right place is crucial.
- Analyze the target audience: are broad job portals, social media or niche platforms the right ones for this particular role? (See our blog post on the best channels for job advertising).
- Ensure a smooth entry: Whatever the channel, make sure the link to your careers page works and the process of applying is easy, especially from mobile.
How Higher helps: Higher offers a smooth, mobile-friendly application process that can be linked from any advertising channel.
Step 3: Streamline selection - sift smarter, not harder
Manually reviewing hundreds of CVs is inefficient and increases the risk of missing out on good candidates or letting bias rule.
- Use competency-based approaches: let candidates demonstrate their skills through relevant selection questions, tests and short video presentations before you look at the CV.
- Automate the initial selection: Use a modern recruitment tool (ATS) to automatically screen out those who don't meet the basic requirements and get a clear view of the most promising candidates.
How Higher helps: This is Higher's core strength. The platform automates the early screening based on competency data (questions, tests, video), saving a huge amount of time and providing an objective basis.
Step 4: Prioritize the candidate experience
The candidate experience of your recruitment process directly impacts your reputation as an employer.
- Keep it simple and fast: A complicated or slow application process will lose you candidates.
- Communicate clearly: Keep candidates informed about where they are in the process, even if they don't progress. Automated feedback is worth its weight in gold.
- Be respectful: Treat all candidates professionally, whether they get the job or not.
How Higher helps: The platform is designed for a seamless candidate experience, with quick mobile application and automated, professional communication options.
Step 5: Make data-driven decisions
Gut instinct has its place, but the best hiring decisions are based on objective information.
- Use structured data: Compare candidates based on their actual performance in selection questions, tests and structured interviews.
- Get the full picture: Combine 'hard' data with 'softer' impressions from, for example, video presentations and interviews for an informed decision.
How Higher helps: The tool brings together all data - answers, test results, video, assessments - in a clear way, facilitating objective comparisons and better decisions.
Summary: Recruit smarter, not more
Recruiting staff doesn't have to be an overwhelming process. By working in a structured way, focusing on skills, prioritizing the candidate experience and using modern tools, you can significantly streamline the process and increase the chances of hiring the right person every time.
Want to streamline how you recruit staff?
See how Higher can help you implement a modern and accurate recruitment process. Learn more about our recruitment tool or book a demo!
Frequently asked questions about recruiting staff
What is the first step in recruiting staff?
The very first and most important step is to carefully define the need by creating a skills-based requirements profile. Understand exactly what skills, knowledge and behaviors are required for the role before you even start writing an ad.
How to write a job ad that attracts the right candidates?
Focus on clarity around the role and responsibilities. Be specific about the skills required. Communicate your company culture and what you offer(your Employer Value Proposition). Use inclusive language and think about the format - text, image or maybe video? Don't forget a clear Call to Action and a simple application path.
How long does a recruitment process take?
It varies greatly depending on the complexity of the role, the industry and how efficient your process is. An average process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Using a structured approach and modern tools that automate the selection process can often shorten the time significantly.
Is it necessary to use a recruitment tool/ATS?
No, it is not an absolute must, especially for very small companies with few recruitments. But for most companies, a modern recruitment tool is highly recommended. It saves time, helps create a structured and objective process, ensures GDPR compliance and improves the candidate experience.
How does Higher specifically help when recruiting staff?
Higher streamlines the entire process by focusing on competence from the start. The platform helps you create relevant selection questions and tests, automates the initial screening, gathers all candidate data in one place for easy overview, and ensures a smooth, mobile-friendly candidate experience.
Author: Nicklas Wikblad
Reviewer: Moa Jacobsson
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