8 steps to select candidates
Are you a recruiter? Do you have a job opening? Before publishing a job offer, you can anticipate your external/internal recruitment strategy. Some tools will help you all along the process, until your choice of recruitment. What are they? When to use them? In this article, we detail our 8 key steps to conduct your candidate selection process!
Prepare your recruitments in advance
Define the profile of the ideal candidate
Before building your job description, draw up a profile of a good candidate for you. You can involve a manager and even an employee to clearly define the needs of the position. Who do you want to apply? What are the technical skills and training required? What soft skills are expected? What will be the employment contract (permanent employee, freelance, intern...)? You can make a table of your needs or write them in an evaluation grid.
Create a candidate evaluation grid
Also known as a scorecard, the evaluation grid is a rigorous human resources tool for :Â
- Write down your selection criteria for candidates (technical skills, soft skills, characteristics compatible with the team, the culture of your organization...).Â
- Create your job descriptions
- Make a first selection when receiving resumes and cover letters
- Prepare your questions before the interviews and also to guide you during !Â
👉 To know more about the evaluation grid, we tell you everything here :) ( LINK TO REVIEW WHEN PUBLISHED)
Creating a job descriptionÂ
The job description is a recruitment tool that sets out your needs in black and white. To find the right profiles, it's best to write it well and make it appealing!
👉 Here is more info to help you make a job description!
Filter the first applicants
To better filter the candidates, you can define a list of 2 or 3 questions to be filled in addition to the application form. Here are some questions:Â
- To filter easily: When would you be available to start the adventure with us?
- To test initial motivations: Briefly, what in your professional/personal background leads you to want to sail with us? Tell us about an experience that you think shows that this position is right for you. Tell us the sales experience you are most proud of and why :)
→ On jobs_that_makesense with Pro offer, we allow you to ask personalized questions at the time of application.
Posting jobs in the right place
Once you have drawn up your job profile and constructed the job description, it's time to distribute it, but not just anywhere! Depending on your sector of activity, your commitment or the type of profile you are looking for, there are different recruitment channels. To be effective, you can post your job offer onÂ
- networks where your community is present: LinkedIn, Facebook, Slack Group...
- on platforms that bring together a pool of candidates that are relevant to you:Â - job platforms specialized in "profiles": web developers, sales people, content creators...- specialized in "sectors": building sector, public sector...- at jobs_that_makesense we are specialized in positive impact and ecological and social transition. We therefore attract citizens and candidates who are interested in these issues and want to make a difference in their work.
Sourcing candidates
Among the applications received, sourcing the right candidates who meet the criteria previously set is an important step in the recruitment process. Among the applications received, you can already compare their profiles with the criteria of your evaluation grid.
You can also do your own sourcing, by going headhunting on LinkedIn or on CV databases. On jobs_that_makesense, in your recruiter space, you have for example access to a large database of CVs of hired profiles.
Manage applications
With an ATS
The ATS (applicant tracking system) is a miracle application management tool when you receive a large number of applications. Who has been contacted? Who was called for a telephone interview? For whom has the hiring process been completed? Who are our darlings, our nugget candidates? It allows you to follow and manage the steps of the application process.Â
And good news, you don't need any specific skills to use an ATS!
The tool also allows you to :Â
- create a CV library by gathering the CVs of interesting profiles you have sourced.Â
- automate actions such as sending emails to respond to different candidates after application, interviews, or asking them to evaluate you after their interviews with you. And yes, this is important because it has an impact on your employer brand image!
On jobs_that_makesense you can also activate :Â
ATS (Applicant tracking system) synchronization, to manage the applications present on your different recruitment channels, in one place.Â
→ For example: if you have a PRO subscription to jobs_that_makesense and Welcome to the jungle, you will be able to redirect your candidates to apply on WTTJ and gather your applications in one place.
Pre-screen candidates
Conducting a first individual interview at a distance
Why remote? Among your list of nuggets, some may no longer be available or interested in the position. By conducting this short interview, you will be able to clarify this point with them, make sure that they have understood the missions and challenges of the position, and that they are aware of the conditions of exercise. It would be a shame to find out face to face and lose time with a certain no-go on the candidate's side. You can choose between a phone call or a video interview.
Don't be afraid of atypical profiles
People in professional reconversion, multi-potential, with professional experience in a non-virtuous sector, candidates over 45 years old... Don't be afraid to broaden your recruitment to different profiles! On the contrary, an employee who "steps out of the box" can be a real asset for your organization.Â
→ For example, a professional who has worked 25 years on project management in a large bank, may be able to manage an SSE team and have a rigor bringing structure to your organization.
→ A former rh in the fossil industries may have good reasons to want to join you
Meet the candidates
For effective recruitment, there is no rule about how many candidates you can meet or how many interviews you can conduct. In fact, it will depend on how you operate, the size of your company or the nature of the position for example.Â
Here is the recruitment method at makesense:
#1 A 30min motivational interview: to check the base and not to bring into the recruitment process a person who we don't feel motivated, who didn't inquire or isn't available at the right times.
#2 A practical case :
2 hours for internships
3 hours for fixed-term contracts
#3 An interview :
1 hour for internships
2 interviews: 1 hour for the job + 1 hour for the culture Fit for the fixed term contracts
#4 Reference interviews: we call the manager(s) of our previous experience
→ On vous en dit plus ICI ( LIEN A REVOIR QUAND PUBLICATION)
Meeting with the team
Plan a meeting between the candidates and the team they will be joining or the entire team if you are a small organization. An immersion in your premises will allow the candidates to project themselves in your work environment.
Evaluate
The match with the job description, your company culture, the values, the team!
Choosing the chosen one!Â
We are not on the set of Star Academy, but almost, when it comes to knowing who will be awarded a job offer. When there are finally a few candidates left, to choose the profile that best fits the position, review the ones you have met thanks to the evaluation grids, the feedback from the recruiting team, your own impressions and intuitions, to make your final decision.
Not yet registered?
👉 Create your recruiter workspace
To go furtherÂ
👉How to select a candidate: methods and criteria ( LINK TO REVIEW WHEN PUBLISHED)
👉How to conduct a recruitment interview ( LINK TO BE REVIEWED WHEN PUBLISHED)