Selection techniques

Selection involves two key stages: shortlisting and assessment. It follows recruitment, and refers to finding and hiring the right person for the job.

There is a whole range of different techniques to help screen and shortlist the candidate pool, with the aim of identifying the individual most suitable for the vacancy, and with the greatest potential for progression.

With this in mind, steps must be taken to treat all candidates fairly along the way and actively avoid unconscious bias or discrimination (read more about this on our blog here.) Read on for everything you need to know about selection.

Testing

Skills tests are the most reliable, objective and cost-effective selection tool to gauge a candidate’s skills — both soft and technical — as well as their ability to perform a role well.

The benefit of this method compared to others in this post, is that the results provide an objective view of a candidate’s competency to complete the job, rather than how they describe themselves (like in an interview or on their CV) or how they are described by others (as is the case with reference checks).

Examples of different talent assessments include:

• Psychometric and personality tests (based upon ability, intelligence, motivation, personality type and interests)
• General mental ability assessments
• Integrity assessments
• Technical knowledge tests
• Situational judgment tests
• Skills assessment tests

To decide which type of test is best for the role you’re hiring for, start by defining your goals and needs, then the skills you wish to evaluate, followed by the characteristics of your ideal skill assessment tool. You may wish to ask candidates to perform a job simulation exercise, such as a mock sales call, presentation or writing assessment. These can be completed in their own time from the comfort of their own homes, enabling candidates to perform and carry out the assessment comfortably.

Interviews

Structured interviews are another effective method of selection. Start by curating a list of questions related to the job description, and the experience or skills a candidate will need to be successful. Those appointed to conduct the interview, for example a line or HR manager, should ideally be trained in how to ask appropriate questions and will score the candidate on how they answer each set.

Think about whether it should be an individual or group interview and whether it will be held in person (at your premises for example) or virtually via video call. The benefits of a virtual interview rather than face-to-face, ensures it is COVID-secure, it is more accessible for the interviewee, therefore helping them to feel more comfortable, and it is also more time and cost-effective.

Tools to assess culture fit

As well as finding a candidate whose background matches the job requirements, it is also important to know if they are a culture fit for your business. Start by assessing what your culture is like. Conduct an audit with current staff members, to gather their thoughts on day-to-day life, processes and their experiences within your working environment. Ask them questions such as: ‘how do you feel we communicate here?’ or ‘what is our meeting style like? Is it light-hearted or serious?’

Also, think carefully about the different types of people who have been particularly successful within their roles, and the personality traits they possessed. This will help you identify if there any common themes. Once you better understand your business culture, it will be easier to select someone whose character aligns with it.

Be certain about what you are looking for in a candidate beyond just the job description – do they need to be a team player or effective communicators? What sort of mindset are you looking for? Should candidates be able to perform well within a fast-paced environment?

Utilise selection techniques as an opportunity to find out more about a potential candidate’s personality and work style, to see how they will fit within the rest of your team. If you are hiring for a member of senior management, what is the ideal leadership style you seek? Someone who will maintain the status quo, or someone who will mix things up?

Submit an enquiry via our online form today to find out how we can help your business, or call 07771642182 to book a 30 minute consultation with Karen directly.

Visit the GOV website for more employment advice. 

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Recruiting internally

When it comes to recruiting for a new or existing position; advertising and hiring internally within your business should be the first port of call. Internal recruitment is an easier, faster process that offers many economic and practical benefits for your business.

It can save money on hiring, retraining and potential travel or relocation costs, as well as time. Most often an existing employee could settle in far sooner than someone external, having already familiarised with the culture and how the business operates. Recruiting or advertising a job internally, and therefore retaining employees, could also help boost your employer brand.

How and where to advertise a job

If recruiting internally is not a viable option for your company, then targeting the right job seekers by advertising externally (either via the local recruitment market or extending your search wider) is integral to finding the right person for your business, and taking them through to the selection process. Many different recruitment tools are available to help discover the finest talent pool, with the majority operating online.

Recruitment agencies offer a valuable, uncomplicated way of finding the perfect candidate, as they carry out all the hard work for you. From creating the job description and advertising the post on relevant websites, to sifting through many applications to present you the cream of the crop.

It may be a good idea to reach out to a range of different agencies to find the one that is right for you in order to maximise reach, interest and volume of applications. For this service, agencies usually charge a fee, so make sure you discuss a detailed specification of the type of person you are looking for before proceeding, alternatively your HR consultant can manage this for you too.

Online job boards

Another great means to advertise a job is via digital job boards. There are a range of online job boards which harbour a database of employment seekers ready and waiting to apply for your latest positons. Jobsite, Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, Totaljobs and Reed are perhaps the most well-known, and advertise for a range of industries, from administration to hospitality. However, specialist boards exist to cater to the more niche industries – for example, The Dots for creative roles and CharityJob which covers the charity career sector.

LinkedIn is another great tool for discovering talent. Akin to its social media counterpart Facebook, candidates can set up their own profiles detailing their CV and career experience and can be contacted directly via private message. Recruiters and businesses can post their vacancies directly on the site too to capture the attention of job seekers trawling for specific keywords and career openings.

Submit an enquiry via our online form today to find out how we can help your business, or call 07771 642 182 to book a 30 minute consultation with Karen directly.

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What is employer branding?

The phrase ‘employer brand’ was first coined in the nineties and is still as critical, if not more so, in today’s world of employment. It refers to the reputation of you as an employer among your workforce, as well as how well you market your business to potential jobseekers. Employer branding encompasses everything you have to offer employees, from your values and company benefits to culture.

It can make all the difference when it comes to attracting stellar candidates, as well as reducing hiring costs, so it’s worth investing in a strategy that works. Put simply, employer branding is an imperative part of the recruiting and employee retention processes, as workers are far more likely to want to be part of a company that positions itself as an enriching place of work.

Executing an effective employer branding strategy can help improve employee perception, resulting in reduced turnover, and helping to attract the best calibre of talent to apply too. The first thing to consider is how your company is perceived locally and nationally. It takes time and consistency to grow awareness of your brand, but simple, thoughtful (and cost-effective) marketing is a good place to start.

How to improve your employer brand

If one of your current or former employees were asked about team morale, what would they say? How about day-to-day experiences, interpersonal relationships, the benefits of their role or what the company culture is like? What would they say? More importantly, what would you want them to say?

The best way to gain an authentic insight into the intricacies of a company or its culture, is by asking those on the inside. Conduct an audit or interview current employees about their experiences and use their responses for testimonials on your social channels or website. Showcasing views from those within your own workforce is an invaluable tool in ensuring you project the best perception of your brand.

Elevate your positive presence further by utilising the power of social media. Setting up a company page on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, will expand your reach and familiarise potential recruits with your company outside of just your business model or product. This can help them engage with your business on a more personable, relatable level.

Show outsiders you have more to offer than just your service or product by posting regularly about employee achievements, company away days, trips or teambuilding activities. Perhaps your company has completed fundraising projects or charity work? This will all help contribute to better employer branding.

Get social

But don’t just stop at social media. Display such snippets on your website too, for example through blogs or a mission statement, as this could greatly improve the impression candidates have of your business. Furthermore, shout about personal accolades your company or an employee has won — perhaps you could nominate an employee for a local award which would then get picked up by the local press? Consider taking part in local initiatives as this will too help improve your employer brand.

No employee wants to feel stuck or bored within their role, and learning new skills is a proven way of preventing this. Therefore, it’s important to support learning by offering training courses or development programmes to grow employee’s skillsets and prove you’re invested in career progression.

Submit an enquiry via our online form today to find out how we can help your business, or call 07771642182 to book a 30 minute consultation with Karen directly.

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