The Recruitment Checklist: How to Hire More Effectively

by Caity Wynn, 3 minutes read
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Given every business owner’s time constraints it’s no surprise that businesses don’t have the time to implement and follow a consistent hiring process. When it comes to bringing new employees on board, it’s important to follow appropriate steps so you can recruit confidently and avoid the costly mistakes of poor hires. Here’s a handy recruitment checklist so you can always be prepared. Be sure to mark off each box when you’re done!

Create a comprehensive job overview

Once you know exactly what type of employee you need, it’s time to prepare the job details and plan out how you will fill the position.

Depending on the industry and how long the business has been operating, you may already have a job description for the available role. If that’s the case, make sure you review the details thoroughly to ensure there’s no outdated information or missing duties the new team member will have to take on.

Things to include in the job overview are:

  • Tasks the employee will be expected to perform.

  • Necessary skills and traits required.

  • Budget for the job advertised – this includes not only the salary range for the employee, but also any costs that may be incurred through marketing or advertising the position.

  • Where you’ll post the job – in-store, online, in local newspapers, or even hiring a recruiter.

Manage the applications – either on your own or with a team of trusted employees

Once the job has been advertised, it’s time to sit back and let the applications flow in. You’ll likely have a decent amount of resumes to sort through, so determine how the process will work before you get flooded with paperwork.

If you have the time yourself, it’s always best to review every applicant yourself. However, time-strapped owners and managers may choose to get help from trusted team members with a knack for picking out the best and brightest.

If time isn’t on your side, it’s worth considering an investment in online work solutions like a platform to automate your rostering schedules. If you’ve wrangled in a few experienced team members to help filter through the applications, you might even find a business communication solution is the best way to share your thoughts on any prospective employees.

Prepare for the interviews

The job window has shut. The wheat has been separated from the chaff. Now it’s time to prepare for the interview process. Whether you decide to conduct the interviews on your own or with a trusted panel of co-workers, you should take some time to develop your interview questions and select where the interviews will take place.

Another great idea is to set up a role-playing scenario for how the interviews will run. Get a team member to act as the potential new hire while you familiarise yourself with the questions, your responses and how you will gather the appropriate information to be able to make the best decision.

Most importantly, this will help solidify in your mind exactly what you are looking for in a new team member. Always link your questions back to the initial job descriptions and make sure the interviewees understand exactly what a role in your business will entail. Remember that these people want to work for you – if they understand your vision and what you want your team to achieve in the near future, you will find the recruitment cycle runs much more smoothly.

Get hiring!

If you’re lucky enough to have a handful of excellent candidates who interview well, you’ll be in the enviable position of picking the perfect new member for your team. But before you go slashing five out of the best six interviewees, be sure to conduct due diligence.

This means checking all references from their previous employers, finalising their salary, conducting background or police checks if necessary, and scheduling any onboarding orientation sessions for their first week.

After that, all that’s left to do is make an offer to your favourite candidate and get ready to integrate them into your business family!

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