With so many applications for each vacancy, it becomes important to use the right recruitment techniques, especially for sourcing top-class talent. To grow a successful organization you need talented employees, and to get talented employees there should be no room for error.
In this article, Bayt.com experts explain the seven talent sourcing mistakes that every employer needs to avoid.
1. Over-analyzing a CV
A CV, though important, doesn’t give you much insight into the personality of a candidate. Instead of spending a lot of time on the CV, it’s advisable to scan for relevant qualifications and work experience, but also layout and grammatical errors. If there’s a match between the candidate and the job opening, give the candidate a call. This saves a lot of time and effort.
2. Hiring too quickly
Often, hiring managers choose amongst the first two to three candidates who are "good" according to them, and don’t interview anymore. This happens because employers want to fill in positions quickly, to resume a normal routine at the office. However, by hiring too quickly, you may be compromising on more qualified candidates. It’s always better to have at least five to ten good candidates to choose from, and then pick the best one.
3. Ignoring employee referrals
Employees in your company are, presumably, a good cultural fit with the organization. Employee referrals are candidate recommendations made by current employees, and should never be ignored. In fact, seven in ten professionals say they don’t mind recommending their current company to friends/family for a job, as revealed in the Bayt.com "What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?" poll (February 2014). Employees know these candidates personally, and are able to judge if they will fit in with the company. Often, these suggested candidates turn out to become strong assets for the company.
4. Focusing on previous title/company instead of experience
If a candidate has worked in a well-known company, or has held prestigious titles, it may not be sufficient if their relevant work experience is missing. You must look at what a candidate has achieved instead of whether their experience will add value to your company.
5. Discounting fresh graduates
Instead of discounting fresh graduates from the start, it’s advisable to give them a shot. From time to time you might come across the CV of an incredible fresh graduate candidate with numerous accolades and relevant educational qualifications. Try calling them for an interview, and see how it works out. Remember, fresh graduates don’t expect a high salary, are very innovative and have the willingness to prove themselves. 67 percent of employers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are willing to hire candidates that have relevant skills needed but no experience in a given field, according to the Bayt.com "Hiring Practices in the MENA" poll (February 2012). Fresh graduates can also be molded easily into any organization.
6. Ignoring social recruiting techniques
Social recruiting is the new trend. It goes beyond the CV and allows you to get a glimpse of a potential candidate’s personality. Using social media for your hiring processes involves two major advantages. Firstly, you can increase your brand value while simultaneously increasing your pool of candidates. Secondly, you can find out about a candidate in-depth through their social media accounts before making a hiring decision. In fact, 61 percent of MENA employers check the online profiles of new recruits before hiring them according to the Bayt.com "Personal Branding in the Middle East and North Africa" poll (September 2013). Social platforms such as Bayt.com Specialties are perfect for social recruiting.
7. Running generic searches
When searching for candidates try using relevant rather than generic keywords. Generic keywords such as “manager” or “specialist” will just increase your pool of candidates, without adding any quality. A way to tackle this is by using sophisticated CV Search software, such as the state-of-the-art Bayt.com CV Search, which filters your search by multiple criteria, helping you find the ideal candidates for your positions.
This article originally appeared in bayt.com.
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