When it comes to hiring the right candidate for the role, we have an arsenal up our sleeve to help us find the perfect fit.

Everything from recording our screening interviews to including social media in the recruitment advertising mix plays an essential role in determining who is most qualified for the position.

Here, we give you the inside scoop on some of our most coveted secret weapons in the fight for the right candidate.  

Nail the brief first – First things first, make sure you have a clear idea of your hiring need, what the core job responsibilities are, what the mandatory requirements are and what type of candidate you are looking for.  Knowing this first and nailing the brief will result in a clear and articulate job ad to attract the right people.

Speak to your audience – Draft the job ad with your target candidate in mind by using language appropriate for the audience and highlighting aspects of the job and company that appeals most to them.  For example, talk up your corporate social responsibility credentials if you’re trying to attract a younger demographic, or spotlight job security and stability for an older demographic versus career growth opportunities that younger job seekers are more interested in.

Include the salary – Job seekers are three times more likely to view a job ad that includes a salary than those that don’t.

Review the advertising strategy regularly – Keep an eye on the volume and quality of applicants coming through to determine the effectiveness of the recruitment advertising strategy.  If you are receiving poor quality applicants, it might be time to switch up the advertising mix, or review the job ad itself to ensure the wording will attract the right applicants.

Include social media in the mix – Social channels like Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are great platforms to promote your vacancy and capture the attention of your target candidates.  These sites are rich with intel on their users which you can use to narrow in on your ideal demographic.  The visual nature of Facebook and Instagram in particular means you can grab their attention and make an impact with your job ad.  

Visualise it – In a cluttered job market, all text ads don’t always cut it.  Those with images and videos embedded in the ad perform better as candidates respond to the visual representation of your company.

Put them to the test – Behavioural and psychometric tests are great indicators to a candidate’s competence, role suitability and personality fit, and can predict their future job performance.  

Video interview your shortlist – Conducting recorded, interactive job interviews helps narrow down the shortlist of candidates, provides greater insights than a standard screening phone call and can be viewed by decision makers at their convenience before progressing with the final group for face-to-face interviews.

Use the right interview language – How you respond to an interviewee’s answer is just as important as the questions you ask.  Providing positive responses like ‘great, thank you’ to subpar answers affirms to the candidate that they are on the right track.  

Promote the company and culture – Active job seekers are likely interviewing for other positions, while passive applicants may be testing the waters with the interview to see if it is worth it to make a move.  Either way, the job interview is as much about you finding the right applicant as the applicant determining if your company is right for them.  Use the interview as an opportunity to promote the company’s mission and its culture to position yourself as an employer of choice.  

Exploit company values – If your company values are readily available on your website, use that to your advantage.  Ask your candidates which of the values they respond to the most and why to discover how well aligned they are to your company culture.

Do your due diligence – Don’t skimp on background and reference checks.  At best you could find out they are less proficient than they seemed during the interview.  At worst, you could be endangering your workforce.