While employers are thinking how job candidates must be dying to make a good first impression to their prospective company, they may fail to look at the other side of the coin—that is, how they make an impression to a prospective employee.
If you are looking for the right people to work for you, it is important to make a strong first impression to help your business attract only the cream of the crop in your field. Here are some of the things you may do better in order to do so:
1. Write better job postings.
You may be tempted to just lay out a list of qualifications and responsibilities in the open for potential employees to see, but if you are not careful how you craft a job posting, you may be deterring qualified candidates before you know it. According to a study by The Wall Street Journal, applicants respond more to job listings that focus on what the company can do for its employees. Taking on this approach may help you find the right people for the job.
2. Avoid hiring discrimination.
Discrimination is just bad rep for a company, and what better way to eliminate this workplace problem that to start with your hiring process? When finding the perfect candidate for a job, focus on the person’s qualifications no matter the gender, race, or age. Furthermore, stating outright the skills needed to get the job done can eliminate the idea of your company having any applicant preference.
3. Know exactly what you are looking for.
Another way to eliminate discrimination during the hiring process is to determine exactly what you are looking for the job. If you can identify a clear set of skills and behaviors, it would be much easier to sift through candidates and get the perfect match.
4. Offer honest feedback.
Telling someone they didn’t get the offer always seems to be a rather unpleasant task, but you can make it better for the applicant by being honest as to why he or she did not get the job. Doing so can get them further into their professional development than having them wait for a callback. It may also get them to pursue additional training and to be more competitive in their field, which is a great help during future job pursuits.
5. Test prospective employees.
If you have had an experience with troublesome employees in the past, perhaps it’s time to involve a pre-employment drug and alcohol screening as part of your hiring process. Especially in industries that involve workplace safety, such as transit, defense, or transportation, requiring a marijuana drug test or a THC test prior to granting a job offer can mean a lot to your company.
Just remember to mention this requirement in the job posting or upon initial application.
Better employee hiring may require you to go to greater heights, but all this can lead to improved overall company performance. In the end, it’s a shot worth investing.
