Tips & Tricks to Simplify Your Hiring

There’s no doubt that hiring the right people can be challenging for any organization. Rightfully so, as having an amazing team goes a long way and could help your company succeed. So, we should all do our best to ensure we choose ideal candidates, right?
Still, the hiring process can be time-consuming and overwhelming. That’s where having a great applicant tracking system (ATS) like Along really comes in handy, and with a few of our tips – you’ll make your hiring process a breeze!

Define the Position to Find the Right Fit 🧩

Before starting the hiring process, a clear understanding of your company’s needs and the criteria within your team is a must-have. So, begin with defining the skills, experience, and qualifications you’re looking for.

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But also set expectations, such as:

• Are you okay with hiring people who work remotely?
• When you’re torn between a ‘Yes’ and a ‘Maybe’ for a candidate – do you choose the higher or the lower option?
• What to do when someone with far more experience than you listed applies?

Those are just a few that can help with making your selection process easier.

Of course, job listings should be as defined as possible, for the candidate's sake as well, without too much text and irrelevant information in your posting (because not many people like to read excessive amounts of text, at least we don’t know many who do). Try singling out the most important requirements so candidates can easily compare and contrast what you’re looking for to their qualifications. By being clear about who you’re searching for, you have a better chance of finding the right fit.

Take Advantage of All ATS (Applicant Tracking System) Capabilities 🧑‍💻

A reliable ATS can help you in many ways during a hiring process – if you use all the features right. Not only will it centralize candidate information and communication with your team, but it can automate many basic tasks, so you can spend your time more efficiently. Using a great ATS, such as Along, can help you say goodbye to multiple overwhelming email threads, confusing Excel sheets, and more.

Here’s a few ATS benefits we found really helpful:

• Easy candidate management and centralized data
• Quick job listing publishing
• One place for candidate discussion with your team
• Time-saving automated tasks and less manual data entries
• Email automation – from application confirmations to rejection emails.

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Benefit From Employee Referrals 👯

Sometimes, the most valuable resources are already within your company. Who better to assist you in finding new colleagues than your own team? To encourage your team to give a helping hand, consider an incentive. Perhaps a bonus, or some other kind of motivational recognition. Not only can employee referrals help you speed up your hiring process, but there’s a big chance you’ll come across people who are the right culture fit. And, to add to it, referral hires have a higher retention rate, per an article published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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Develop a Standard & Structured Interview Guide ✍️

Interviews play a vital role in finding the right fit for your company.

With a structured and organized approach, you can ensure a more efficient hiring process. It’s key to clearly define the objectives for every interview stage, and one of the first stages should be very similar (if not identical) for each and every candidate. Create an interview guide with a set of questions that should cover the core aspects of the job position. This should include basic skill and experience questions, the qualities you’re looking for, company culture, and more. This way you can ensure that all candidates are treated fairly and are evaluated on the same criteria, simplifying the comparison of their qualifications.

Don’t forget to give your company a proper introduction. It’s important for candidates to get an impression of your core values and overall company culture. They’re meeting you for the first time too!

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Hiring the right people is important, but can get challenging. To simplify the process and make your day-to-day better, try using a great ATS and following our tips: define the position clearly, leverage all ATS capabilities, encourage employee referrals, and develop a structured interview guide. By implementing these, you can find the best candidates efficiently and build a strong team. Happy hiring!

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