With the current unlocking across the UK, we have seen an increase in the number of vacancies that we are working on. If you are deciding to run your own recruitment projects without using an external supplier, how can you avoid making the most common mistakes in recruitment and miss bringing in the best people for your positions? 
 
Mistake number 1: Focussing on qualifications and experience rather than relevant skills 
 
There have been some really big changes to the recruitment market over the pandemic with some sectors all but having disappeared whereas others have continued to thrive. If you can be clear as to the skills that you want to bring into your company then make sure that you are sifting candidates based on this rather experience. There are really big advantages to bringing in skills from a different area as these candidates will bring a fresh perspective to your business. For example, someone from the travel industry could bring a whole new view on customer services and client management to financial services. 
 
 
Mistake number 2: Asking predictable questions 
 
When did you last review the questions that you are asking at interview? What are you really looking for with the answers that you are going to elicit? We see a lot of clients with a bank of traditional questions that they ask all their candidates with little thought of what information they need to be able to decide as to the suitability of the candidate for the role that they are recruiting for. Questions such as “What do you think is your greatest weakness?” or “What would your current company say about you?” is not going to help you see whether this person can do your job. At Emerald Starfish we interview using Competency Based Questions – with the premise that past performance is the best predictor of future behaviour. How in the past have they demonstrated that they were competent in a particular area – is this transferable to the role that you are recruiting them for? 
 
Mistake number 3: Lack of candidate contact 
There are some great automated recruitment tools that most definitely should be used to ensure that candidates know that you have received their application and how soon they can expect to hear from you. However, timelines often change, and it can make a real difference to keep candidates in the loop as to what is happening internally. Take time to follow up. The current candidate market suggests that candidates may be holding on to more than one job offer – you want to tip the balance in your favour that the one that they finally settle on is yours. Recruitment can still be quite formal, but the workplace is becoming less so, so make sure that your processes allow for proper human interaction. Whether it is a weekly call before someone starts to check in on them to a zoom call drinks with the team – get your new starter as engaged as soon as possible so that they are committed to your role. 
 
Emerald Starfish works as your outsourced recruitment department, doing all of the extra things that are needed in the current recruitment market to find the best candidates and manage them through the process to ensure that they have the best candidate experience they can to create better engagement and retention long term. If you want to discuss your recruitment processes and how to maximise the current candidate pool why not call us on 0116 2080246 or email us for more information at recruitmentsolutions@emerald-starfish.com 
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