7 Ways To Ensure You

Recruit The Top

Applicants For The Job:
Fact vs Fiction

This eBook was designed and created for you: the

recruiter determined to ensure they select and place the
very best candidate for the job. Staying up to date with
the latest recruitment trends and technology will help you
stay on top of your recruitment game. These 7 tips for
recruiters, listed in this eBook, will help you do just that.

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 1. I’m a good judge of character - I don’t need to check criminal records 2

2. One-on-One Interviews are a waste of time 3

3. Relying on one recruiting method is enough 3

4. You need to wait for the perfect candidate 4

5. You don’t need an in-depth specification 4

6. Applicant experience is not a factor. 5

7. Criminal record checks are only for certain high risk roles 6

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 At a global level, the unemployment rate appears to be stabilising, but your
experience tells you something quite different. As local and country-level
unemployment rates fluctuate, and job security is no longer a surety, your applicant
pools are growing.
An increasing applicant pool, matched with a growing demand for qualified
professionals, makes your job that much more difficult. And, to make things even
more messy, candidates - desperate to be placed in suitable employment - may be
tempted to falsify their qualifications and experience.

89% of global businesses have experienced applicants misrepresenting themselves

during the application process. With numbers this high, can recruiters really afford not to
perform comprehensive criminal record checks? Remember, a poor hire can have a
negative impact on your relationship with your client, your reputation, and your client’s
company at large.
Here are 7 myths that most recruiters fall for, and how you can avoid making critical
candidate errors:

#1 I’m a Good Judge of Character -

I Don’t Need to Check Criminal Records

Fiction - You’re a good judge of character, so you don’t need to perform criminal
record checks.

Fact - Conducting thorough criminal background checks is an essential practice.

Criminal background checks enable employers to assess if a candidate’s criminal
record could pose a potential risk to the business. Employees are the lifeblood of
your business. They determine whether your business succeeds or shuts down. Just
one discredited person can ruin your business’ reputation. This is especially
important for recruiters. If you recommend a candidate with a criminal background,
you run the risk of ruining your reputation, and your business.

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 #2 One-on-One Interviews Are a Waste of
Time

Fiction - I don’t need a one-on-one interview, I can use technology.

Fact - Yes, we live in the digital age where we can Skype, Slack, WhatsApp , Google
Hangout, and hold a conference call whenever we want, wherever we want. You
can’t, however, put a price on one-on-one interactions, that give you a true feel for a
candidate’s personality, character, and abilities. In particular, assessing and
responding to a candidate’s body language and other physical cues, can be difficult
when you’re not engaging with them face-to-face.

While the recruitment process includes several steps, and it may not be necessary to
meet in person during the first few selection processes, you must meet the applicant
in person, before an official offer is made.

#3 Relying on One Recruiting Method is

Enough

Fiction - As long as it’s worked in the past, your recruitment strategy will continue to
work in the future.

Fact - Relying on only one recruitment strategy can limit the quality and diversity of
your applicant pool. It could also increase the time it takes to fill an open role.
Utilising a mix of recruitment methods, staying up to date with the latest trends and
technology, and performing the necessary research and criminal checks, will help
you to place the right candidate for your client. Continually refining your recruitment
strategy, and personalising it for each client, will pay off!

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 #4 You Need to Wait For the Perfect
Candidate

Fiction - There is only one right fit for the role and you have to wait for a perfect
match.

Fact - Hiring a new employee is the same as starting a relationship with a new
partner: There is no guarantee that you will find the exact perfect match. It’s your job
to determine the best fit for the open position. If you have difficulty filling a position,
you may need to re-evaluate your criteria. Perhaps there isn’t an exact match for the
skills you need, but there may be suitably skilled or experienced candidates who
would thrive through on-the-job training programmes.

#5 You Don’t Need an In-depth

Specification

Fiction - You don’t need to know the personal specifications of the position.

Fact - It’s essential to know exactly what characteristics and attributes your client is
looking for in a new hire. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to find
someone who is a good fit. Decide on the attributes needed in the job, including their
experience, skills, and qualifications.

Create and implement a structured plan for selecting the right type of candidate, that
covers the most critical aspects of the role on offer. Your plan should include:

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 · Educational qualifications
· Specialised skills
· Required experience
· Additional advantageous experience
· Disqualifiers
· Client cultural fit
· Candidate’s approach to challenges or obstacles
· Candidate’s flexibility match with client’s requirements

Set out your specific job requirements, in measurable terms. Research and measure
each candidate in terms of your specific job criteria. While this may seem like a
time-consuming task, it helps you to focus your selection process, and slim down
your applicant pool.

#6 Applicant Experience is Not a Factor

Fiction - Applicants are coming to you for a job, therefore their experience of the
hiring process is not important.

Fact - 48% of recruiters found that an applicant’s experience is a major issue when it
comes to the screening process. Recruiters and employers need to keep this in mind
when performing their criminal record checks. A negative applicant experience could
result in fully qualified, suitable applicants being driven away due to a tedious,
complicated, or inconvenient process.

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 #7 Criminal Record Checks Are Only for
Certain High Risk Roles

Fiction - I only need to perform criminal record checks on applicants for high risk job
roles.

Fact - Selecting and placing the right candidate for your client requires you to source
and research as much information as possible. A criminal record check is one of the
most important sources of information, and an essential step in the recruitment
process. No matter the outcome of the criminal record check, it helps you to make
informed, data-driven decisions, and ensure you’re selecting the right candidate for
the role.

Every business owner knows that hiring the wrong person can ruin their company.
The price of placing the wrong candidate can be very high. Finding the right
employee is a time-consuming, multifaceted undertaking. Sourcing and selecting the
right person for the role on offer is mission critical for recruiters like you. Use these 7
tips for recruiters to stay on top of your game, and ensure your reputation stays
intact.

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