How to hire top talent in the midst of a pandemic

As a new hiring manager, being prepared can help ease the recruitment experience for everyone involved.

There’s a lot involved in the hiring process and managing it for the first time can be daunting. In an article written on HRD, Coann Labitoria provides tips for managers starting out in the hiring function.

1. Always be prepared. Having all the information you need with you and practicing tone and mannerisms before the interview will help you to stay calm and alert.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from people with more experience.
3. Create a candidate persona. Understand what soft and hard skills you are looking for in the applicant. This can help draft more relevant interview questions.
4. Craft for a clear job description
   1. Use a relevant job title
   2. Include brief company background
   3. Provide details about the job role
   4. Enumerate the company’s benefits
5. Evaluate candidate’s applications before the interview to know what you’re going to ask and to maximise interview time.
6. Ask the right direct questions. Be prepared with questions that will help you assess an applicant’s skills, behaviour, and knowledge.
7. Take notes, this helps avoid mix-ups over which candidate said what.
8. Have a clear interview process and communicate that process to the candidate. Having a clear process will also help with efficient scheduling.
9. Get organised. Map out schedules, create checklists, list down feedback. This will minimise things being overlooked.
10. Have a sense of urgency and move quickly. Good candidates are probably considering other job openings.
11. Be prepared for negotiation. Know your limit on what you can offer a candidate and don’t be afraid to step away if their demands are too much.