Recruiting is far from an exact science. In fact, the process fails almost as much as it works. One study showed that nearly half of all new hires (46%) fail in the first 18 months.
Does that mean there is a lack of suitable candidates? Sometimes. But it’s also part of your recruiting task to make the most of what’s available. If you’re having trouble filling a position, you might need to get creative.
In other words, the process involves more than just making lemons into lemonade. In that case, you have to obvious ingredients for something delicious. Instead, hiring sometimes requires something even more ingenious: making lemons into orange juice.
With that in mind, here are a few steps you can take to add flexibility to your hiring process:
Take a Broad View
Yes, you need job candidates who have certain qualifications. But don’t get locked into a particular vision of your open position. You have to respond to the market and to the available candidates.
Truly Understand What’s Needed
A position becomes open. You make your wish list for the perfect candidate. This can create an excellent guide for directing your hiring process.
But don’t get locked into every detail on your wish list. Prioritize the qualities you need most. That way, you know what’s critical for the role and what you can be flexible about as you learn what’s available.
Focus on Potential
Typically, companies judge candidates based on accomplishments. That makes sense. You need someone to handle the tasks of the job.
However, you can also miss good candidates that way. Remember that you can train good candidates to fit the role rather than requiring them to be ready on Day One.
Look for the Right Soft Skills
You’ve decided that you’re open to training a great candidate with limited experience. But what constitutes someone worthy of this additional training?
That often comes down to the soft skills. These traits can carry over to any role. With the right set of general capabilities, you can develop an employee to take on any task.
Here are some specific soft skills to target:
- Enthusiasm
- Trainability
- Willingness to Learn
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Leadership
Personalize Onboarding and Training
If you have a rigid training program, you need the same type of candidate every time. However, if you have more flexibility, you can select different types of hires, even for the same role. You just need to personalize the onboarding and training towards the individual.
Break your training into modules, with each lesson relating to part of the new hire’s responsibilities. They can breeze through the sections that match their existing skills. Then, you can spend more time on the areas where they require additional work.
Make a Career Plan with Incoming Employees
You’re recruiting for a specific role. But you also want to unlock hidden talents and get the most out of your incoming hires. How do you balance your short-term needs with long-term potential?
A career plan helps. Talk to incoming employees about their long-term ambitions. You’ll get an idea of where their interests lie. At the same time, you can start working together to accelerate their professional development.
Looking for workers you can mold into perfect employees?
Contact Recruiting In Motion today to upgrade your hiring process. Partnering with a strong staffing agency, like Recruiting In Motion, can deliver these flexible, capable workers.
