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More than half of HR and talent leaders cite that their hiring volume will increase in 2017, according to the LinkedIn Global Recruiting Trends Report. Despite this, 61% of companies state that the size of their recruitment team will stay the same.
As a result, recruiters and HR professionals will have to work smarter and more efficiently in order to make the most of their time and keep up with the extra hiring demand.
Webrecruit explores the steps you can take to make the most out of your time and recruit smarter in 2017.
1) Spend less time on administration and more time speaking to candidates
Unfortunately, recruitment often comes hand-in-hand with a lot of dry administration tasks, which can leave you feeling like you spend most of your time inputting data and tracking applicants rather than actually talking to candidates.
If you find that you’re wasting too much of your time dealing with paperwork and administration, now might be a good time to consider the benefits of using recruitment technology, such as an applicant tracking system (ATS).
An ATS is a great tool to help reduce the amount of administration in your role. All candidate details are stored within the system, making it easier for you to locate their applications and keep track of their progress through the recruitment process.
Having candidate details stored within your system also makes it easier to build up a talent pool and contact candidates already on your database about future roles.
2) Look carefully at your data
We can’t emphasise enough how important it is to make your decisions based on actual, tangible data rather than simply relying on your gut instinct.
Looking closely at your data can help you to develop a real understanding of your candidates’ behaviour, what job boards are working for you and where you should be focusing your time and spend.
If you’re not confident that your reporting is up to scratch, recruitment software can make it much easier for you. For example, Webrecruit’s Fusion offers inbuilt reports, such as candidate application sources and application methods, as well as the option to export raw data to build your own reports in MS Excel.
3) Focus on targeting your job adverts
Rather than trying to attract as many candidates as possible, you should focus on attracting a smaller number of relevant candidates instead.
When writing your advert, think about the specific skill-set and soft skills that the candidate needs. Loosening your essential criteria and opening up your advert can work well for more junior roles, however, if the vacancy really does require a specific set of skills, it’s important to make these clear in your advert.
Remember, it’s much better to attract a few really great candidates rather than a large number of unsuitable ones. Think of the extra time you’d spend assessing these CVs and rejecting candidates.
Want to learn how Webrecruit can help you recruit smarter in 2017?
