Maximising Recruitment, finding the best candidate

What are some key considerations and best practices when hiring new staff for your business?

Employees are your most important asset. Getting the right people at the right time can be hard. Take your time to make sure you fully understand the role, individual skills and experience you require to fill that role.   

Should I employ my friends in my business?

Be very careful about employing friends and relatives as in many cases they may feel that normal business rules do not apply to them and addressing issues can be a problem and effect the personal relationship.   

What is the best way to make sure I get the right person for the right job role in my business? 

•  Identify the role to be filled
•  Draw up a job description
•  Identify the skills needed to fill that roll
•  Draw up a person specification 
•  Identify the best place to advertise the role for the type of candidates you want
•  Draw up standardised interview questions 
•  Short list applicants against the job description and person specifications
•  Interview applicants using the standard predetermined questions 
•  Do the correct right to work in the UK checks
•  Send out job offer and the contract of employment
•  DON’T Forget to take up references   

What is a job description?

A Job Description is simply a document that details the job role, responsibilities and lines of reporting for the role.

A Job Description serves as a tool for both employers and job seekers to understand the expectations and requirements of the role.

What does a typical job description include:

• Job Title: This indicates the name of the position, e.g., “Marketing Manager” or “Software Engineer.”
• Summary/Objective: A brief overview of the main purpose of the role within the organization.
• Duties and Responsibilities: A detailed list of the main tasks and activities that the employee will be expected to perform.
• Work Environment: Information about the typical working conditions, like whether the role is office-based, requires heavy lifting, or involves travel.
• Reporting Structure: Information about who the individual will report to or if they will have any direct reports

A well-constructed job description can aid in recruitment by attracting the right candidates, help managers evaluate employee performance, and serve as a reference point for performance management and training needs. 

What is a person specification?

A person specification complements the job description. While the job description focuses on the role itself, the person specification focuses on the ideal qualities, characteristics, and skills of the person who will fill that role.

What Does a typical person specification may include:

• Essential and Desirable Criteria: These criteria distinguish between what is absolutely necessary for the job (“essential”) and what would be beneficial but not mandatory (“desirable”).
• Educational Qualifications: Details about the necessary or preferred educational background, such as specific degrees, certifications, or training.
• Professional Experience: Information about the type and amount of work experience sought, often distinguishing between essential and desirable experience.
• Skills and Competencies: This includes both hard skills, like proficiency in a specific software, and soft skills, like effective communication or team collaboration abilities.
• Personal Attributes or Qualities: Characteristics that would make an individual well-suited for the role, such as adaptability, resilience, or a proactive attitude.
• Special Requirements: This can cover other specifics not addressed in other sections, such as a willingness to travel, the ability to drive, or being available for shifts during certain hours.

A person specification is a valuable tool in the recruitment and selection process. It provides a clear picture of what an ideal candidate looks like, aids the shortlisting process, helps design interview questions, and ultimately helps select the most suitable candidate for the position.

What are standardised questions?

A set of standard none discriminatory questions based on the job description and person specification that are asked to all interviewed applicants.

These questions are typically structured in a way that aims to evaluate all candidates fairly and consistently.

The use of standardised questions can help reduce biases in the interview process and ensures that each candidate is given an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and fit for the position.

What are Right to work in UK checks ?

As an employer you have a legal duty to check to make sure your prospective employees have a right to work in the UK.

What Happens if i don’t check to make sure an employee have a legal right to work in the UK ?

Failure to do so can result in a £20K per illegal employee.

 As an employer you have a duty to ensure that you do not discriminate against prospective employees on the grounds of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. To do so will result in the applicant having an automatic right to take you to tribunal.