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5 methods to find the right candidate

Written by: Zoe Gater
Published on: 7 Oct 2019

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After screening dozens of candidates, how do you decide which one will be best suited for the job? It’s no easy task. With constant market reconceptualization and restructuring, you need to be asking the right questions to make sure the candidate has the correct characteristics - such as being able to adjust and adapt quickly.

Desirable candidates won’t only have the experience or qualifications, but they will have the flexibility, eagerness and enthusiasm to grow your business. Old work environments didn’t demand or necessarily require the broad business knowledge and adaptability that new high-octane work environments do.

Here are 5 methods to find the perfect match:

  1. Good Employer Branding

    The process of finding the right person has changed significantly in the past few years – before, it was enough to post a job on job boards and simply wait for candidates to apply. Today, you must build a strong Employer Branding strategy. Studies by LinkedIn show that over 75% of job seekers research a firm’s reputation before applying. A way in which recruiters are creating good Employer Branding is by utilising Social Media platforms to attract talent. Employer Branding can also be achieved through Inbound Recruiting methods. This involves employers creating relevant and interesting content to encourage candidate engagement to improve the overall candidate experience.

    These tactics have great impact on reputation, brand and in effect, the firm’s ability to employ the best people.
     
  2. Employability Tests / Psychometrics

    Psychometrics tests are a great way to assess a candidate’s personal traits, as well as their knowledge and skills. This will allow you to build a personal profile to see if they match the company’s culture and particular role. They can evaluate strengths, weaknesses and passions – are they proactive and a leader? Or do they prefer following orders? The answers will help you assess their compatibility for the role.
     
  3. Phone Interaction

    Before you invite the potential candidate to a face-to-face interview, schedule a short conversation over the phone. This way you can filter out basic information such as salary expectations and work history. This will eliminate time wasting and allow you to narrow it down to the best candidates efficiently.
     
  4. Quantify Deliverables

    Make a detailed list of deliverables that will be expected of them per the first, second and third month. Ask them how they will plan the strategy to achieve them. This will allow you to assess the candidate’s skills and they will also gain an understanding of what is immediately expected of them helping you to both begin on the same page.
     
  5. Adaptability

    Are they exceedingly adaptive? It is critical that the candidate is willing to adapt to changes in the work environment. This is a constant in organisational systems and if they can’t comply they won’t keep up – they must be able to embrace new ways of thinking otherwise they will not be beneficial to the smooth running of your business. The right employee will be able to demonstrate examples of how they have previously evolved in their last position or could do in future situations.