Are you looking for new staff, but want the best of the best? Here are some top tips that can boost your search.

Know what you need
Getting through the recruitment process will be easier if you define the new role before writing job descriptions and looking for candidates. Once you have defined the duties of the new role, you can list the skills and abilities you require of the candidate – and it’s worth specifying which are essential and which are just a welcome bonus.

Write the perfect job description
Once you have determined what the job entails and what you can offer, you are in a much stronger position when it comes to writing the job description. The job description should have a good balance of information: you should give people enough information, but make sure it is still tempting for potential candidates who do not meet all your requirements.

Place in the right places
And we don’t just mean the big, traditional job boards. Of course you should post your vacancy on sites like Indeed, Monster and LinkedIn. You should post your vacancy on job boards and websites that are specific to your sector – you will be able to find candidates who have been recruited there. Also post it on your company’s careers page and share it on your company’s social media profiles.

Rely on existing staff
Your existing staff is a brilliant resource when it comes to finding the right employee for the job. If you have a referral programme in place, your staff can alert you to potential candidates and you can contact them to see if they are interested. It is important to reward your staff for doing this.

Be thorough with CVs
Once you have published your vacancy, you will undoubtedly receive a lot of applications and CVs. Taking the time to review these documents at this stage of the process will help you shortlist candidates and save time later.

Get multiple references
This is a simple tip: don’t just ask for one reference for applicants. If you can get two or three references, you can get different perspectives on the candidate, which means you can get a more complete and balanced picture of his strengths and weaknesses.

Do your online research
It’s not just about references. Almost every applicant for an open position has a LinkedIn profile that you can use to verify the work history, education and skills they have put on their CV. You can also find out what the candidate’s hobbies are on their social media pages.

Perfect your job interviews
Make sure you ask questions about a candidate’s experience and skills. Remember that open-ended questions and hypothetical questions are useful because you can analyse answers, gain insight into people’s personalities and assess many of their soft skills. However, try to ask the same questions of each candidate to help you assess each one.

Make the best offer
Once you have gone through all these steps, you are ready to make the best candidate an offer. You need to make sure your offer letter is professional, clear and concise – you want this part of the process to be straightforward. Make it friendly and personal too, so candidates know you’re excited about them joining the company.

Keep improving your process
The recruitment process is not static and is never perfect – and the best recruiters and HR people recognise these facts. Make time after each new hire to analyse the recruitment process so you can see what went well and what needs to be improved.

The recruitment process is undoubtedly complicated and time-consuming, but there are many smart ways to ensure that you are recruiting the right employees for your business. Start here, consider these tips, and you’ll never look back.