Recruiting new talent is an inevitable and critical part of being a business leader, and even more complicated than just reviewing resumes and conducting interviews of various candidates.

Experts say that there are many recruiting mistakes that can deter a qualified candidate from seeking employment with a certain company, owing to the poorly crafted job descriptions to lack of communication about applications.

However, according to workable.com refined recruitment processes are efficient, productive and pleasant for both candidates and hiring teams.

Here are a few ways to improve your recruiting process:

Only include ‘must haves’ in your job description

Including unnecessary details such as certifications you’re willing to train for or secondary responsibilities will drastically narrow your talent pool. As a result, this might prolong your candidate search, costing you additional time and resources. Not only that, but with a narrow talent pool, you will struggle to hire a diverse and inclusive team that reflects your community and the customers you serve. Tighten up your job descriptions to increase the breadth and quality of applicants.

Prioritise candidate communication

Leaving interested prospects hanging will turn them off your company and toward another. Keep in contact with applicants throughout the entire process, even if it’s just to check in and say, "Hey, no news yet!” Elite candidates are likely fielding multiple offers or are at least on the radar of other organisations. If they haven’t heard from you in a while or don’t have an idea of when they can expect to hear from you, they’re not going to wait around. Stay top of mind with candidates — and at the top of their inbox — to keep them as a viable option and refrain from having to restart your search.

Lean on your current employees

When it comes to filling open roles, turn to your existing team members to boost your recruitment efforts without racking up costs. Use some tactics to engage your current workforce in your recruitment strategy.

Create a referral program

Implement an employee referral program to encourage candidate recommendations and get creative with the incentives you offer your employees. Monetary rewards are common, but your team may be more enticed by experiences, like a weekend getaway with a plus one. 

Set guidelines for when and how rewards are distributed. Waiting several months after the hire date to reward an employee for their referral is standard and ensures employees are only compensated for solid recommendations and quality hires. 

Build out your talent pipeline

Continually sourcing candidates for roles before they become vacant will greatly reduce your time-to-hire. Building your talent pipeline, especially for roles with historically high turnover will enable you to engage prospective candidates early. 

Join an online professional community to connect with passive candidates. Passive job seekers are crucial to improving your recruitment process, especially in today’s candidate-driven market. The candidate journey is typically segmented into a six-stage process and submitting an application doesn’t occur until the fourth stage. 

What’s more, in the digital age, candidates are likely to make several stops along the way before deciding to apply to a job — at company websites, career pages, social media profiles and anonymous employee review sites. As the HR and recruitment team, be patient and start the search early by connecting with passive candidates now.