Keeping Your Cool While Recruiting

We all know how stressful it can be applying for a new job, but employers can face just as much anxiety during a recruitment campaign. Not only do they take a huge amount of time, effort and money to organise, but choosing the wrong applicant can have a detrimental effect on a business.

With the pressure of getting it right the first time, knowing how to keep your stress levels to a minimum can help you maintain focus, make informed decisions, and ultimately select the best candidate for your company. Here are some of our top recruitment strategies for employers.

1. Create a Candidate Profile

You might know the role you’re recruiting for, but do you know what sort of person would fit the bill? Reviewing the job description and creating a candidate profile will help you compare applicants and ensure you ask the right questions during interviews. Make sure to consider any recent changes to your company structure and/or culture that might impact on the role and its requirements.

2. Define Your Goals

As with any business procedure, thorough planning is crucial for success. When it comes to hiring a new member of staff, it’s worth revising existing recruitment structures and updating them to suit your needs and company culture. Establishing your key goals early on can really help to create a more effective plan and to maintain your focus during what can be a long and stressful process.

3. Look After Your Wellbeing

The pressure of recruiting new employees and the length of time it can take to get it right can cause long periods of heightened stress, which can have a damaging effect on both your work and your wellbeing. Mental health charity Mind cite the ‘combination of high demands in a job and a low amount of control over the situation [during recruitment]’ as key factors of stress for employers.

It’s therefore really important to balance work with rest and to set realistic expectations for the outcome. No process is perfect, so plan ahead as much as possible but be prepared for flexibility and even failure – it’s all part of the journey. Remember, stress can be helpful too if used as a motivator.

4. Be Kind to Yourself and Others

As well as looking after your wellbeing, it’s also worth keeping in mind that recruitment can be an emotional process for everyone involved, including candidates and other members of staff. Be kind, welcoming and open during the process and you’ll find it a lot more comfortable and enjoyable for all. Share your concerns with colleagues to help prevent minor issues becoming major worries.

Start Recruiting the Easy Way

Whether you hire new staff on a regular basis or are doing so for the first time, our friendly and experienced team will help to make the process simple, successful and stress-free. Find out more online or get in touch with us: call on 0844 504 4666 or email info@key-appointments.co.uk