Your company is only as exceptional as your employees! It may seem like everyone is looking for employment these days. But this doesn’t necessarily translate to having a great pool of applicants ready to fill any job opening you might have. You will have to wade through bad or mediocre applications to get a few decent ones shortlisted.

One study found that it can take as long as 49 days from the time of application to get an employee on board. It can take less time for specific industries, but the bottom line is hiring can be a tedious process.

Find out how to hire the best employees for the job in record time with these six practical tips.

Know What You’re Looking For

Writing the job description and the ad is one of the most crucial parts of the hiring process. But somehow, not much time usually gets spent on this, especially when there is an urgent need for new human resources. Don’t write a quick, generic job ad just so you can start getting applicants right away. Instead, take time to decide precisely what you want for the position.

Be specific with the skills and experience the job requires. Describe the attitude you would like to have in a team member. It’s in your best interest to be as transparent as possible with the tasks the job entails. This will ensure that you and your applicants are on the same wavelength about what to expect.

Lastly, emphasize all the perks and benefits offered by the company on top of compensation. This will entice talented professionals to apply for the job right away.

Require Background Checks

If you think you have found the perfect candidate at last, it’s still best not to take any chances. Make criminal record checks a requirement for any job opening you have and avoid any issues down the line.

Thanks to technology, it’s never been easier for applicants to generate online criminal record checks and instantly submit them to potential employers. They no longer have to go to a physical location, fill out paperwork, and wait a few days. Services like these also keep everyone safe from potential exposure to COVID-19. Third-party background checkers also work for companies that want to check candidates’ backgrounds with their consent.

This way, promising candidates won’t miss out on great but urgent openings, and companies can also be assured they’re hiring someone trustworthy and upstanding.

Be Proactive with Your Search

In a perfect world, the best candidate for the job will find your ad, walk into the company building, and ace the interview. But in reality, the pool of applicants you will get may not always be what you’re looking for. This can be a sign for you to take control of the situation and be the one to reach out to promising job hunters instead.

Thanks to sites like LinkedIn and Indeed, job seekers can now publish their resumes online and have potential employers contact them first. Plus, there are options for employers to filter candidates based on their company’s needs or preferences.

Set Up a Referral System

This move will hit two birds with one stone. Being compensated for successful referrals can boost motivation and satisfaction among employees. They will also be encouraged to find quality candidates for job openings, which will ensure a better pool for you to choose from.

Existing employees are already familiar with the work culture and what the company is looking for. In a way, there is also some initial screening happening before they decide to refer someone. There’s also an unspoken expectation for the employee to refer a good candidate. This is because it may not reflect well on them if they recommend people who don’t meet the qualifications. It’s a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Use an Outline, Not a Script

When you’ve narrowed down several good candidates, prepare an outline before interviewing them. It can have bullet points of what you want to know about the applicant by the end of the interview. For instance, check for their attitude toward high-pressure work or their capacity to be a team player.

Try not to create a word-for-word script or list of questions. They tend to make you too rigid. You may end up asking only the questions you have written, even if they are not what you need to know from the applicant. Be more flexible and adjust the questions and flow of the interview based on the situation.

Another helpful but unusual practice you can adopt is to give interviewees an idea of topics you want to discuss in advance. If they feel ready and less anxious, the interview can be more productive for both sides.

Don’t Decide Alone

Whether you’re still sifting through resumes, interviewing applicants, or selecting who to offer the job to, you can always benefit from brainstorming. Try not to be the only person in the hiring process. Have someone from HR or a trusted colleague join you during the interviews. They can provide some much-needed perspective for things you are unsure about.

If you prefer to do those alone, discuss your options with the rest of the team afterward. They’ll be able to provide fresh insights you may not have taken into account for each candidate.

These six methods can ensure that your company gets the best talent for the job. But your intuition can also go a long way when hiring people. Get to know your applicants in a more relaxed, friendly setting if you can. Resumes don’t always show you the whole picture. A good attitude and mindset can be better than years of experience in many cases.

Think of hiring as both science and art. You can establish procedures and steps, but it’s also essential to bring interpersonal skills and empathy to the table to get the best results.