Looking for the right employee?

When your company has a position to fill, you want to be sure that you find the candidate most suited for the job, the one whose skills and knowledge will help your company grow. Service Canada estimates that hiring the wrong employee can cost companies thousands in direct costs and lost revenue.

While the interview may seem like the definitive moment for choosing the right applicant, the fact is that making the right choice begins long before the interview. Your success at recruiting depends on how well you prepare your job ad, choose the right tool to publicize it, and screen those who apply. That way, when you get to the interview, you are meeting only the most promising candidates.

Prepare a job ad that works
You want to be sure that all the candidates truly understand the position. The more clearly you describe the tasks, working conditions and advantages, the less time you will waste examining and rejecting unsuitable applications. 

An effective ad should include:

1. Position title: Make sure it can be understood by everyone in your industry; avoid using a title that is unique to your own company.
2. Information about your company: Include a few lines to tell the reader why yours is a good company to work for (values, mission, or recent awards).
3. Job description: Summarize the most important tasks that must be successfully carried out. Highlight what makes the position unique and exciting, and tell candidates what contribution they will be making.
4. Qualifications: Before you write this section, ask yourself and other key people in your company, "Who would be the ideal person for this post?" List the most important attributes and qualifications, in order of priority.
5. How to apply: Clearly state what items you want to receive (ex. resume, references, other relevant documents), whether you want them to apply in person, or by mail, fax or email. If you don't want phone calls, state, "No phone calls please." Give a deadline date and time.
6. Work benefits and conditions: Vacation, travel and perks, scheduling, working from home, etc.

Find the right recruitment tool
Once you've written your ad, you need to find the right place to publish it. The approach that is best for you will depend on your company's resources and budget and on the type of candidate you are trying to find. And remember that using more than one tool increases your exposure.

It is important to keep track of the results. (This can be as simple as asking people how they heard about your company.) In time, this will help you determine which recruitment tools work best for your company.

Word of mouth, or simply telling your employees, friends and colleagues about a vacancy, is a less expensive strategy but generates fewer applicants. The advantage is that you already know something about your recruiters and their skills, knowledge and achievements. Some companies offer their employees a finder's fee (which is still less than the cost of an outside agency) if they recruit someone.

Advertising can be effective if you choose a publication that targets the type of candidate you want. If you are searching for someone with very specialized skills, or if you don't expect to be able to fill the position within your community, then you may wish to run an ad in a national or international newspaper. Advertising in industry publications or in the newsletters of professional groups can also be an excellent strategy. Make sure to factor in the time it takes to go through a large number of resumes.

Employment agencies cost more but generally provide a good range of candidates. They can save you a lot of time by handling the advertising, screening and reference checks, and sending you only the applications that meet your requirements. They can even handle the interviewing. Some also maintain databases of resumes for referral in specialized areas. Remember that certain recruitment agencies specialize in specific sectors, and that the largest agencies don't necessarily offer the best choice of candidates.

Online recruiting can give you inexpensive, worldwide access to employees. But, given that it reaches only people who have computer access and are computer literate, Web recruiting is most effective for certain types of occupations. And it can mean having to sort through an enormous number of submissions.

The following are the main approaches to Web recruiting:

General job sites are aimed at a broad audience with a wide range of skills. For a detailed list visit Service Canada's Job Bank site. The cost of using these sites varies, as do the tools they offer to help users manage the selection process.

Niche sites target specific industries (ex. marketing or chemical engineering) or locations, and can be especially helpful. University and college employment sites are a worthwhile option, offering access to educated workers beginning their careers, and to seasonal workers.

Email lists and newsgroups allow you to reach very specialized groups of workers to let them know about your openings. 

Resume services can save you time by allowing you to access a pre-existing bank of resumes. Some will sort resumes by job type. Some also offer a range of recruiting services, including screening applicants and putting you in contact with only those who meet your requirements. The disadvantage is that some services don't update their databases, meaning that you also have to screen out the resumes of people who are no longer job-seekers. The federal government has a job bank where you can post your openings across Canada. The provinces also have their own versions, such as Emploi-Québec, Advantage Alberta and NB Jobs.

Your website can act as an ongoing recruitment tool if your site already has a certain amount of traffic. Create an "Opportunities" or "Careers" section or post vacancies on your home page. This approach also allows interested parties to find out more about your company before they apply.

Screen the applicants
Even when you need to hire urgently, it is important to take the time to screen candidates. The more carefully you do this step, the less likely you are to make a hiring mistake. There are several ways in which you can do the screening:

E-mailing or telephoning people to ask for more information can help you decide if you really want to interview them.

Diagnostic testing as part of the selection process can help you find the applicants whose skills, talents or values most closely match your ideal. Testing can assess cognitive skills, emotional intelligence, character, work preferences, etc. The tests should be administered and interpreted by external or in-house certified specialists, and can be purchased from specialized companies (which can also provide online tests). Service Canada offers an informative look at diagnostic testing, including suggestions on where to purchase the tests.

Checking references is essential. Verify that the information given in the resume (employment dates, positions and responsibilities) are accurate. When you speak to an applicant's ex-employer, give less weight to positive comments (which are standard in that situation), but be on the lookout for evasive answers and for neutral or negative comments.

A criminal-record check is usually performed only after you offer someone a position, and only if the type of employment requires it (ex. financial or caregiver positions).

Interview only the best
After you have very carefully pre-qualified the candidates, you are finally ready to interview the most promising ones. This is your opportunity to confirm their qualifications, determine if they are really interested in the job, and if they fit in with your company culture.

For more information on interviewing, see BDC's article on interviewing or visit Service Canada's Guide to Hiring Employees, which provides an overview of the recruiting and interviewing process.