You’re a recruiter with a job opening. How do you find the best candidate for the role?

Recruiting is subjective in so many ways... "The Best Candidate" is not usually the one we think it is, and if we present talent as being the best, we often find that the hiring manager has a different opinion. I have found that a better way of finding the best candidate is to source talent from professional sites, professional connections, referrals, past talent pools, and direct sourcing, and repeat until you fill the role. Partner closely with the hiring manager along the way. Adjust your search, stay the course, build relationships, and know that not all searches take the same amount of effort, time, or talent. Key skillset for success; maintain a sense of urgency.

This all + the compensation / budget range & the location of the role. Being transparent on the frontend will alleviate many surprises on the backend - having this data confirmed will help the strategy starting out. If people require relocation, that might affect who you reach out to / who reaches out to you. Once you do have a candidate in the mix, making sure that Compensation is aligned in the first call can help save both the Candidate & the interview team a lot of time; forcing Compensation to be handled at the end without any conversation is not something I would recommend. Plus, it helps you build valuable trust through being transparent. Any specific notes you can share outside of the JD are also extremely valuable.

Understanding the job role along with a persona. Why business needs a particular role and how it would impact both sides,business as well as an individual’s growth applying for a position. Collaborating with HM to understand what are must have and good to have skills and understand the market availability which is really crucial step as you can always bring the market to business but can’t create a market. Having a source mix helps you to have good slate of candidates coming from diverse backgrounds. Lastly in my experience every job opening needs a tailored strategy.

Find out what they know. ... Ask the right questions. ... Learn about their accomplishments. ... Look for growth potential. ... Pay attention to body language. ... Evaluate the bigger picture. ... Forecast culture fit. ... Assess their enthusiasm.

Don't be afraid to push back on the minimum qualifications for the role. We're working within a talent scarcity economy and traditional position descriptions that include arbitrary barriers to entry like years of experience or inflated degrees are preventing highly skilled applicants from getting a look.

While nextgen talent is terrific, as a recruiter, I recognize that “military veterans”bring a wealth of skills and experience to the table. Their time in service hones qualities like leadership, discipline, and adaptability, making them ideal candidates for various roles. However, veterans are often overlooked during recruitment processes. It's crucial for companies to actively seek out and appreciate this talent pool, leveraging their unique abilities to enhance their workforce and contribute to organizational success.

As an agency recruiter who specializes in a 'niche' industry, my focus has been to source, and authentically connect with, the best talent across our industry supply chain. This has allowed me to build a network of over 11,000+ global specialists and means I always have a strong pipeline of candidates ready to go when I get a new job, or scale up project, from a client. As a recruiter, you should be focused on building your own network of talented humans as you go. And this means truly caring, and being a part of, the network you are seeking people from.

For entry level profiles, campus hiring is the best way to get candidates. For mid to senior level profiles, a combination of portals, networking (offline & online), referrals & vacancy posting (offline & online) helps. The most reliable source is referrals (employees or network) for getting candidates who excel in their function & can be a good fit to the company culture.

Depends of the level of each profile of position you will work. The requirements, the must have... You can source in your ATS if you have one, using bolean seach if you will try to find instead only screening the appliants. Use portals of Job Talking with your network Picking up some referrals. You have many strategies. Depends of the urgency and the requirement of the positions. For example, if is more operational you can post in different portals of jobs that are related to operational post, here in Brazil you can share in Whatsapp groups, It helps a lot... you spread quickly the position, the bad side is that you will receive appliants months later after you close the position.

Make a list of the must have for the position and source the candidates. You can have many options beside the jobpost, using ATS, network, Jobboards pools. Apply the keywords, filter and source the talents.

As part of my job kickoff process with the hiring manager, I request 3-5 job specific questions I can ask the candidate during my recruiter screens which help pre-qualify the people I'm talking to, to ensure I'm finding the best candidate for the role.

Screening the candidate is one of the most important steps during the hiring process. I carefully look at the resume to find the best fit for the job. This means I read resumes closely, check if they have the right skills and experience, and see if they would fit in well with the company. I also prefer to talk with the candidates to learn more about them and make sure they're a great match for the job. I prioritize clear communication skills, alignment with company culture, and a demonstrated ability to excel in the specific responsibilities outlined for the position

Stop. Look. Listen. Candidate selection happens through voice to voice or video to video conversation. Person to person / human to human - a value that is unlikely to be replaced by AI.

Moving to the next stage: Screening. I find these three questions incredibly effective: 1. What are your career goals? ↳ This helps in understanding whether you can meet the candidate's aspirations. 2. What are your professional strengths? What tasks do you enjoy? ↳ These questions uncover if the candidate is truly a good fit for the role. You'll get insights into their focus and interests, seeing what they are eager to discuss first. 3. What are your professional weaknesses or areas of disinterest? ↳ If they dislike or struggle with tasks that are central to the role, it's a clear indicator they might not be the right match. Ask these three questions and you're much closer to understanding whether a candidate can be a right fit.

Some others ways to assess a candidate's suitability include: 1. Social Media Checks: A quick look at a candidate's public social media profiles can offer insights into their personality, interests, and professional network. This can be particularly useful for roles that require strong communication skills or a specific cultural fit. 2. Behavioral Assessments: These assessments can help gauge a candidate's personality traits, work style, and how they might fit into your team. They can be particularly useful for understanding how a candidate might react in different workplace scenarios. 3. Video Interviews: This is very useful in the current remote working environment. Video interviews help to assess the candidate's communication skills.

Similar to the response about valuing skills over credentials, make sure your interview and evaluation process supports this same ideal. However, it's not all about skills. I'd submit that there are 3 main tenets of assessment - skills, values, and behavioral. I strive to create frameworks that support the evaluation all of these things. Ultimately, living by the north star of "hiring technically competent, critical thinkers who are aligned to the company's mission, vision, and values". Easy to say, hard to execute against without intentionality and practice.

It's extremely easy to be transactional when interviewing potential candidates. This is the biggest struggle I find with newer recruiters. The personality of everyone you speak with is a significant reason why candidates are hired and you can't get a feel for this without having conversations outside of the scope of the role itself!

I always find it good to ask the general/job specific questions to start with, then as the candidate starts relaxing throughout to introduce the competency/behavioural questions and ensure the STAR method is used. Having managers that understand the STAR method is so important, so they understand when and where they need to ask probing questions to get the best out of the candidate and their answer.

When interviewing candidates, it's important to ensure that the process is not only effective but also equitable and fair. This means providing each candidate with an equal opportunity to showcase their skills and experience and treating them respectfully and professionally throughout the process. It's also important to create an environment where candidates feel comfortable and at ease so that they can perform at their best. By conducting interviews fairly and equitably, you can not only find the right fit for the job but also build a positive reputation for your organization and attract top talent in the future.

The interview process is two-fold. Firstly, delving into a candidate's motivation for seeking new opportunities reveals their commitment. Secondly, assessing behavioral competencies is crucial for determining cultural fit and job compatibility. If a candidate exhibits uncertainty, particularly about changing jobs, I invest additional time in discussions, providing guidance and aligning their aspirations with our opportunities. This personalized approach ensures we not only evaluate skills but also support candidates in making informed career decisions.

To hire the best candidate, trust your instincts. When you find someone who fits the role, has the right skills, and shares the company values, trust your gut and make the decision.

Develop and understanding of the role, create a comprehensive competitor list, develop keywords to target your talent, reach out (phone, email, inmail etc.), ask for referrals, screen/interview candidates, and that should land you the best and brightest talent.

By carefully evaluating their qualifications, skills, experience, and fit, you can help them achieve their dreams and find fulfillment in their career. So take the time to make an informed hiring decision, and trust that your choice will have a positive impact not only on your organization, but on the individual you choose to bring on board.

When aiming to hire the best candidate, it's crucial to dig deeper beyond the resume. Look for the spark - that intangible quality that aligns with your company's culture and values. Consider how their strengths complement your team's dynamics and how their weaknesses can be supported through mentorship and growth opportunities. Remember, it's not just about ticking off qualifications; it's about envisioning how this candidate will evolve within your organization. Prioritize transparency throughout the process, conveying your expectations clearly while being receptive to their career aspirations. Craft an offer that reflects both their worth and your company's commitment to fostering talent.

Offer Competitive Compensation: Ensure that the compensation package is competitive in the market. Be open to negotiation and consider additional benefits that can make your offer more attractive. Follow Up with Candidates: Keep in touch with candidates throughout the process, providing feedback and updates. This helps build a positive employer brand and leaves a lasting impression on candidates, even if they are not selected.

It is just as important to make sure you update candidates throughout the process and those that have been unsuccessful. Someone who wasn't quite the right fit for this position could be perfect for something in the future, so it is important to make sure they are left with a positive impression of the company.

I would use this article to better delineate between a screen and an interview. Frequently, I find these two are interchangeable. When I am sourcing a candidate I am essentially evaluating them to see if they are worth a prescreen call, which to me is synonymous with an interview. If they pass that initial recruiter screen / interview then they move on to the hiring team’s funnel accordingly. Even in reviewing these answers, it seems that some people are taking the term “screen” to mean a “preemptive interview” or “meet & greet”, while others are using it to explain the gap after creating a pool of candidates and evaluating their submitted documents before a screening call of some kind (digital, phone or face to face.)

Sometime to find the right & best candidate at same time can be tricky. You have to tick all the boxes. Well, but if you really want to make this happen , follow below guidelines : 1. Open communication: Keep the JD and business expectation very clear with the candidate since the start. Do not hide anything. This help to build trust and org credibility. 2. Dont Judge book by its cover: In India I have come across recruiters where we just look at resume and screen most of the time. Take time to read resume , highlight pros and cons and then speak with candidate. This helps in better conversion ratio. 3. Ensure candidate must be aware where he is getting into. Talk about company overview.

Be clear on what you're offering to prospective applicants and networked individuals. This goes way beyond the job description. Do you understand the company's history, business model, cultural dynamics, current OKRs for the fiscal year, etc.? Do you know the legacy of this position, is a first-hire, or a new hire for a new initiative, what are the competencies that are must-haves versus willing-to-develop, what the technical requirements (knowledge, tools, frameworks and skills), how is success defined in the first 3-6 months, etc.? What is the "average" day's time spent in this role, what is the unique value proposition for someone taking this role versus the one a competitor offers down the street, etc.?

Understanding why the role is open, the culture of the company, personality of the hiring manager, and opportunity for professional growth is often overlooked. It's helpful to ask the hiring manager 'what's exciting about this role' and 'what would you like candidates to know about this opportunity they won't find in the job description?'