Finding qualified, highly motivated candidates - and spending as little money as possible on the recruitment process - is the dream scenario for any company looking to acquire new talent.

Sadly, ticking all of those boxes is far more difficult than you might think. Luckily, help is at hand - read on for recruitment advice from the experts here at HRS!

How to Fine-Tune Your Recruitment Process

To help you navigate the road to recruitment without any unnecessary detours, we've put together a list of helpful hints and tips to allow you to plan the best recruitment process for your company.

First, decide what you're looking for.

Knowing what you want is the key to achieving it, so it's important to have a good idea of what you're looking for before you get started.

Outside of the title you're recruiting for, think what the role and responsibilities will entail - your ideal candidate will need to have these in spades.

Next, think about what additional qualities you would like your new candidate to possess, along with any other ideal attributes.

The old adage of "if you don't ask, you don't get" rings true in recruitment, and a structured person spec with essentials and desirables will help you bag the perfect applicant.

Advertise your vacancy to the right audience.

There are a wide variety of avenues to go down when it comes to marketing your job vacancy, each with their own pros and cons, so it's worth considering which ways you want to explore.

Advertising your vacancy internally keeps costs down; however, it naturally excludes the world outside your office walls.

Meanwhile, some recruiters may favour sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, as their chosen method of job marketing. While this may seem logical in today's culture of social media, it doesn't always reach the chosen demo of those actively seeking employment.

Perhaps the best route is the most obvious: hitting the online job boards. Job sites are purpose-built to cater for job seekers and have a ready-made audience waiting for vacancies just like yours to crop up.

Similarly, if your job targets a specialism, you may want to approach an agency that caters specifically for that market of skilled professionals, much like HRS caters heavily to scientists and those within the industry of science.

Make the criteria for the role as clear as possible.

When it comes to sifting through the applications, a tall stack of CVs can be a daunting task that's just as time-consuming.

In order to streamline what could be a lengthy process, go back to your initial job ad and remind yourself exactly what and who you are looking for.

Breezing by the person spec to remind yourself will give you a clear idea of the skills and experience your ideal applicant should possess.

Keep your checklist of criteria fresh in mind when going through the CVs to help you efficiently whittle down the field and arrive at your final shortlist of candidates.

Do some preparation before each interview.

Just as you would expect a candidate to come to the interview fully-prepared, you too should take the very same approach.

An unprepared interview with very little direction achieves nothing for anyone and can create a bad first impression of your company to the interviewee. Have a solid idea of how you want the interview to progress with key questions and topics in mind.

Similarly, ensure all attendees are on the same page and clued up on what's what. Hauling an unprepped colleague into the meeting room last minute is a waste of everyone's time and can come back to haunt you.

Remember, the recruitment process works both ways. If the candidate doesn't feel your company is the right fit for them, they may not want to pursue the vacancy further even if they are offered the job.

How to Attract Talented Candidates >