Blog

05/10/2023

By Chris Andrews – Managing Director

It’s no secret that exponential growth presents unique challenges in maintaining quality, including when it comes to hiring the right talent. For leaders, ensuring the quality of their hires is crucial to sustain success and preserve the organisation’s reputation.

When recruitment scales rapidly, the focus on speed and task orientation steers hiring managers towards making offers quickly and leaning their criteria towards functional skills. This isn’t always a bad thing, but can undermine growth if these are the only criteria, as they are geared towards solving a short-term problem. Leadership teams need to advise their hiring managers that hiring the right traits and drivers is as important to sustained growth as hiring the right functional skills – then train and support them to find those people.

To ensure high-quality hiring, implement rigorous and consistent screening and selection processes. Invest in comprehensive candidate assessments, behavioural interviews, and reference checks. Incorporate structured interview questions that evaluate both technical skills and cultural fit – this not only sets the bar at the right height but allows for a common internal language around expectations and a ‘short-hand’ for interviewing.

Hiring the right traits & drivers leads to goal alignment and greater collaboration between employees

Leadership teams also need to emphasize the importance of cultural fit during the hiring process. Clearly define your company’s story, Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and purpose, then assess applicants’ alignment with these aspects. Don’t hold back on the ugly parts either. Applicants appreciate authenticity and generally appreciate knowing where the challenges lie – as long as the upside is well pitched too.

However…

None of the above approaches work without a good clear flow of relevant applications for your roles, so you need to invest in robust talent acquisition strategies to build that pipeline. This means building a strong employer brand that highlights your EVP, opportunities for growth, and purpose. From a sourcing perspective, leverage multiple sourcing channels, such as job boards, social media platforms, and employee referrals, to access diverse talent pools. By employing a strategic and proactive approach to talent acquisition, you increase your chances of securing top-quality hires.

Regular monitoring and evaluation of hiring success is crucial in maintaining quality. Establish key metrics to measure the effectiveness of your hiring process, such as retention rates, performance evaluations, and feedback from hiring managers. Analyse this data to identify areas for improvement and address any potential issues, as by continuously assessing your hiring outcomes, you can refine your strategies and ensure that quality remains a top priority!

Comprehensive candidate assessments improve quality and retention

Maintaining high-quality hires during periods of exponential growth requires strategic focus and commitment. There is no one-size-fits-all all approach, but it can be split into a number of areas that can be reviewed separately and then connected.

Our ecosystem of services enables us to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses across all stages of the talent funnel; Plan, Map, Brand, Search, Sell, Filter. Our experts provide tailored support across recruitment delivery, process optimisation and employer branding. Contact us for more information.