Tips for Selecting the Right Candidate

It is well known that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Admittedly, the expression has a certain triviality that does not suit the field of human resources. But it has the merit of emphasizing one point: you have to create desire. Recruiting means “attracting”, seducing. For a company, being attractive means presenting itself from its best angles. Namely: what makes the company unique, attractive? What is it that makes people want to work there, to invest their passion and energy? On this point, the Career page of the company’s website can play a determining role. The ad, with a specific contact, and the company’s website can jointly convey many messages. Starting with the company’s key values and human and, why not, cultural and economic commitments. Mentioning the conditions, benefits or quality of the work environment will also help. Who would want to evolve in a negative environment?

Another point about attractiveness is that potential candidates must be addressed in the best possible way. Of course, the context, the field of activity and the position offered (and therefore the salary, which remains at the discretion of the employer) influence the information delivered and the form adopted. However, common rules provide the basis for optimal communication of the offer—because a recruitment campaign functions first and foremost as a communication campaign, yes! When you want to hire someone, the first question to ask yourself is: “Who is my target audience?” or, better yet, “who would be my ideal candidate?” Knowing who you are “talking to” allows you to define all the professional and human qualities required. These qualities can then be detailed in the job description, while being carefully aligned with the responsibilities offered.

If you are looking for a very experienced profile, you will not forget the prerequisites. If you want “new blood” fresh out of school or university, the prerequisites will disappear in favor of, for example, a “young”, playful, dynamic tone, and a vision of the future to be discovered and to grow together. Recruitment responds to a need, but first of all, to an objective: what do you want to achieve with this position? What impact, what growth vector can this position represent? What do you want candidates to remember about the tasks to be performed? Is this a position with the possibility of growth? Answering all of these questions will help you write and communicate the job offer wisely (newspapers, job boards, professional social networks, etc.).

The second part of a recruitment process is not easy. First of all, the processing of resumes can also be time consuming. Figures mentioned in one of our previous articles speak for themselves: in the United States, 95% of large companies and 50% of SMBs use automated recruitment software to assist them in the first selection stage.[1] In other words, the benefits of an ATS solution should not be overlooked.

Then, a company that wants to analyze the resumes in an optimal way must establish an evaluation grid. The most interesting aspects to look for? First of all, a summary of the candidate’s career. Then, the last two positions held, the periods of inactivity if any, the key words regarding the tasks performed so far (which must coincide with those proposed by the position), the quality of the language of course (grammar and spelling remain infallible criteria) and the length of the CV (more than 3 pages complicate things). To this can be added professional stability, or the progression of responsibilities. After studying the resumes, rankings are possible between candidates who perfectly match the job profile and those who remain interesting but for whom questions arise.