Hiring the best candidates from a huge pool of talent can be tricky at the best of times. There are so many talented individuals out there, so how do you narrow it down? The best candidate should have the right skills; a good attitude; and must be someone who is a great fit for your company culture.

But how do you find the perfect person? The key to Finding your ideal candidate starts with perfecting the job advert and filters through your entire recruitment process. This is why your hiring strategy needs to be as efficient and effective as possible. Below, we outline the four simple steps to find the most talented recruits for your company.

1. Invest time in perfecting your job adverts

Getting your job adverts right is key to attracting the most talented and relevant applicants. This way, you’re not wasting anyone’s time, and unqualified candidates aren’t wasting yours.

Firstly, ensure you’re advertising an appealing job title. This needs to be clear, truthful and accurately sum up what the job actually is.

For example, you shouldn’t advertise a job as ‘Junior Editor/Office Worker’ as this description is vague and mismatched. Try and stick to a clear title. In this example it should be one or the other, not both.

Next, you need to give a short introduction to your company. In order to attract the best candidates, it’s important that your organisation comes across as an exciting place to work.

You should include what makes your business different, and why it’s a great place to work. this makes hiring the best candidates a lot easier, as they are interested in the company – not just the job.

In fact, Just over one in ten applicants (12.6%) admitted that they would turn down a job that didn’t offer any perks. To avoid this, include the perks you do offer clearly in the job description.

This could be anything from excellent career progression to huge staff discounts.

Afterwards, use a few bullet points to clearly explain the duties included in the role. For example:

‘This role will involve assisting us with the day-to-day running of our business, including:

• Filing important company documents
• Drafting emails to internal members of staff and clients
• Answer the phone

Remember, be truthful about the daily responsibilities of the job. This will ensure you attract a candidate with the correct skills; and that there are no surprises when your recruit joins the business.

Finally, a list of skills and qualifications should be included in the job advert. It’s best to distinguish between essential and desirable qualities. This will reduce the risk of underqualified applicants flooding your inbox.

2. Make sure you’re advertising on the best platform

You need to ensure you’re looking for candidates in the right places. Job boards, social media and other online platforms tend to be favoured by today’s workforce; but it’s about choosing what works best for your business.

Using job boards, like CV-Library, has many benefits and can provide you with access to a huge talent pool. This enables you to fill positions quickly and is a cost-effective way to recruit.

Using these tools will also give you more flexibility to search for job hunters; filter candidates according to who would be most suitable for the role; and also reach other job posting sites through partner networks.

Ultimately, this could prove to be extremely helpful for hiring the best candidates.

3. Ensure you have an effective interview process

When it comes to making the best hire, a key factor is having an effective interview process. During the interview it’s important to ask the hard-hitting questions and avoid the fluffy ones.

This is the best way to get to know a candidate; and doesn’t waste anyone’s time.

That said, don’t forget the formalities at the beginning of the interview. These put the candidate at ease and give a good impression of your company.

It’s essential to remember that just because a person interviews well, it doesn’t mean they are right for the job. When hiring the best candidates, you must be certain they’re suitable for the role; and aren’t just the best interview performer.

For this reason, it’s important that you take everything into consideration carefully; but don’t leave them waiting too long for an answer!

Evidence from a previous survey found that 48.8% of candidates hate a long application process, so they might begin looking for a better opportunity elsewhere.

4. Offer the right package

Including a clear salary on your job advert will give you a great advantage. It means you won’t get candidates applying to your role with unrealistic salary expectations.

That said, you should ensure that you’re still proposing a fair and competitive wage.

As mentioned above, offering desirable job perks can help your company stand out; so, be sure to include these in detail.

Workplace perks could come in the form of complimentary staff events, discounts and freebies. They can be a huge deal-breaker when it comes to securing the best candidate.

After all, if you were choosing between a job that offered fantastic benefits and one that didn’t, which offer would you choose?

Having good employee benefits creates a desirable working environment and can make employees feel more valued. What’s more, this will translate into improved productivity, an increase in output and a more successful business.

Top advice for hiring the best candidates

On the whole, using these four simple steps in your recruitment strategy can help you perfect your hiring process. This will enable you to find the ideal candidate, while also saving time and money.

Remember, the hiring process is a learning curve, and every company will make mistakes. However, you can use these errors as an opportunity to perfect your recruitment process; and consistently hire the best candidates.