Many recruitment agents know the dreadful drag of cookie-cutter, vague and boring responses to their job advertisements, and frequently lament the lack of standout CVs. At Tower Group, however, we say: “Boring questions bring boring answers”! That means we see how bold and unusual recruitment methods are changing the game for recruitment agencies worldwide and want to share some great examples. Demonstrating that you are not the kind of company who wants to attach a ball and chain of ‘normalcy’ to its employees is a great attraction for undecided and reluctant candidates.
Hypothetical Questions
Spearheaded by Google in recent years, using a series of hypothetical scenarios to gauge a candidate’s competence is a sure-fire way to pick the best and most capable individuals. Come up with some hypothetical questions to have your candidates answer, following the basic model of “Tell me about a problem you faced at work and how you solved it” and “What would you do if x happened?”. Tailor these questions to real life scenarios an employee in your field will likely encounter. This technique shows the candidates’ thinking abilities, not whether they can recite their expected duties.
Proven Teamwork with Group Challenges
Test out whether candidates are really team players by involving them in group challenges directly related to the position they are applying for. This will assist you in spotting natural leaders and assessing the communicative abilities of the candidates.
Social Media Savvy Recruitment
The social media sites of recruitment agencies should not be flat, lifeless streams of job advertisements. Social media can be maximised by incorporating unique content that shows off company culture and invites followers to engage directly with the company. Shareable content like informative videos, infographics and industry tips and tricks are great for getting your name out there, and attracting a greater database of candidates.
Furthermore, having direct access to candidate profiles allows bad eggs to be weeded out by casually ‘stalking’ and keeping an eye out for red flags like drunken status updates and politically incorrect remarks.
Pro tip: Optimise your site for mobile. Mobile internet use is fast surpassing desktop use, so it follows that recruiters and job seekers alike will be turning to their mobile phones for their next career adventure.
Self-Selection of Dedicated Job Seekers
A great way to identify truly interested candidates with some conviction is to invite a series of shortlisted candidates to an open group event or an open house of sorts. A startup company called I Love Rewards Inc. described in a Wall Street Journal article how out of the 1,200 applicants they invited to their open event, only 400 turned up. The CEO termed this ‘self-selection’, as approximately 800 people quickly counted themselves out of the race.
Tower Group value innovative and creative recruitment solutions to source the best possible candidates for our clients. To fulfil all your recruitment, response handling, verification, and payroll needs, contact us today!
