The new year is just around the corner, and you've no doubt got a hazy list of personal resolutions floating around in your mind. But what about your professional life? Doesn't the office version of you deserve the same care and attention as the home version?
As a hiring manager, you've got a lot on your plate. Yet you may not be aware of the steps you can take to make the next year run smoothly. Below are five New Year's resolutions that will save you time, lessen your stress and improve your job performance in 2019:
How many hours did you spend reading applications from unqualified applicants this year? How much of your day was lost trying to coordinate background checks? And - be honest - did you devote enough time to reviewing state and federal hiring law updates?
Busywork is part of any job, but hiring managers seem to have more than most professionals. Luckily, the industry is finally catching up and creating tools that make you more efficient and keep your time wasted to a bare minimum.
For starters, there are numerous third-party services to handle a lot of the backend for you, allowing you to focus on the important parts: interviewing and hiring the right candidates. That said, not all partners are created equal. You want one that offers multiple solutions - for example, background checks, applicant tracking system integrations and risk mitigation. You also want a company that is accredited by an industry board or reviewer.
Hiring has picked up, but the talent shortage still presents a problem for hiring managers. According to the staffing firm Manpower Group, 46 percent of employers have trouble filling open positions. Why?
This means the few applicants who are qualified and have a good mix of hard and soft skills are in high demand, putting pressure on your company to hire them before others do. To beat out the competition, you must make sure your candidates are engaged throughout the hiring process - including the background check. You can increase engagement during this late-stage part of the process by:
While engaging candidates during the background check is the final step to securing the hire, you have to ensure everything leading to that point runs smoothly, too. You can do so by staying abreast of trends and new technology in the industry, ensuring you have the latest and most compelling hiring strategy to find, attract and acquire great employees. To help you head into 2019 with the right focus, here are a few hiring trends to expect in the upcoming year.
The political landscape is constantly shifting, meaning it's even more important for you to stay aware of applicable hiring laws. This means knowing what's going on at both the state and local levels.
Unfortunately, these laws are hard to keep up with, especially now when it seems like rules and regulations are being challenged, updated or rolled back at every turn.
In this case, it helps to make sure your HR partnerships are with organizations that prioritize your legal compliance. Specifically, you want a company that monitors legal shifts in every state and can give you compliance guidance when you need it. If the company sends out adverse action letters on your behalf, all the better!
A high turnover rate doesn't just affect other departments; it takes a toll on you as well, forcing you to fill an even greater number of open positions. As such, your hiring strategy should also focus on reducing churn with the following tips:
No matter what your company's employment plans are for 2019, you need to enter the year with the right mindset to do your job efficiently and meet your goals. These five resolutions will keep you focused for next January and beyond.