3 Hiring Practices Every Growing Business Should Follow

There’s an inherent tension within hiring:

On one hand, the hiring process demands at least some standardization and automation. Open positions are, after all, a drain on company productivity, resources, and morale. Even more, hiring can be time-consuming. Time-saving efficiency should be incorporated when and where it makes sense via established systems for handling and optimizing workflows.

On the other hand, automation needs to be checked against effectiveness and quality. Finding the best candidate requires thoughtful preparation, candidate targeting, and interviewing – none of which lend themselves entirely to set-and-forget.

When myHR Partner develops hiring practices for clients, we’re realistic about these dueling realities – and have developed tactics for honoring them both. Our suggested best practices are below. These rules-of-thumb can elevate hiring best practices for small businesses and corporations alike. Companies looking to achieve smart and sustainable growth will find them especially valuable:

1. Craft Standout Job Postings That Attract Rit-Fit Talent

There’s a saying: Start the way you mean to finish. Want to attract and hire smart, standout talent? Start with smart, standout job postings.

This does not need to be complicated, nor is it out of reach for any professional organization. Often strong job postings (which are different than job descriptions – note the difference here) are simply a matter of developing an internal standard, then ensuring that the standard is met moving forward:

• Speak to your audience. Envision a perfect applicant. What qualifications and experience should they have under their belt? Write the job posting accordingly. With that said…
• Use unbiased language. From gender to socioeconomic status, don’t assume anything about your readers.
• Be clear. Use simple and straightforward language to outline the need and introduce your organization. An agreed-upon company boilerplate should be used to describe your business consistently across all job postings.
• Highlight benefits. Salary, health benefits, work-from-home policies, any other perks – these should all be included.
• Be transparent. Does the role demand something specific? Does it have drawbacks? Don’t hide these needs and realities, even if they might deter readers. On the other hand, don’t forget to include factors that might make this position more appealing, such as training provided by your company or access to company products, services, or other resources.
• Showcase and demonstrate culture. Show, don’t tell. In other words, explain your company’s culture in the job posting, yes, but more importantly, make sure the culture shines through. Everything from writing style to design should feel aligned with your workplace’s actual values and feel – a key to finding culturally aligned employees.
• Provide clear instructions. How can someone apply? Are next steps abundantly clear? Make the process as straightforward as possible.
• Use visuals. Aesthetically pleasing design and original photography (avoid stock images!) can make postings more appealing when a posting platform allows it. Format and design might need to be customized from one platform to the next – a great example of a task that can likely be automated.
• Use software or human support to ensure optimal syntax and zero mistakes. Remember, for most candidates, a job listing is the first impression of your business!

2. Develop a Smart, Streamlined Hiring Process

Job candidates don’t want to receive the same communication twice. They don’t want to be left hanging after an interview, wondering if or when they’ll hear from you, and how.

Hiring managers, meanwhile, don’t want to spend the lion’s share of their energy keeping tabs on every candidate in the pipeline. Yet they, of course, don’t want to drop the ball on key communication and details either.

The solution to all of the above? A hiring process housed within Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software that electronically tracks and organizes all facets of the hiring process, including applicant details, while nonetheless allowing for customization.

myHR Partner uses Applicant Tracking System software when hiring for clients who don’t have their own ATS, or who prefer ours over theirs. There are many benefits to using qualified software as it helps you stay abreast of evolving hiring-related norms. For example, many employers ponder when it’s acceptable to call a candidate versus communicating via email, text, or in person[1], and are unsure who should make contact at various points (the recruiter? the hiring manager?). Leading software systems can help you understand who does what, among other recommendations in step with best practices. Beyond a smoother process, an ATS (or just a clear-cut process) is key to representing your brand positively and helping your company reputation overall.

3. Conduct People-First Interviews

The Forbes 2024 survey revealed a shift from one-size-fits-all recruitment to a more personalized approach, and not a moment too soon. People-first hiring has always been closely intertwined with hiring success (and has always been myHR Partner’s approach), and nowhere is personalization more important than in job interviews.

We’ve said it before, but it begs repeating: The key to personalized interviewing is to avoid treating the interview process like…a process. No matter how much or how little time is allotted, the framework followed, and the number of candidates interviewed on any given day, get the most out of interviews by being open and flexible every time you sit down with a candidate. Without surrendering control of conversational ground you need to cover, look for opportunities to let dialogue go somewhere unexpected.

Keep in mind, though, that flexibility does not exempt interviews from efficiency and some standardization. Consider organizing interview questions into two categories: One set of questions posed to every candidate, and a second set specific to each candidate.

Does your business or nonprofit seek a more streamlined hiring process designed to improve talent acquisition – but doesn’t have the time or resources to take it on yourself? Consider outsourcing hiring services to myHR Partner. Our expert team has been providing full-service hiring services and helping businesses secure right-fit talent since 2002. Reach out today for a complimentary myHR Partner consultation to learn more.

1 https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/candidate-messaging-call-email-text