The Secret to Faster and Better Recruiting? Leverage the Team You Are Recruiting For

Including members of the team for which you are recruiting can significantly improve your identification and assessment processes. Team members will provide keen insight into the culture fit of your potential hires and may have a clearer understanding of the skills the team needs to achieve current and future goals. Here are three steps to get the best results from team recruitment:

Enlist the Team Members as Agents

In addition to understanding the skills and personalities the team is looking for, the team’s members can be effective recruiters. Great people know other great people, so they are all connected to a personal and social network of people who would make ideal candidates. They also live the company culture and can promote your employee brand to their referrals in a way that is more believable.

Invite Team to Candidate Interviews

Having team members participate in the interview phase of the hiring process can be the quickest way to narrow down your choices and identify the best candidate. Employees interviewing prospective hires lend first-hand insight on what specific skills to look for, and what experiences are most useful. Just as importantly, having the team participate in the interview means having general and immediate feedback on how well the candidate would function in your culture and environment.

Assign Employee Mentors

The first day on the job can stressful. It’s hard not knowing your way around, where to go with questions, or even where to eat lunch. Some companies have adopted a ‘Work Sponsor’ or ‘Buddy system’ program, where a more tenured employee mentors the new team member. In addition to helping the new hires find their bearings more easily (and more pleasantly), this also has the benefit of making current employees feel valued and trusted enough to mentor newcomers.

Team Recruitment’s Bonus Benefit:

In addition to helping ensure better hires, the innately inclusive practice of incorporating the team into your recruiting process can help in the retention of current team members. By making them active players in the growth of the team and even the company, they are likely to become more engaged from having their opinions and tenure valued and trusted.