---

Many businesses struggle to develop a recruitment process that’s efficient. Some even have entire departments devoted to recruitment. That can really eat up your resources.

Many companies forget what the true purpose of a recruiting department is supposed to be. Recruitment should be about finding the best candidates in the shortest period of time at the lowest possible cost.

Instead, businesses put out lackluster ads full of boring details and hope they’ll somehow attract the right person.

Don’t go down that path. You’ll just end up shooting in the dark.

Average job descriptions will bring in average people. If you use the same recruitment strategy as everyone else, your position and company won’t stand out at all.

Strive to use a variety of interesting recruiting techniques instead.

It’s a good idea to advertise your position online. Use a good career site and creative ads.

The careers page on your own career website should also play a key role. So make sure it’s easy to find on your company’s homepage, aesthetically appealing, bug-free and straightforward to navigate.

It’s very important that your application forms are user-friendly. In fact, studies have shown that if your application form can be auto-filled (by using auto-complete fields on LinkedIn, for example), applicants are 75 percent more likely to complete the application.

Keep the process on your side efficient too. Call the top candidates within 24 hours of receiving their applications so they don’t get away. If they were hesitant about the job, they might not be as interested tomorrow.

Remember: the companies that win in recruitment are those that have the most creative and aggressive recruitment programs. Here’s a tip: treat your candidates like potential customers, not future subordinates.

Great recruiting is a process of buying and selling.

Some people get confused about where the recruitment process actually begins and ends. In fact, it starts the day you announce the vacancy, and continues until the final interview.

In the beginning of the recruitment process, the candidate is selling and the company is buying. The candidate has to earn the job by “selling” their skills and abilities. They have to prove they fit your profile.

Not everyone is actually a good fit, however. That’s why you, as the employer, have to “buy” the person too. So learn as much as you can about your candidates before you commit to buying them — just as you would with any other major purchase.

Once you’ve found the right person, the positions switch. You become the seller and they’re the buyer.

When you make someone an employment offer, you’re really trying to sell the idea that your company is the best place for them to work. If they have other opportunities, you’ll have to work harder to show yours is the best.

You could entice a strong candidate by offering them a mentor in the office, for instance. A mentor might be able to convince them that your company is good for their professional development.

Never sell your job on the money alone. Always make it about opportunity! Other companies can always pay more — that’s not what wins great candidates.

One important lesson the author learned in his 25 years of experience is that the best people rarely take jobs for the money. Instead, they take them because they want to fulfill their personal goals and ambitions.

So ask yourself, “Why would a high-performing person want this job?”