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Recruiting top talent is essential for organizations looking to thrive and innovate. However, the recruitment process is not just about finding the right candidates; it's also about setting them up for success from the very beginning. To ensure that your newly recruited talent not only joins your team but also excels in their roles, it's essential to implement effective strategies and practices.

In this article, members of Duffy Group discuss practical strategies for creating a positive candidate experience, from crafting compelling job descriptions to conducting effective interviews and providing meaningful feedback. Read on to discover the best practices and actionable tips that will help you attract, engage, and retain top talent, ultimately setting candidates up for success in their new roles.

Colleen Neese

Youâve confirmed an interview for your next career move so the next thing to do is prepare for the upcoming interview! Prepping for an interview is one of the critical steps in the process but oftentimes candidates donât know what to do. My recommendation is to review your resume and take time to reflect on your experiences and skills as they relate to the job youâre applying for. Write down some of your biggest accomplishments, deliverables, and outcomes.

Hiring leaders and HR professionals donât just want to hear what your job responsibilities have been; they want to hear how you positively impacted the business. Itâs important to come prepared with quantifiable results.

All candidates should be prepared to answer basic interview questions such as "Why are you interested in this position?" or "What are your top accomplishments?" or "How would you describe your leadership style?" Many basic interview questions can be found on the internet and used for practice.

Itâs also important to prepare for behavioral interview questions. These are usually multi-part questions that ask the candidate to share specific examples and outcomes. The more you reflect on your results, the better prepared youâll be to answer these types of questions, also called "SAR" questionsâsituation, action, result.

Colleen Neese is a practice leader at Duffy Group. She specializes in recruiting executives in non-profit and healthcare.

Kristin Pozen

Woman uses interview hacks during her job interview

When setting up the client interview, I ensure my candidate has the proper address, directions, any special parking or security instructions, and who they should ask for. I encourage them to arrive 15 minutes early and even encourage a practice drive to the location if time permits.

I always send over the job description again and ask them to read through it. They should develop questions based on the research they have done on the company and the job description.

I find out who will be on the interview panel and supply biographies and LinkedIn profiles to the candidate to review. I want them to have a good understanding of the organizational chart within the team they are interviewing.

I schedule a time to debrief with my candidate within 24 hours of their interview with the client. I need to know not only how they felt it went but also if the client had any missteps that need to be addressed.

Sometimes there are multiple client interviews. I repeat this process each time and stay in contact through any background and reference checks all the way to the offer stage. I pre-negotiate their offer so the client knows to make an attractive offer the first time. This helps expedite offer acceptance.

Kristin Pozen is a research recruitment recruiter at Duffy Group and a former HR recruiter.

Sharon Grace

Man smiles during his interview with executives

If you've been in the job market the past few months and were in the market anytime between 2020 and early 2023, you might notice that the interview process has changed. The interview process is taking longer with multiple steps, the decision process is slower, and there are more candidates to compete with, depending on the industry and role.

The past few years were easy to get used to, with a high volume of open positions and rapid interview processes for most positions. If you changed jobs prior to 2020, then you know that the past few years were far from normal. If you are early in your career, you might not have much interview experience.

The market has been in a rebalancing cycle throughout the year. Most employers are still hiring, but not at the volume we've seen. Some companies are interviewing for positions that are nice to fill but not a must-have. I'll use the term selective hiring.

Here are some tips to give the employer a reason to hire you now, before you are no longer on the market:

Virtual interviews: Most first interviews are still virtual for office and hybrid roles. Make sure your background is neat and professional-looking.
Wardrobe: Always wear a professional outfit, including virtual interviews; it's no longer 2020! Dress varies by company and industry, but first impressions are important. The way you present yourself can be as important as what you say. This applies to both candidates and hiring leaders. The following is standard:
- For a woman: Business attire is best. A suit or conservative dress is appropriate. Minimal amounts of jewelry and perfume. Stylish low-heel shoes are best.
- For a man: A conservative blue or gray suit, long-sleeved shirt, and tie is still best. (Ties and maybe a jacket are usually optional in warm climates in the summer.) No jewelry other than a wedding ring and watch.
- Take notice of the importance of fit, color, and age-appropriate. Wear something that complements your body type and nothing too loose or tight fitting, wear colors that flatter you and that you feel good in, and don't dress too old or too young.
Close: Because you are looking good and feeling confident in your outfit, you developed a good rapport with the hiring leader, and the questions and answers were smooth and more like a conversation; it's time to ask for the job! Tell them you are interested and why you are a fit.

Sharon Grace is a veteran search executive at Duffy Group who helps hiring leaders hire great people because of her proven track record as a strategic partner and advisor to recruit, identify, and assess talent.

Need help recruiting talent for your organization? Check out Duffy Group today.

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Recruiting Tips: How To Set Your Candidate …

Every time you interview, your main purpose is to convince the employer to hire you. The job search is a sales process. The hiring manager (your future boss) is the "customer," and you are both the sales rep and the product. Why should they choose you over all the other "products" out there?

During the interview process, the hiring manager might ask you, "Why should we hire you?" Here are some tips for how you can effectively answer this tough interview question and stand out from other job candidates:

Focus On What You Can Do For The Employer

Job candidate explains why the employer should hire her in a job interview

This question is actually a fantastic opportunity for you to summarize why you'd be a great hire.

Always focus your answer on what benefits you bring, what problems you can solve, and what solutions you can provide. Never, ever say that they should hire you because you need the job or because you really want itâor anything remotely related to your reasons for wanting the job. This is your chance to connect the dots and help the employer see why you're the best person for the job.

Think about things you know the hiring manager (interviewer) is looking forâskill sets, background, character traits, personal qualities, education, experience, or anything else that will make you successful in this role. Relate your answer to these things.

Give An Example

Job candidate answers "Why should we hire you?" in a job interview

Explain how you meet the employer's needs and give an example to support your answer.

Your answer should be framed like this: "You should hire me because you've said you want someone with A, B, and C. I fit all of your requirements. I have A (say what that is), B (maybe give an example), and C (elaborate further)."

This will help you stand out from the other candidates and it gives the employer a reason to hire you.

Keep The Job Description (And Your Skills!) In Mind

Typically, this question will come toward the end of the interview, so you can refer to what you've already talked about, or mention something new that you know they'd be interested in. If it comes in the beginning, use the job description and your research to answer:

Will this job require long hours? Mention your work ethic.
Will this job need someone with great communication skills? Give an example of yours.
Will this job need someone who can learn on the fly? Tell them how you're going to get up to speed quickly and how you've learned and adapted before.
Does this job need someone with a particular background? Mention yours.
Do you have the skill set they want? Talk about your skill set and how you have been successful with it.

Give them examples of what you have achieved in the past. If you haven't done this job before, talk about similar things you've done or qualities you have that will make you successful in this new role.

It's never easy to answer "Why should we hire you?" in a job interview. However, if you do these three things, you'll be able to articulate your skills, experience, and qualifications with ease. And you'll impress the hiring manager in the process!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How To Answer “Why Should We Hire …

A good job description is priceless in the hiring process. Many hiring leaders struggle to create job descriptions that attract the right candidates. What should you include in a job description to spark interest and find the perfect candidate for the job?

In this article, learn from members of Duffy Group on how to write compelling job descriptions that attract the right candidates. You'll discover practical strategies for creating job postings that effectively communicate job responsibilities, qualifications, and company culture, leading to increased interest and better hiring outcomes.

Develop The Company's "Sizzle"

Hiring leaders often start the recruiting process by developing the mechanics of a job description. However, a job description without attraction often fails to tell a compelling story about the position's value. There are several steps to increase awareness and interest in a post.

First, develop the companyâs sizzle. The sizzle is an authentic representation of your company by expanding on the job's exciting features, resulting in the chances it will resonate with suitable candidates. It begins by establishing a framework of critical questions directed to the hiring leader.

At Duffy Group, our framework is built during the first step of the recruitment research process, the strategy development. Recruiters ask targeted questions and assess the new role situation with the hiring manager before marketing any position. The objective is to expand on the duties and responsibilities of the job to create a buzz and bring the job description to life.

Another necessary ingredient is ensuring the hiring process quickly identifies the applicants with the right motivation and gets them anchored on the attractive features of the job as quickly as possible.

Georgia Musgrave is the VP of Strategic Initiatives at Duffy Group. She educates leaders on the value of "passive talent" as a means of attracting the best human capital to their company.

Tell A Story

Recruiter / hiring manager on laptop creates a job description

I recently met with a group of HR and talent leaders at a conference. One of the pain points they shared was not posting job descriptions that were enticing enough for candidates to apply. They were looking for ideas to not make their job descriptions look so mechanical with the job responsibilities and requirements listed. I began to ask them questions to learn more about the entire opportunity and not just the day-to-day responsibilities and requirements.

Examples of the questions included in addition to salary, bonus, and benefits:

Describe the company culture, style, values & traits of people who've had success here.
What are the company characteristics that would entice a candidate to come aboard?
What are the key strategic issues you are working on?
What is the hiring leader's background?
What makes this group attractive to a potential candidate?
What might distinguish this group from similar departments in other companies?
What is your leadership style and approach?
Is the position remote or hybrid?
Is the position a newly created position?
Are there direct reports? How many, and what are their titles?
What are the career growth opportunities?

It is quick and easy to post a job description the way it is written. I suggested telling a story about the whole opportunity will give the job seeker a reason to be interested and apply.

Utilize The "Location" Section

If you want to recruit the very best talent, then you need to make sure you have the very best job descriptions to share with candidates. Job descriptions can be used to attract active job seekers by being used in job postings, but when it comes to recruiting the passive job seeker, you need a job description that is going to catch their attention. The job description should include information on the company, the position, the requirements, and if the position offers relocation, the location as well.

Many recruiters and hiring leaders neglect to utilize the "location" section on a job description as a way to attract candidates. Itâs important to include a location section that includes the address, as well as a good description of the city and state. Itâs important to do some research on the location. The Chamber of Commerce and tourism sites are great resources. Make sure to describe the location in a way that the candidate can picture themself relocating there.

We have had a lot of success recruiting to locations that are not necessarily "attractive" by reputation but when we highlight the positive attributes and share data, statistics, and even photos, weâve been able to generate interest in traditionally hard-to-recruit-to locations.

Colleen Neese is a practice leader at Duffy Group. She specializes in recruiting executives in non-profit and healthcare.

Share Compensation & Benefits

Recruiter / hiring manager on laptop writes a job description

Job descriptions can be extremely detailed, with long lists of responsibilities and required skills. Disclosing and promoting pay and benefits in your job description can be a valuable recruiting tool and make the process more efficient overall.

Here are five things to consider when sharing compensation and benefits in your job description:

Compensation is typically the most critical concern when job seekers search for work. So if they don't find the salary information they need, they may not waste time reading the job description.
Pay transparency (now required by law in some states) saves recruiters the time and energy of searching through candidates who will never accept the job, as candidates will self-select out when the compensation is too low.
When companies are more upfront about salaries, it can help create trust. Candidates feel more respected and apply more when there is more information.
There's more to compensation than what's on a paycheck. List all of your benefits and perksâdepending on the candidate, some will resonate more than others.
Out-of-the-box examples: signing bonuses, stock options, flexible work schedules, mental health benefits, learning & professional development, ERGs, volunteering, dress codes, PTO, holidays, gym memberships, and pet insurance.

Kristin Pozen is a research recruitment recruiter at Duffy Group and a former HR recruiter.

Emphasize The Company Culture

Think back to high school when your English teacher would knock points off your essay because you stuffed it with common cliches. Well, it happens with job descriptions too. âWork hard, play hard,â âFast-paced environment,â and âWeâre all a big family.â The meaning is lost to candidates reading them.

In Duffy Groupâs job descriptions, we highlight our core values. One of our core values is to promote work-life balance. Our work-from-home program gives our team members the flexibility of managing their day-to-day activities, with home office support that offers the tools to conduct day-to-day operations. A result of this benefit is increased productivity, team member satisfaction, and retention.

Make sure your social media supports your company culture; candidates are looking at your website and social media to ensure you walk the talk when it comes to culture. Your job description is a piece of your story. You want candidates to be curious to learn more about your company.

Kathleen Duffy is the founder, CEO, and president of Duffy Group. The company's vision is to elevate recruitment research as an alternative to contingent and retained search. Since its founding, Duffy Group has been a remote workplace and a culture of work/life harmony.

Need help recruiting talent for your organization? Check out Duffy Group today.

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Recruiter Spotlight: How To Create A Job …

There's been a big push for salary transparency in the hiring process. For those who aren't familiar with the term, salary transparency, in regard to the job search, is when a company posts exactly how much they will pay on the job description so job seekers know what to expect before they apply.

Now, that's a good thing because a lot of people don't want to waste their time applying for a job that can't pay them what they want. But there is one significant drawback to salary transparency job seekers should know...

Salary Transparency = No Salary Negotiations

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @broseph86 When you CAN'T negotiate your salary. #howtotiktok #salarynegotiation #salarytransparency #salary #howto #jobtok #Edutok â¬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

If a company lists the salary for a role in the job description, you can't negotiate. That's what they said they're willing to pay. And they had to internally, as a team, decide on that and agree to stick to it.

I've seen companies list the salary for a position and had a person go through the hiring process, get a job offer, and try to counter and negotiate a higher salary. Their response? They rescinded the job offer from the candidate and offered the job to someone else.

I understand you might be worth more money to yourself or you might be worth more money at a different company. But at a company that posts the salary for the position, that is what they're willing to pay. And you have to decide whether you want to accept that or move on. It's that simple, folks.

Things are changing right now. Economic shifts, the way that people hireâit's all changing. And you need to stay on top of that change if you want to be successful.

In your next job search, remember to negotiate a higher salary only if a salary was never listed in the job description. Salary transparency has its benefits. But the ability to negotiate salary is not one of them.

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