Hiring quality job candidates is only the first step in effectively
staffing a company. The ability to retain those high quality hires is the
second part of an employer’s or recruiter’s job. And the focus on retention
isn’t just for hiring managers and in-house recruiters; it is also part of
third-party recruiters’ job. Let’s
take a look at what recruiters and employers can do before they hire a job
candidate to increase the chances that they will be able to retain that person.
1. Recruiters
should make sure that they have a clear understanding of what the employer is
looking for before they begin recruiting.
One of the reasons that recruiters receive ill-suited job candidates is
that they have not properly defined the role of the job for which they are
recruiting. Once a recruiter
understands exactly what they need to fill the requirements of the job order,
they will increase the chances that they will find that right candidates and
that the candidate will stay if hired.
2. Find out what
it will take to get the job candidate to stay in the job if they are
hired. Recruiters and/or employers
should ask job candidates, “What type of opportunity would entice you away from
this job if we hired you?” Once
you find out what will entice the job candidate, make sure that the company for
which you’re recruiting offers that opportunity before you hire them. For
example, if the attorney says that they would be enticed by an opportunity to
be a partner at a firm, then you need to assess whether or not the job for
which you’re recruiting offers partner opportunities. If so, then that job
candidate might be more likely to stay after hired.
3. Recruiters
should make sure that the job candidate’s skill set is a good match for the
employer. Will the employer
utilize the job candidate’s most valuable skills? If not, you could have trouble retaining the employee. Many
new hires quit if they feel they are not being challenged and that their skills
are being underutilized.