Today's job market is more competitive than ever due to the abundance of people seeking employment in a relatively slim job market. Since many workers are seeking new employment opportunities, now is the ideal time to revisit your company's recruitment and selection strategies. Top candidates often stay available for just 10 days before they get hired, and you want your business to be at the top of their list of places to work. Eighty percent of HR representatives note that branding can have a huge impact on a company’s ability to attract the right candidates. By including a few best hiring practices in your recruitment strategy, you can increase your ability to attract top talent to your open positions. 

Treat Candidates Like Clients

With candidates, as with clients, a great first impression matters. Even if you don't choose a specific candidate, you want to leave them with a great opinion of your business. In our digital age, information is more readily available than ever and candidates are eager to share their experiences. You want to make a solid first impression that convinces candidates that even if they didn't get the job, your company is still a great place to work.

Imagine that you're hiring for an open role. You, like most recruiters, may have seen an average of 250 resumes come through your inbox and you’ve quickly narrowed down your candidate pool. 

During the interviewing phase, it’s important to bring in candidates and treat them as though they are an important part of your business. In return, they will appreciate your business and what you have to offer, even if they're not the right fit for the role. On the other hand, if you allow a long lag between communications, treat candidates unprofessionally during their interviews, or issue a disrespectful decline, you could not only burn bridges with that candidate, but with others that candidate interacts with. 

Include Peers in the Interviewing Process

Instead of allowing only upper-level management into the interview, consider the value of using a team that consists of the candidate's peers as part of the interview. Peer interviews make candidates more comfortable, which means that the team is more likely to get an accurate view of their capability. You can also do a better job of assessing a candidate's personality fit when the team members they will be working with are present in the room. Furthermore, peers can often ask more detailed questions to evaluate the candidate's knowledge and better interpret the answers. Peer interviews can also give the candidate a better idea of what it's like to actually work for your company, which may encourage them to accept an offer if you make one. Ultimately, this strategy can substantially increase your odds of finding an employee who will be a great fit for the company. 

Have a Pre-boarding Strategy

Between 20% and 50% of workers "ghost" their employers, either by not showing up for onboarding in the first place or by simply disappearing when they no longer wish to work in that position. As many as 33% of employees are looking for a new job within six months of starting their current position--and an average 4% give up after a disastrous first day. Pre-boarding can make a big difference in your employees' success. Pre-boarding best practices include:

• Preparing new hires for your company culture.
• Offering new hires information about how to navigate, both physically and in terms of available technology.
• Giving new hires a chance to meet, virtually or otherwise, fellow new hires or team members that they will be working with on a regular basis.

Your pre-boarding process is one of the most critical parts of your onboarding strategy. Making a new recruit feel like a member of the team can set them up for success and increase the odds that they'll stick with your company long-term--which, in turn, cuts down your overall costs. Not only that, it can help keep them excited about the position and increase the odds that they will make it through the door for their first day.

Hiring top talent can make a huge difference for your business. With top talent, you're ideally positioned to move to the top of your industry. Creating solid recruitment and selection strategies can go a long way toward attracting the top talent you need, raising your business to new heights within your industry.