A great hiring process is a competitive advantage

Here’s a 9 step guide to stand-out to the right talent:

Most companies recruit the same way

We’ve all seen templated job postings & crappy applicant experiences

If you approach recruiting like a sales & marketing funnel, you’ll make a better experience for you and potential hires

Let’s dig in!

1/ Job Posting Need Copywriting /

Great copywriting speaks directly to customers

Do the same to attract the best candidates:

– Position what makes you different – Grab attention – Speak to a single person – Clarity not jargon

2/ Distribution In The Right Places /

The big job boards may get more awareness but they also create a ton of noise

Get your posting seen by the right people

We start slow by establishing a “home” posting, then reference on boards, then direct outreach (if needed)

Since, we’re 100% remote our first paid listing goes to remote job sites

Remote used to be an advantage for us, but now it’s a more common

We’ve had sales and service job roles perform better on remote boards

For some roles (developers) we need to do some outreach

First outreach step for us is running targeted ads (Linkedin)

Next we go into individual-outreach-mode (Indeed Resume Search)

We’ve found great candidates by looking for active seekers + specific keywords (just learn to avoid agency profiles)

Pro-tip: We always use our own application forms not the ones built-in the other websites

We can do all our qualification & vetting from a single place

*Important to systemize especially if recruiting isn’t your full-time job

3/ Disciplined Qualification /

Not all job applicants are a great fit (just like prospects)

Application Form Tips: – Add job specific open ended questions – Proof of work URLs (LinkedIn, Portfolio, Github)

*Resumes are great for reading more, but hard to scan through at scale

4/ Systemize The Process /

Processes = Repeatability

Job Sites > Application Form > Screening Call > Project > Review > Offer

All our hiring managers use the same system

We’re not always in hiring-mode, but when we are it’s easy to get locked-in

5/ Being Human /

Job candidates remember how you made them feel

These actions should get a response: – Well written application – Screening call – Completed a project

Our general rule is to match the level of effort of the applicant

After a back and forth conversation/interview don’t leave people hanging

Ghosting people is disrespectful

Don’t contribute to the problem

6/ Leadership Involvement /

Leadership needs get involved

Great candidates want to get a feel for the company aside from what they can read

You’re both selling to each other, don’t make it feel one-sided

*This is a big life changing commitment, treat it as such

8/ Stay Open to Getting Lucky /

Recognize when you’ve gotten lucky

It pays to have the awareness to grab the right-fit talent when you see it

A recent candidate that took her shot with us

In the interview she saw a need that wasn’t on the job posting

She wrote her own job description & a 30-60-90 day plan

She got a job we didn’t even list

9/ Follow Through /

Don’t stop at the close, it’s time to build trust

The first 90 days matter:

– Fulfill the promises you made – Make them feel at home & part of the team – Establish routines & rituals – Check-in make sure you are both aligned

*Real work begins in onboarding

Planning the first 30-60-90 days is work, but worth it

Set expectations early & create a common reference point

It rarely all goes to plan, so be open to changes as they come

Change creates a opportunity to re-align & work together (which is why you’re hiring them, right?)

** Hiring is super competitive these days **

Take hiring processes as seriously as sales funnels

> Copywriting > Distribution > Processes > Onboarding + Delivering on promises

Apply this thinking to your recruiting process & differentiate your company

Get talent that fits!

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