How to manage the influx of job seekers in January

As a business you probably already know that when the New Year comes, so do the resolutions and with resolutions come the job seekers. This ultimately makes it one of the busiest times of year for businesses and HR professionals.

Let’s face it, the entire hiring process can be longwinded and gruelling, so it’s important to make sure things run as smoothly and efficiently as possible for you and the job seekers.

Experts at referencing IScreenYouScreen advise how to manage the influx of job seekers in January:

• Social media can be a pain in most cases, however, when it comes to hiring someone new, social media platforms can tell you a lot about the person you are considering. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool to find out whether dates of previous employment and education match the information provided on the CV you have received. Don’t panic, checking someone’s social media before making first contact isn’t stalking – it’s research!
• Arrange a meeting as soon as possible if you like the look of their application. Communicating over email and hiding behind a screen makes it a lot easier for someone to lie. Getting them in person will make things a lot easier, as you will be able to read the candidate’s body language and ask them on the spot questions. Putting them under pressure will show you the kind of colleague they would be in the position you are offering.
• To find out if the candidate is able to fulfil the requirements of the role, test them on tasks they would be doing if they filled the position. If the job involves a lot of writing, then set a written task, if the job requires technical skill, then give them a problem with three hours to solve it. This way you will be able to see the candidate’s real skills and abilities rather than trusting what they have written on a sheet of paper. Just remember, if you are planning on setting a task, make sure you inform the candidate before hand.
• Ask them the right questions when you interview them, talking about previous employment and roles they have been in is your best opportunity to suss out what they are capable of. Questions that include their reasons for leaving and the responsibilities they had when they worked at a previous job will make it easier for you to judge them as a person and employee.
• Screening candidates is one of the most crucial steps that shouldn’t be forgotten about. We saw it on The Apprentice just last month: people lie and providing false referees is one of the most common things to do, along with lying about grades and reasons for leaving previous roles. Screening can be time-consuming and cost a lot of money if outsourced. The best way to screen candidates is to keep it in-house and use a software to make the process quicker, easier, more accurate and cheaper.

Preparing for the January rush is important and can help ease the workload, because the last thing you want is to have a great Christmas break and come back to an unbearable workload.

By Simon Houlton, CEO, IScreenYouScreen