It’s been a long two years since the global pandemic upended work as we know it. And now the Great Resignation is leading to massive worker shortages across virtually all industries. If you’re still using your 2019 hiring tools, now is the time to level them up for 2022.
1. Job Descriptions
Job descriptions are just as important as they ever were. They explain the position and the required skills to potential candidates, helping them to decide whether to apply and how to focus their resume.
But most job descriptions are simply not good. If you’re still listing a bunch of hard skills, with no soft skills or behavioral qualities, you’re behind the times. You’ll also need to look critically at your descriptions to find and remove any gendered or otherwise discriminatory language. Modern job descriptions focus on inclusivity and soft skills, rather than an intimidating list of technical proficiencies.
2. Resumes
Resumes remain the best way to view a candidate’s professional journey at a glance. But relying too heavily on resumes, especially in conjunction with automated keyword-matching scanning software, prevents you from seeing the whole picture. Resumes can also introduce unintentional bias, as you may be more drawn to candidates who seem similar to you or who attended fancy universities.
To up your resume game, consider asking for them later in the hiring process. For the initial stages, try asking candidates to fill out a short questionnaire, create a video introduction, or share a relevant completed project. When you do move to the resume phase, consider using software to strip out as much bias as possible by removing such things as home addresses and college names.
3. Unstructured Interviews
An unstructured interview might feel like a relaxed conversation. But it’s actually a great way to introduce bias. You’re likely to ask different questions based on the connection you feel with individual candidates. This means you’ll end up with very little concrete data on which to compare potential hires and make your hiring decisions.
Level up your interviews by switching to a standardized interview process. Develop a set of questions that focus on the ability to do the job. Ask each candidate the same questions, take detailed notes, and score each set of responses in the exact same way.
These basic hiring tools are just as crucial as they ever were. But if you’re still using them the same way as you did in 2019, you’re missing out. For 2022, focus on upleveling your hiring game to choose the best candidates.
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