In an employee-driven job market, there’s a fierce competition between companies to attract the most qualified candidates. New recruitment techniques and modern technology can help a business to increase the quality of their new recruits by as much as 60%.

Don’t wait for a job to become vacant

A modern HR team cannot allow itself to be surprised by the apparition of a vacancy within the organisation and to start scrambling to find an adequate replacement. First of all, HR should be aware of a dissatisfied employee thinking about quitting.

However, more important than that is to have a database of suitable people with the right qualifications that could be approached with a job offer in case of emergency. That requires a lot of networking on the part of the HR managers and maintaining a permanently updated talent pool.

Use customized interviews

To streamline the hiring process, the HR department should use carefully-tailored job interviews to assess the potential of a candidate. There is no one size fits all when managing a large organisation with various job positions.

The HR should plan ahead and customize interviews by using specific questions, relevant to the job description. If teamwork is important, ask the candidate about past work experiences and how he or she deals with the discipline required for working in a team rather than on their own.

Improve communication with candidates

This is especially important when the job requires highly qualified personnel. Such people are in high demand and they might be considering several offers at the time. If you cannot offer an immediate answer, make sure to keep in touch with them regularly until the final decision is made.

That’s quite easy using modern technology. Don’t wait for the candidate to send a follow-up email, send one yourself thanking them for their time and promise to come back shortly with an answer.

Create a referral program

Using your existing employee as recruiting agents is a fast way to discover new talents. The people that already work for you understand the company’s culture and can judge if someone they know from school or a past employment could fit in and do a good job. Plus, someone who has been working with you for a few years won't risk his reputation or even his position by recommending a mediocre candidate.

Save time with online police checks

Doing a thorough background screening is essential if you want to hire trustworthy people to your organisation. You shouldn’t forego these even if the candidate seems to have all the right qualifications.

However, time is of the essence and the fastest way to do a background check is to use an online accredited agency. For instance, accredited online agencies can provide a national police check within 1 to 3 business days and the whole process is online.

Accredited agencies have access to the police records in all Australian states and territories and can provide a fast check on the criminal history of a job applicant much quicker than using the traditional route, sending the candidate to the local police station to ask for the same document. So instead of going to the local police station, applicants can get a police check online.