Online Tools for the Hiring Process

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Online application forms can help produce a better pool of applicants, making the interviewing process more bearable.

Look to online tools to narrow the field of interview candidates and produce higher-quality applications.

With a staff member leaving and another on mat leave, my firm is in the midst of what feels like a hiring blitz. But from this chaos sprang clarity: the quality of applications received suggests we’re doing something right. One marked difference in this round of hiring is our employ of online tools to facilitate the process. Here are four of our indispensable online tactics:
 

Create an online application form

Creating a form with a third-party service like Google Forms or Wufoo.com helps pre-screen applicants. It forces them to take their time rather than just firing off the latest version of their resume. It raises the bar for submission quality and allows you to do more of an apples-to-apples comparison.

We typically set up our forms as a mix of quantitative questions – listing out what tools an applicant has proficiency with – and more open-ended, qualitative questions to get a sense of their personality and communication style. We still ask for resumes and cover letters, but having a consistent tool to measure applicants against each other makes short-listing candidates easier.
 

Post the job on your website

Although it seems like a no-brainer, I can’t tell you how many job postings I’ve received as a PDF with a request to circulate it through my networks. Mass emailing an attachment may have been customary five years ago, but it is no longer favoured. To further broaden the reach of your posting, add a “share this” feature so that it can be passed along easily.
 

Share the job posting through social media

Encourage your staff to share the posting on their social networks. We spell this out in an email to staff, referencing all of the ways that they can spread the word.
 

Ask where applicants heard about the posting

In the increasingly competitive online market, a lot of paid job boards offer money-back guarantees if you aren’t happy with the application volume from your paid posting. Being able to measure the number of candidates from each posting could result in refunds from paid postings or it could inform you as to which methods work best.

These tips are easy ways to leverage online tools to improve the quality and quantity of applicants the next time you’re adding to your team.

• Tags
  • emira mears, 
  • Recruitment and Hiring