It might seem counter-intuitive for a recruitment consultancy to give advice on how to DIY your own recruitment, but we’re great believers in adding value where we can. And we know that the employment market is difficult for those trying to hire (and those trying to find a role). We’re here to be good eggs as well as find them. With that in mind, what would we recommend when it comes to DIY-ing your own recruitment?

1.   Set time aside from the day job

Our first recommendation when DIY-ing your own recruitment is to make sure you set aside time from your day job. Recruitment isn’t easy at the moment. There will be a need to invest a good chunk of your week into posting adverts, reviewing CVs, planning for interviews, and interviewing. Putting time aside for this will help achieve success and find you the best possible employee.

2.   Create a plan for recruitment (and sticking to it)

The days have gone where we could simply post a job on a jobs site and find plenty of potential candidates. This tactic alone is unlikely to result in the success you need when it comes to recruiting. We’d recommend planning out how you will promote your company, where you will post roles and how often you will review your job adverts, to name but a few. Creating yourself a plan of activity will ensure you keep momentum and that a role that might be hard-to-fill can be seen by as many potential applicants as possible.

3.   Consider your unknown unknowns

There are the obvious aspects of recruitment: jobs, adverts, sifting CVs, interviews that we all know about. But think about the things you might not always consider when it comes to recruitment. For example, ensuring your recruitment process is candidate friendly to showcase your company culture in the best light. There is also thinking about different recruitment tactics such as sourcing (or head-hunting). You might also want to think about how to qualify potential interviewees as well as considering your interview process.

4.   Leverage your networks

Depending on the size of your organisation, it might be that you can use your own contacts or those of your employees to help you recruit. Your employees are your best ambassadors and can not only help share that you are recruiting but may know people in similar roles. Providing an incentive following a successful introduction from an employee might also be worth considering.

5.   Know when to invest in an expert

Easy-to-fill roles can be ideal for a DIY approach. But if you have a hard-to-fill key role, or a senior position, then it might be better to invest in an external consultancy than investing your own time.

We’ve outlined the things you might not have considered when it comes to recruitment and have just touched the surface of what’s included in a successful hiring campaign.

Knowing when to invest in expert support and advice can be more valuable than a DIY approach. Why not talk to Nicola nicola@goodeggrecruitment.com or Annette annette@goodeggrecruitment.com and we can help you understand what might work if you DIY or if you need added value from a recruitment consultancy.