Recruiting the best people can be a difficult task at the best of times. Recruiting during an economic downturn adds a range of additional hurdles to the recruitment process.
Sarah Stoker, Managing Director of specialist leadership and management recruitment company Ocean Consulting, discusses the problems employers may face when recruiting in a recession and the role that psychometric testing can play in solving these challenges.
Mistakes within the hiring process can be costly. Not only the cost of the recruitment process itself but also the cost of lost time, the effect on your current team and of course the cost to the candidate who was not the right fit for your organisation. Very few businesses can afford to make hiring mistakes in a booming economy and hiring mistakes within an economic downturn can be even more disastrous.
Rising unemployment is an unavoidable consequence of an economic downturn. Every role that is advertised is applied for by more people. Recruitment agencies are able to assist in the writing of comprehensive job descriptions and person specifications.
Well written job advertisements and targeted advertising campaigns will also ensure the right people are applying for your role. A professional screening process and psychometric testing specifically designed for your organisation means that you, the employer, will only need to review the applications of those candidates ideally suited to your role.
A cost often missed when calculating the cost of recruitment is your time. When economic conditions are tough you cannot afford to be interviewing candidates who will not ‘fit’ into your organisation. Psychometric tests help to reduce the margin of human error so that the interview process will be more successful. They are designed to identify the most suitable applications, reducing the volume of candidates so that you only need to interview those who have the right skills and characteristics for your business.
We are all aware that dismissing poor performing staff is becoming more and more difficult and the negative impact poor performers can have on existing staff can be detrimental to overall business growth. By working with a professional recruitment agency that provide a thorough screening process and comprehensive psychometric testing you reduce the likelihood of recruitment mistakes from the very start of your recruitment process.
Psychometric testing works as a part of a wider recruitment strategy, a strategy which is best managed in partnership with a respected and established recruitment specialist.
For further information regarding recruiting in a recession please contact Sarah Stoker or visit www.dipintheocean.co.uk
