(Guest post by Chris Hollins, President and Co-Founder of TalentGrade)
Engaging employees in the hiring process enhances commitment and loyalty. Human resource theories strongly suggest that a motivated workforce contributes greatly to increased productivity in an organization. While there are various ways in keeping the workers happy, some of them have not been fully utilized. Organizations ought to embark on motivational practices which retain the workers in an organization but also keeps them interested in activities which are undertaken at all levels.
Involve employees in decision making
One of the ways through which to keep the employees happy and also having them feel a part of the system is actively involving them in certain decision making processes. This should not only be applied in issues that directly touch on the employee’s duties and responsibilities, but sometimes it is advisable to go beyond that.
Recruitment of new workers is normally a preserve of the senior managers in an organization; they make all the decisions right from the job description to the orientation of the new staff. Have you ever thought what impact this would have when the lower cadres in an organization are involved in the recruitment process? This not only creates a feeling of belonging but it will also enriches the process as a whole.
When workers are asked for their opinion on the kind of staff they would like the organization to hire, they will most likely recommend the most suitable candidate. After all, they are the people who will be interacting with the system on an operations level; therefore they are more likely to identify the gaps which need to be filled. They will also give their input on the qualities that should be looked for when selecting the right candidate for the job.
In such a case, the human resource department will not have to spend countless hours of time going through a pile of applications in an attempt to select the most suitable candidates; their work will have been made much easier through the involvement of the workers.
You will end up with the right candidate for the job
When it comes to the interviewing process, the workers can be of great help, they are well familiar with the operations and know the right questions to ask in order to end up with the right candidate. Involving them at this level not only enriches the process, but also serves as a training process.
When it comes to promotion, the organization will already have people with all rounded skills; this not only increases the chances of the organization’s success, but also puts it at an advantaged position as far as competition is concerned.
Involving the employees in the process of hiring new staff, helps in making the workers part and parcel of the organization; they feel that their inputs are valued which motivates them to work even harder and commit themselves towards the success of the organization.
Author Bio: Chris is President & Co-Founder at TalentGrade.com. TalentGrade is an innovative recruiting platform designed to help companies hire better talent faster.
Image via StockSnap.io under C.C.0 license
Would involving employees in reading cover letters and CV’s in order to come to candidates to invite for an interview be part of such process as well?
Great question Patrick!
While you could involve your employees in reading a cover letter. I do not know if I would recommend it. Simply because a cover letter is where you make a compelling case for yourself as a candidate, aside from your resume.
I would rather your employees judge if a person is qualified for a position by having them view relevant skills challenges instead of a letter that is more than likely tailored to the specific job and is just used as a marketing tool to sell yourself.
Anyone can sell themselves on paper, but can they take that extra step and showcase their talents on a short video or work-sample assessment? This is where your employees who have put their blood, sweat, and tears into the company can judge if the applicant has what it takes to be successful at the company.