Founder, CEO and director of recruitment of Rig On Wheels Broker & Recruitment Services.
In the hiring formula, recruiters are an essential part of the equation. Per May 2023 reporting by CNBC, the U.S. job market is “still hot but is clearly slowing from the scorching levels seen during much of the past two years.” Yet despite this deceleration, many companies still need to fill roles—and they need savvy recruiting teams to do so.
As the CEO and director of recruitment at an agency focused on recruiting U.S.-based truck drivers, I have extensive experience working with a network of global recruiters to find qualified candidates. I work with a team of recruiters in the United States, Canada, India and the Philippines. Having a strong global recruitment team has enriched my company and candidates with a greater range of perspectives, among other benefits.
Other company leaders should also consider taking a more international approach to their recruitment teams. To successfully implement this approach, they should keep three tips in mind.
1. Find The Right Tools And Processes
When recruiters are spread globally, a company must offer them a standard set of tools that can work in each country.
Specifically, in some countries, some software solutions, like certain video conferencing systems, might work better than others. Just because a solution works well in the United States doesn’t mean it will necessarily work well abroad, for various reasons. Business leaders should avoid using a hodge-podge of tools across different countries, as doing so can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Instead, they should pick solutions in each area that work best across the various applicable countries and stick to only those tools. At my company, for instance, we strategically chose a video conferencing solution that would work across all four countries our recruiters work from to ensure robust and streamlined communication and collaboration.
Of course, the right tools must be accompanied by the right processes. Company leaders should ensure that recruiters have clearly defined processes to follow. For instance, one company-wide process might be that recruiters need to touch base with the applicable hiring managers once a week over video calls so that all parties are aware of progress and any hindrances.
2. Create Standard Operating Procedures
This brings me to my next point. While each recruiter brings their own recruitment philosophy to the table, that individualization must be balanced with standard operating procedures.
By implementing standard operating procedures, business leaders can increase the likelihood that their candidates will have consistent experiences across the board and gain a good impression of the company. Good impressions are critical in the hiring stage, as they can make or break a candidate’s decision to sign on with a company. Consider a 2023 survey by CareerPlug that found that “49% of job seekers said they’ve declined a job offer because of a poor experience with a potential employer during the hiring process” and that 8% said no because the “interview process was slow” and “disorganized.”
Business leaders can create standard operating procedures by stipulating that all candidate interviews are conducted over video call (even introductory screenings) and that all recruiters need to follow up with candidates within a certain timeframe. Business leaders should also regularly review their standard operating procedures to identify opportunities for improvement.
Additionally, standard operating procedures are especially vital in an international context, given the different laws and regulations that recruiters need to be well-versed in to hire in a company’s designated country. An innocuous question that a recruiter abroad might ask a candidate in the U.S. about, say, their marital status or number of children could be considered “evidence of intent to discriminate,” according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
3. Emphasize Regular Training, Team Bonding And Meetings
To ensure that recruiters use standard operating procedures, company leaders should regularly train recruiters. Training during onboarding is important, but via regular training sessions, recruiters can refresh their memories of the company’s standard operating procedures and remain updated on any changes.
Also, these training sessions are a good opportunity for leaders to nurture team bonding between recruiters. For example, company leaders can organize a virtual game that recruiters can play together after a training session. From there, recruiters might connect with each other after realizing they have interests in common.
Regular staff meetings are essential, too. Recruiters shouldn’t excessively meet as a team, but they should meet at a prescribed cadence. While coordination over time zones can be challenging, regular meetings help everyone stay in the loop and trade best practices and tips. This can strengthen the organization as a whole by drawing more qualified candidates who usher in the next wave of innovation.
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