EOS® Preconference Workshop Recap: How to Create (or refine) a Core Hiring Process to Attract Top Talent

VisionSpark was a Platinum level sponsor of the 2022 EOS® Conference in Orlando, Florida, on  April 20-22. Josh Smith, Director of Client Services, and Kate Norton, Senior Client Strategist, led a pre-conference workshop for attendees called “How to Create (or refine) a Core Hiring Process to Attract Top Talent.”

If you missed the workshop or don’t have a core hiring process for your company, here are the highlights of their interactive presentation:

Common Hiring Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Josh and Kate began the presentation by defining the common hiring mistakes most companies make and offering solutions to them.

• Mistake #1: Being vague about the person or position. Solution: Most companies don’t know what positions they need or the candidates’ qualifications to fill them. VisionSpark helps clients identify a well-defined target.
• Mistake #2: They don’t have a hiring process. Solution: VisionSpark establishes a core hiring process for clients to be implemented consistently across the whole company.
• Mistake #3: Hiring from a pool of one. Solution: VisionSpark advises clients on how to cast a wide net and attract qualified candidates so that you can hire from a pool of many.
• Mistake #4: Making decisions based on instinct or gut. Solution: Use objective tools instead of feelings to make a hiring decision.
• Mistake #5: Overvaluing the resume. Solution: The resume should be the ticket to the door, not the final tool to make the decision.

Why Should You Have a Hiring Process?

Josh and Kate explained the importance of having a hiring process in your company:

• Create organizational consistency
• Attract more qualified candidates
• A GPS during a rapid growth phase

The Hire with Confidence Checklist is your Company’s GPS 

Josh and Kate shared VisionSpark’s Hire With Confidence™ tool, a checklist that ensures you hire the right candidate for your open seat. The checklist’s steps are as follows:

• Step 1: Create a Position Profile. This enhanced job description attracts the right candidates and repels the wrong ones. It identifies your culture and core values and creates buy-in from your team.
• Step 2: Evaluate the Candidates. Evaluate the applicants to determine if they meet the job requirements, share your culture and core values, have ambition, and align with your salary range.
• Step 3: Use an Objective Vetting Tool. Evaluate candidates through multiple touchpoints, such as a resume scoring guide, a behavioral interview, and a personality and mental aptitude assessment. 
• Step 4: Prepare for Interview Day. Rally your interview team and ensure they review the position profile to recall the ideal candidate and interview for your core values.  
• Step 5: Onboard for Success. Set a plan for the first 30 days. Make an itinerary for the first 1-2 weeks, hold weekly check-ins with the hiring manager, and have your visionary meet with the new hire to tell the core values story.

Position Profile Deep Dive

Josh and Kate explained the Position Profile’s important sections and how they all work together to create a powerful marketing tool that attracts the right candidates.

The sections include:

• The Who – the characteristics you are looking for in the candidate
• The What – the responsibilities of the position
• The Ticket – the requirements/abilities needed to succeed in the position. Define if those abilities are required, preferred, or desired
• The Why – the sales pitch on why candidates should want to work for you. Don’t sell yourself short!

Creating a core hiring process is a win-win for both the company and the candidate. When you have one and execute it the right way, you can attract the dream candidate (which benefits the company) to the dream job (which benefits the candidate).

Need more information about creating or refining a core hiring process? Want your own copy of the tools offered at the workshop? Contact VisionSpark today!