Summer is coming. Ice cream vans are weaving the way through your local streets, flags are flying, and finally, the pubs are open. For those gearing up for a busy HAF summer of activities, hiring some extra help for the summer isn’t far from your thoughts.
The question is, how do you increase the numbers of great people you have for your busy periods? Here are some of our top tips for recruiting at scale:
1. Know what you want
It sounds like an easy one, but lots of businesses go into hiring processes without clear expectations. Put it down on paper – what are your priorities? Is it administrative help you’re looking for, or are you looking for extra camp assistants?
Understanding what you need and getting it in black and white will help you attract the right people. Best of all, since you created the plan, your direction is tailored to your business.
2. Understanding your brand identity
Brand identity and awareness sound like buzzwords from a corporate boardroom, but they couldn’t be more essential when you’re hiring in bulk. Simple google searches for anything from your website to social media and reviews mean that people will have a vast amount of information on your business, far more than they could get in an interview.
Keep your message clear and your social media on the ball. Make your business the kind that people can’t wait to work for.
3. Craft the right type of ad
Don’t waste your time trying to dress up a role in metaphorical Emperors’ new clothing. Instead, be realistic about your expectations of the position. Where will they be based? What will they be doing? What are the hours like? Nix fluffy jargon and put in the things that will help them understand the role itself.
For example, Textio and Grammarly can perfect your tone and grammar for a comprehensive, honest and attractive ad. Use your social media channels to promote the roles you have. Many people use Instagram and Twitter to advertise their services. Put your job right under their noses.
4. Good people make good recommendations
Generally, people with a great work ethic tend to gravitate to people who have a similar work ethic. Make sure your staff know what roles are available, and give them the incentive to make recommendations from within their circles.
It’s unlikely that a member of your team would recommend someone who would make their work harder on purpose. And for you, you have created another talent pool with little effort (or money) on your side.
5. Use the tech tools of the trade
Use a basic CRM to organise your candidates in bulk and share results between staff. You can post to 100s of job boards with ZipRecruiter to get your ad in front of as many eligible people as possible.
And once you’ve got some suitable candidates, onboard all your HR, payroll, and compliance needs with Coordinate Sport. Let the software do the admin, so you don’t have to.
6. Practice collaborative hiring
Don’t hire as though you are your only employee. Get a second opinion on your choices or hire as a team – get a group together and get them to sign off in bulk. Listening to your staff means that you understand not only what your team needs, but you also make sure you hire someone that doesn’t drive everyone up the wall.
7. Hire for personality over skill
If showing positive impressions on-site is crucial to you, then ask the types of questions that show that positivity. Make sure your questions enhance your candidates’ knowledge of the role.
If you can’t work it out from there, set a physical task that gives them a real scenario that they would have to deal with in the role. Especially for group interview settings, it’s a great way to break the ice. And remember, you can teach skills, but you can’t teach personality.
8. Use the contacts at your disposal
If your busy periods in previous years got you some great people, there’s a good chance that the ones that didn’t make the grade then are worth an email now. It’s another pool of talent you don’t have to create. Check with unemployment agencies, neighbouring universities and colleges for candidates.
Since many people have found themselves out of work, you can hire in bulk and act as a stimulus for the activities sector.
