Strong recruitment is vital for any small business looking to bring in the right people. Finding the right person for the job allows your business to establish a positive culture & grow to its full potential. Sometimes with limited resources, business owners ask Melbourne HR what the best approach to recruitment is.

Whilst it does vary, here is our recommended hiring process for small and medium businesses:

1. Drafting the job Advert

The first step to any recruitment process is identifying whether the role will be internally filled or advertised to the external market. When creating an online job ad, be sure to clearly outline the role’s duties & any selection criteria of the successful candidate.

Think to yourself:

1. What tasks will the employee need to perform on a daily basis?

2. What skills will the employee need to perform the tasks well?

This also presents a great opportunity to provide a brief overview of the business, allowing candidates to gain a true sense of the position from the outset.

2. Posting to the right Channel

Seek is the #1 job board in Australia & therefore is the most conventional choice for your Job Ad. For those on a budget however, job boards such as Indeed & Jora boast free options which may be ideal for entry level or Casual Positions. You may also consider LinkedIn for more senior or executive level headhunting.

3. Filtering Applicants

Depending on the number of applications, reviewing resumes can be a time-consuming affair. Keep the job advertisement close, and compare the selection criteria to their application –

Have they addressed your key selection criteria?
Do they have the experience to perform the job well?

“Top tip: Asking candidates to submit responses around work rights, salary expectations, years’ experience & qualifications when applying is a little trick guaranteed to save you considerable time. If they don’t meet these key criteria, then you can simply move on to the next application. ”

4. Phone Screening

A pivotal stage of any recruitment process, phone screening allows you to narrow down a shortlist of applicants – ensuring you don’t interview unsuitable candidates. These calls are made to help you get a better understanding of the applicant and their suitability, and shouldn’t be as lengthy as a typical interview. We’d recommend phone screening 5 candidates and then further shortlisting from there.

Typical interview questions for managers to ask candidates on the phone may include:

Why are you leaving your current position?
What are you looking for in your next role?
What responsibilities are you presently tasked with?

5. Interviewing

Perhaps the most important step, interviewing works best when 2-4 candidates have progressed, and no interview goes longer than 1 hour. Preparation is key, regardless of whether interviews are face-to-face or remote. Instead of asking common questions, try and get your candidates thinking with some of the following strategic interview questions:

What do you know about our company & why does it appeal to you?
What potential challenges do you foresee in this position?
You disagree with the way your manager and supervisor instruct you to handle a problem. What would you do?

“Remember: The best interviews feel more like a conversation, with back-and-forth dialogue. You should allocate some time at the end of the interview for the candidate to ask any questions they may have. ”

6. Reference Checks

Although optional, it can be wise to conduct a reference check once the preferred candidate has been identified. Should you require any other testing or checks (Eg. Police, Visa, Medical, WWC), now is the time to do so. Melbourne HR generally recommends Police Checks for particular finance roles, including Accounts or Payroll Officer positions.

7. Offer & Acceptance

Once all background checks are clear…offer away! Be sure your offer clearly states annual salary (as a package or + Super), Hours, Work Type, Title, Probation Period & a start date, mindful of any notice period required by the preferred candidate. Also ensure acceptance by the candidate is in writing prior to commencing the onboarding process. If you need help with this onboarding process, visit our HR Foundations page.

Small business recruiting can be a time-consuming process, however it’s better to invest the time now and find the right hire that will work for your business. Good hires can lead to happy workers, positive culture, and ultimately greater efficiency and profits.

Need to recruit for your business but aren’t sure of where to start? Let us help! In the last 12 months, Melbourne HR have successfully identified & hired for over 80 positions. It all begins with a sound understanding of our clients needs, the role itself & the external market in order to reach the premium quality candidates. Call today for a free HR Consultation.

Contact Melbourne HR

Call 1300 784 687

Sean Johnson is a Full-Time HR Advisor who is now in his fourth year working with Melbourne HR.

Edited by Nicole Torrington, Marketing Manager at Melbourne HR.

The Ultimate Guide to Recruiting for SMEs