The most important aspect of any business are it’s people. They are also the costliest. Building teams and recruitment are vital to the success of any organisation.

Recruitment can take different forms for different businesses at different times. Some businesses recruit once an employee leaves and some businesses plan to account for growth. The former is reactive recruitment, the latter strategic.

Reactive recruitment

If your business recruits reactively the first reaction to a vacancy is to panic. However, one way to bring a strategic approach to recruiting reactively is to take a step back to assess why the vacancy arose in the first place.

Conduct an exit interview to assess why the candidate is leaving, evaluate the job role and make the necessary changes to address any issues that made the incumbent resign. Before looking externally, explore the possibility of appointing an internal candidate not only to save costs but to demonstrate progression opportunities for existing members of staff.

Strategic recruitment

Identifying a skillset that has never been in your business but will be important to keep your business relevant will require more detailed planning and long-term strategies. Employer Branding, Company Values, better than competitive benefits and defined progression opportunities will not only help attract the candidates you want but will also help retain them once they become employees.

Understand where potential candidates go when online and be there. And not just with job adverts, but relevant industry content to place yourself as a ‘Thought Leader’. Like much in life, this requires more work upfront, but reaps the reward in the end (if done consistently!).

Diversity and Inclusion

Each and every individual who is responsible for your organisation’s recruitment needs to have Diversity and Inclusion matters at the forefront of their mind. And that’s not because of the legal requirements, it’s simply because it’s absolutely the right thing to do.

If your company lacks representation from people with a diverse background, the first step towards correcting that is acknowledgement. Thereafter, a range of strategic steps can be taken to ensure your recruitment processes are accessible to all.

Don’t be afraid to shy away from difficult topics and consult with organisations that can help you. Things you can do today include reviewing the wording of job adverts and reduce unconscious bias in all elements of the process. If necessary, amend the interview format to encourage those who may not perform to their potential in a traditional scenario.

Building a team

The best teams collaborate effectively together and they should be comfortable and empowered enough to challenge either themselves or question processes. Whilst it might be tempting to recruit candidates that will easily fit into an existing team, is that for the best? Different perspectives, opinions and experiences can create a vibrant environment that can encourage creativity and embrace challenges.

Retain a team

When you have built a team, you now want to ensure they stay. To do this regularly review pay structures and benefits package, ensure everyone is engaged in their work, communicate often and take on feedback.

Bowen Eldridge Recruitment acts as a specialist agency for Accountancy Practice, Finance and Marketing recruitment.