What do recruiters look for in successful candidates? Dylan Miles & Denise Day answer the burning questions

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Here at HR Project Partners (HRPP) recruitment is a vital part of our daily operations. For us to find the most suitable candidates for our clients we need our recruitment team to be effective and knowledgeable. We have put together a Q&A with our HRPP recruiters, Dylan Miles, and Denise Day, to shed some light on what they look for in a successful candidate, as well as provide some insight into what makes a successful candidate.

Introduce yourself – What is your career background? What is your favorite part of recruitment?

DYLAN MILES

Dylan:

I graduated with a Diploma in Business Management – Human Resources from the College of the North Atlantic, and I am working towards completing my Business Administration Degree at Memorial University. I am also a Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) with the IPM Management Training and Development Corporation.

I joined the HR Project Partners team in 2019. I bring a proven history of success in Recruitment, Account Management, Sales, Onboarding, Training and Development, Compliance Auditing, and Personnel Management. My experience includes full-cycle recruitment and have supported various industries throughout my career, including: Mining, Engineering, Oil and Gas, Marine, Heavy and Light Industrial, and Office Clerical.

I find Recruitment very rewarding. I enjoy working to build collaborative, respectful relationship with colleagues, clients, and candidates. It is a passion of mine to help others and to have a positive impact. I feel like recruitment allows me to do this.

DENISE DAY

Denise:

I am a bilingual talent recruitment and acquisition professional with more than 10 years’ experience executing recruiting plans. I joined HRPP in 2020. I have managed all phases of full-cycle recruiting, from initial sourcing and interviewing through offer negotiations, placement, and onboarding. I am a recruiting professional with the ability to build strong relationships with hiring managers and candidates in every field. I am a people person and a team player.

I studied Psychology at John Abbott College. In 2005, I started my career in recruitment in a small placement agency which consisted of myself and the owner. In the 4 years that I worked there, I wore many hats and acquired experience and knowledge which lead to the growth of the business and office staff. I then moved on and spent the next few years working in other opportunities. In 2014, I returned to my first love and have been recruiting more technical roles such as Engineering and IT in several different industries across Canada and the U.S.

My favorite part of recruitment is people and building relationships. I enjoy the opportunity to help people start/improve/advance their careers. Still to this day, I get excited when I say, “you got the job!”.

What platforms would you recommend that people use to discover new job opportunities?

Dylan:

The majority of our postings at HRPP are advertised through websites like Indeed.ca, however social media such as LinkedIn is also a great resource. I would also recommend keeping an eye on job banks and websites of companies that you are interested in working with. A lot of websites, including HRPP’s, have the option to sign up for email notifications which is a great tool to ensure you never miss out on an opportunity.

What are some factors that make candidates stand out among the others when you are searching for a suitable match with an employer?

Denise:

While sourcing for candidates, the first thing would be keywords in their resume. When screening it would be someone who has strong communications skills; seems passionate about their work and energetic; always responds to calls and emails; is professional and shows up to client interviews.

What are some suggestions you would give to people who are preparing for interviews?

Dylan:

Interviews can be daunting; however, I believe if you are confident and fully-prepared, it makes all the difference. Some suggestions I have on preparing for an interview are:

  • Be knowledgeable on the company you are interviewing with. Spend some time researching the organization and familiarizing yourself with their mission, vision and/or values.
  • Review the job description and compare your resume to this for an understanding of how your experiences relate specifically to this role.
  • Listen carefully and be engaged during the interview.
  • Prepare a list of your own questions specifically related to the role, details of the opportunity, and/or further information on the organization.
  • Think positive and always end on a positive note. A positive mindset is extremely important, in my opinion.

What are some suggestions you would make to people that are developing a resume?

Denise:

While there are many resume formats that can be used, I think simple is the best. I would suggest starting with strong objective action words in your summary. Then tailor your resume to the job offer using keywords and making sure it is brief and to the point (2-3 pages).

Do you have any tips on how someone can ensure success in a new position?

Denise:

Understand expectations. Get to know the people you work with. There is always a learning curve so don’t assume anything and ask questions. Create a good work practice. Be reliable and stay true to your word. Your reputation follows you.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone that is starting their career?

Dylan:

My advice to someone that is starting their career or trying to decide the right career path for them, is to find your passion. You want to pursue a career that you will find rewarding and fulfilling. It is also beneficial to connect with others that are in similar roles and look to them as mentors. More than likely, they will be willing to provide some guidance and answer any questions you might have about the industry/career choice. This insight will be helpful. Soak up whatever advice they offer. There are also lots of great networking events to attend to become familiar with like-minded people. Connection is key, and you never know what that connection might lead to.

It is also important to gain as much experience as you can when starting out. This may be obtained from internships, work-terms, volunteer experience, etc. Experience is valuable and I would take advantage of all of it. It is important to search for the value in feedback and/or constructive criticism as well. This is meant to help you grow – take it and learn from it. It is also important to ask for help, if needed. 

And lastly, do not give up. Keep working hard and keep your eye on the prize. You can achieve what you set your mind to through hard work and dedication.

Key Benefits of Outsourcing Recruitment

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All organizations strive to build a quality workforce, however, there are many challenges that can make consistently hiring great people difficult. When budgets are tight and time is short, it can be difficult to keep candidates in your recruitment pipeline and ensure that you are screening your candidates against the same set of criteria every time. Very few organizations have the technology, processes, and people in place to ensure that this consistently happens. The success of your business depends on making the right hiring decisions.

When looking at the recruitment tools that your current organization uses, how many of the points below do you use?

  • Various candidate sourcing strategies
  • Applicant tracking system
  • Behavioural assessment tool
  • Resume screening
  • Dedicated recruiters
  • Standardized phone interview templates
  • In-person Interview templates
  • Data reporting on the success of all steps

You will start to see results in your recruitment strategy when all the above elements are a part of a process. However, building these components can often be very expensive and extremely time-consuming. Luckily, there are businesses that have developed these offerings that can be plugged into your organization immediately. Outsourcing recruitment makes a lot of sense. Below is a list of reasons why outsourced recruitment should be a part of your recruitment strategy.

1. Increased Candidate Quality. It can be quite challenging for organizations to find the right people who can fill in their open positions. It’s better to be particular about who can do such jobs and get the right person from the start, rather than hire and go through several people who just aren’t the right fit. If a company is serious about finding quality candidates, it may be a good idea to outsource recruiting so there will be a wider reach and to improve proper branding for both the company and the open positions.

2. Focus on the Core Business. Most companies have some sort of recruiting department, however, there will be times it could take away from the business’s core function. This is especially true for smaller companies which might not have an employee to work solely on recruitment. Outsourcing recruiting will help companies by having either a consultant or a dedicated recruiter do it all for them, allowing the company to do what they do best instead while waiting for the open positions to be filled.

3. Reduce Turnover Rates. A high turnover rate is not good and often signifies that there are bigger problems within. Sometimes turnover problems aren’t fixed by increased salary offers or doing better job interviews. In such cases, a company may outsource recruiting to a staffing company so turnover rates improve and fix other underlying hiring problems.

4. Cut Costs. If there’s a need to cut costs and the staff in the recruiting department cannot be justified, one of the best things to do is outsource. Outsourcing your recruiting to a staffing firm would look at the hiring process from a fresh perspective that would include everything from sourcing great potential candidates to onboarding new employees.

5. Scalable Recruiting Capacity. Many employers have busy seasons where they go through a hiring spree for seasonal employees. In this case, outsourcing recruitment is a great benefit to take advantage, as a lot of staffing companies have a recruiting process in place that can scale up during this busy season, and then scale back down at slower times. This also great for companies that are growing rapidly, that may need extra help in scaling their recruiting capacity to meet growth.

6. Consistent Recruitment Process. Candidates don’t like being unaware of what is happening or where they stand in the recruitment process. This problem could affect companies who have multiple entities or multiple departments, where each one could have their own hiring process. Outsourcing recruitment can help get everything together and make the recruitment process consistent across the entire organization. This makes it easier to know what’s going on and what everyone is doing when recruiting or hiring someone.

At HR Project Partners, we are committed to offering high quality consulting and recruitment services to assist companies in reaching their goals when it comes to Human Resources and Labour Relations requirements. Whether you are a small company that doesn’t require full time HR resources, or you are a large company that only requires some short term or specialized support, you’ve come to the right place.  Let HR Project Partners be your partner to assist you with any of your HR needs.

When it comes to project based businesses, business owners are now realizing that to successfully plan, execute, monitor and close out a project, they need the support of qualified professionals to develop HR Plans, and ensure that it follows the complete project lifecycle.

HR Project Partners offers a wide array of services that will make the hiring and background check process 100% easier for you. Let us help. Call us today to get started – (709) 221-8800.

by Dylan Miles

The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

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One of the biggest challenges facing employers today is the fast pace at which the workforce is changing. These changes are a result of generational turnover, cultural evolution, immigration, emerging markets, and advances in technology. All of these factors have played a major role in creating complex work environments that create new barriers to recruiting, developing, and retaining employees. As a result of these changes, the importance of workplace diversity is crucial, as businesses work to develop more cohesive, collaborative, and creative work environments. Embracing diversity is a critical step for business to grow and have an impact.

A diverse workforce employs people from all walks of life – all backgrounds, genders, ages, races, religions, and abilities. These are employees who will all view the world differently, and who will apply their personal situations and experiences to bring unique perspectives to the workplace. There are some very positive benefits that can be had from having a more diverse workforce, some of which include:

1. Diverse Perspectives. Diversity in the workplace means that employees will have different characteristics and backgrounds, and therefore, they are more likely to have a variety of different skills and experiences. Employees in a company with a diverse work culture will have access to a variety of different perspectives, which will push them to “think outside of the box.” When these various perspectives come together, they open doors to innovation and new ways of doing things. This is extremely beneficial.

2. Increased Creativity and Better Ideas. People with different backgrounds tend to have different experiences and different perspectives. Exposure to a variety of perspectives and views leads to higher creativity. When put together, people who see the same thing in different ways, are more likely to get fresh, new ideas, and therefore improving the creativity of the workplace.

3. Higher Employee Engagement. The link between workplace diversity and employee engagement is straightforward – when employees feel included, they are more engaged. It’s that simple.

4. Reduced Employee Turnover. Companies with a diverse workforce are generally more inclusive of different individual characteristics and perspectives. Diversity and inclusion in the workplace cause all employees to feel accepted and valued. When employees feel accepted and valued, they are also happier in their workplace and stay longer with a company. As a result, companies with greater diversity in the workplace have lower turnover rates.

5. Better Company Reputation. Workplace diversity makes a company appear more interesting. If you present a diverse workplace culture, you will make it easier for many different people to relate to your company and your brand, opening doors to new markets, customers, and business partners.

6. Improved Hiring Results. Diversity in the workplace boosts a company’s brand and presents the company as a more desirable place to work. Workplace diversity is an especially beneficial asset for attracting top talent from diverse talent pools.

When next planning to hire new employees, consider making an effort to hire a diverse range of people, across gender, age and cultural backgrounds. Your organization could soon enjoy a wide range of benefits, such as those listed above.