Try the 5ws and H Next Time You Are Hiring
How do you maximize getting the most-qualified employee? Hiring agencies utilize numerous tips to uncover the professional potential of the candidates they engage. Most employers go to these agencies due to these self-acclaimed skills and expertise in talent acquisition.
Is this to say that you cannot hire on your own without engaging hiring agencies? No, you can carry out the recruitment process as a company. However, the point of contention is whether you can leverage all the tools and tips that recruitment agencies use to acquire talent.
The 5Ws and H are mostly perceived as writing tools. However, have you applied this in your recruitment process? In this article, I share how hiring agencies apply the 5Ws and H when engaging professionals, whether when screening their CVs or at the interview level.
1. Who
When engaging a candidate job agencies want to first understand who they are. Apart from the professional experience, what attributes describe their personality, and how can that relate to the current job offer? By knowing this, you get to gauge whether they have the right personality to handle the role.
2. What
This is mostly displayed in the resume. The question that a recruiter will ask is, “What relevant experience does this candidate have concerning the position?” They will then study the attached testimonials to check whether what they have written and the portfolios shared attain the experience needed to perform in the role.
3. Where
Here, the HR firm will focus on key aspects such as where the professional has worked before, where they are currently located and their willingness to move. For instance, if you are hiring for a full-time job, the ideal candidate would be someone who is within the proximity of your firm or is willing to move. This is where you would pay attention to details like candidates applying from a different country that need you to apply some labour laws knowledge.
4. When
In this question, the recruiter will need to know how long the prospect has been exposed to their previous responsibilities. This includes details like when they graduated, when they started working, their years of experience and most importantly when they are available to start the new role.
5. Why
When engaging prospects, there are details that you need to find out about their career. These are answered through this question. Here, the recruiting agency will seek to know, for example, why they left their last job, why there are gaps in their CV or why their employment durations are short. This helps you answer some key questions that cannot be directly pointed out.
6. How
This question helps you know how they intend to apply their already acquired experience in the new role. You can ask questions like how they intend to merge their experience with the duties they are being assigned. Secondly, you can also seek to know how their placement will help achieve the company goals. This allows you to know whether the candidate is passionate about the role and is committed to performing.
In a nutshell, there are many strategies that a recruitment agency will use to get the best candidate. However, the approach you use depends on your organizational goals, the type of role and the kind of candidate you anticipate. With the help of experts, you can utilize this strategy to hire your next candidate.