At times signing on to a certain company can be sort of like dating. Do you want to be with someone whose eyes are always on the prowl looking for the next best thing? Do you want to be with someone who is always interested in connecting themselves with someone better?

Chances are, if a company is the best of the best, it will want to work with the best. If you believe you are the best, you will have a great chance of sticking around.

Many companies advertise that they are “always looking for talented candidates.” They may not have a particular position listed, but if you are outstanding at an aspect of your industry, you can be sure that they will take a look at you. If you are an average candidate, you probably won’t get a second look.

So what exactly does a company mean when it puts itself out there this way?

• They do not have exact positions available but are looking for candidates who can knock their socks off to invest in.
• They are harvesting resumes for when the budget allows for a needed position.
• They are looking to replace a worker who may be nearing retirement or have some padding if an employer leaves.

Many people have gotten jobs through these types of advertisements. There are ways to approach a different sort of recruiting method such as this including:

• Send in a cover letter and resume explaining what you have to offer: You may be so successful at what you do that the company will have to have you.
• Never call: This is like a cold-call for sales. Plus, you don’t want to bother them if they are not looking to fill any positions and have better things to do.

If you want to connect your outstanding skills with the best employers contact Clark Personnel Service today!

Well, 2011 didn’t bring us the economic recovery we were hoping for, and it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a challenging year also. In these inconsistent times, you’ll want the right staff on board. If you’re planning to hire this year, take a look at these ten tips, designed to help you find the best employees for your business.

1. Write an accurate, specific job description for every role you’re trying to fill. Ditch those generic job specs and ensure that what you write is relevant to your business needs. Ensure that the targets and goals that need to be achieved by employing this new person are supported through the description.

2. Be realistic about what is essential and what is desirable. Emphasize the must-haves and be clear about the difference between those and the want-to-haves. You’re unlikely to find a candidate that ticks every single box, so remember which skills are necessary from the start and which can be developed over time.

3. Identify individual specifications for each role. What are the base skills you require for each? How important are the applicant’s written and verbal communications? Do they need to be a team player or more self-motivated?

4. Don’t change your mind about what you’re looking for in a candidate during the interview process based on applicants’ feedback. However, do take time to review your processes to ensure you do not make any rash decisions.

5. Speak to a specialized recruitment organization and build a strong relationship with them. Make sure you understand the current recruitment market and be aware of trends in the human resource departments within businesses in your industry.

6. Keep to a standard interview process on all applicants – telephone screen, psychometric test, first interview, second interview, a related test for that role if necessary. This will help you assess all candidates equally.

7. Ask all applicants to complete a standard application form and provide copies of all qualifications and ID prior to arranging any interviews. This way you’ll know right off the bat if the person is qualified to the standards required to fulfill the role successfully.

8. Perform background and ID checks prior to wasting your time with interviews.

9. During each interview, ask plenty of competency-based questions. What has the applicant achieved in their current role? Ask them to share their career highlights. Establish their weaknesses and find out what they have done to overcome the weaknesses.

10. Before appointment, take a minimum of two written references. One must be the last and most recent employer. Ask for character references if the role involves a lot of trust. Try to gain a full understanding of that person; will they fit in with the team and can they fulfill the role in the long term?

If you’d like more assistance with finding the right employees for your company, don’t hesitate to contact Clark Personnel today!