Universal Hiring Best Practices:
When John Younger, a 22 year recruiting veteran, started Accolo, Inc. - he wanted to make sure it was based on a solid foundation.
Accolo dissected every step of the recruiting process and identified 10 universal hiring best practices. Two core principles were naturally at play: first was improving the employer traditional business metrics (make better and faster hires); and second was to make sure the candidates were really getting the experience they deserve. Candidates “may be your customers, your investors and even referral sources” says John, “and you want to give each and every one of them the best possible impression of your company.”
Best Practice 1: Know what you are seeking
Traditionally, making sure the recruiter is crystal clear on what to source for is a given. Sourcing often starts for typical recruiters with a vague understanding of what is required or what the term “strategic leader” really means for instance.
Accolo’s approach brings a new level of clarity with proprietary methods added to the interview and reference check process.
On the reference check side, not only has Accolo been using Checkster to upgrade the traditional mediated and often biased telephone reference check, but they’ve also tailored the Checkster platform so that references can provide feedback that is specific to the “success dimensions” aligned to the job. The flexibility of the Checkster platform enables Accolo to easily perform this alignment, ensuring that the Reference Check 2.0 or online peer rating is assessed with the most accurate tools.
Best Practice 2: Referral sourcing
For years, organizations have been dependent on a passive sourcing strategy often referred to as “post and pray.” Companies will post a job ad in a newspaper or on a job board and wait for candidates that are looking for a job to respond. This method has historically worked relatively well, but has always come second to referrals. In today’s connected world, this is not enough.
Social networks are becoming a new source for candidates and digital outreach is valued more and more. To complement its comprehensive sourcing approach, Accolo is planning to use Checkster’s contact database to leverage the references as passive candidates. This opt-in approach provides over five quality, passive candidates per applicant going through the process. This method has been used for years, but manually by search firms. Checkster has put this method on steroids by providing twice as many quality references.
Not only has Checkster enabled Accolo to operate at an efficiency level that only best in class firms can reach, but it has also provided better assessments when sourcing passive candidates. Checkster’s main benefits for Accolo, Inc.:
- The main benefit is the added ability to deliver the efficiency levels that are expected from an RPO without sacrificing quality. “Our customers expect the best price from us and an unmatched candidate quality,” states John Younger. “Call center outsourcing has been a poor substitute for true quality reference checking. Checkster brings us the power to be extremely efficient while getting in depth, tailored reference assessments.”
- The second benefit is the sourcing of passive candidates that Checkster adds to the reference process. Best in class search firms live and breathe this - and Accolo leverages these passive candidates twice as fast at a fraction of the cost, because of Checkster’s automation.
