04 April 2024
Not all recruitment agents are ethical
When it comes to filling a vacancy in your company, it is best to avoid many recruitment agents. Not all of these agents follow ethical hiring practices which means your company may be missing out on some of the best candidates for the open position.
A company that follows ethical practices in recruitment and selection should not have to rely on recruitment agents. The ethics in hiring employees can be achieved by following the upcoming guidelines.
Steps to ethical considerations in recruitment without a recruitment agent
Use your network
One of the best ways to find qualified candidates and diversify your workforce is to contact colleagues, friends, clients, and industry contacts, to see who is available. They may have a good idea of who is available and who is looking to upgrade their careers by an employment change.
This is not unethical as all the ethical hiring practices can be followed when vetting each name. No one is excluded when you use your network to find the best talent for your company.
Participate in industry events
Whether you host them or just attend, this is a very informal way to contact potential candidates. The style of the event does not matter as long as you make constructive contact with potential candidates.
These events cut out the middle man, the recruitment agent, making it easier to see if the person has met the qualifications needed for the open position. You also get a better read of the person as they are not as nervous as they would be in an interview.
Turn to social media
One of the most innovative methods to use for recruitment and finding the best candidates for your vacancies is by using LinkedIn, Facebook, and even X. These social media accounts can help promote your company’s culture as well as your company values.
These are popular options your competitors use to get top talent, so take advantage of them. Old-fashioned recruiting methods do not always work and are slower than social media. Candidates can apply with both eyes open keeping the process nice and transparent.
Build a career page
This is where you and your company can make a positive first impression with potential hires. It is part of the ethical practices in recruitment and selection because anyone can view these pages.
The key to creating these career pages is to keep them engaging and informative. Plus, these career pages help candidates see how they will be treated if they are hired. This is a part of the transparency factor that is required in ethical hiring practices.
Applicant tracking system
If you need to streamline your hiring process and save time, this option has worked out for a variety of HR managers. What the applicant tracking system does is automate the process keeping unconscious bias out of the process.
The tasks it automates include posting job openings, filtering resumes, and scheduling interviews. Other benefits to using this system are that it should reduce paperwork, find top-quality candidates, and save a lot of time.
Search colleges & universities
If you are looking for fresh ideas and talent, then these academic institutions are a big help. Plus, they are a great help when your company needs specific academic qualifications for the vacancy in question.
Colleges have special departments for recruitment and they are not acting like the typical recruitment agency. Also, it is possible to implement ethics in hiring employees through this system. Keep everything anonymous till the interview.
Create an employee referral program
When you are looking to cut down on turnover, the referred new hires tend to stay longer at a position than any other recruitment method. In addition to that, these types of programs cut down on the hiring process, saving the company lots of money.
Those candidates interviewed through this method are better prepared for the job and what is expected of them. This method of finding top candidates meets with ethical hiring practices as it is all-inclusive and can provide diversity in the workforce.
Use internship programs
These programs not only provide companies with a good look at the interns, but they also provide on-the-job training that will be essential when the intern is hired as a full-time employee.
On the other hand, these internship programs will allow a company to view how the intern will fit in the company’s culture as well as view their skills and work ethic. These programs are another top way to find employees who will stay with the company for a long time.
Create employee development programs
Training your current employees for better positions is a good way to retain employees and enable better employee performance. Providing promotion and development opportunities is a great way to retain top talent.
Employees love to see the company interested and involved in their careers. These development programs are one way to get involved and show your employees the company values their efforts.
Some additional words
One last way to hire employees without using a recruiter is to foster a positive company culture. This is one of the key aspects that potential candidates evaluate before handing in their application.
Ethical practices in recruitment and selection take a lot of work but in the end, your company will benefit.
