Identifying and securing top talent is a key step toward sustainable success for any company. When you hire the right people for the right roles, they’ll be productive, contribute to your corporate culture, and help accomplish your business goals.

Many organizations take a somewhat haphazard approach to sourcing top talent. However, at The Doyle Group, we’ve found that an organized, systematic approach yields the best results when it comes to hiring. That’s why we’ve developed a five-step process for finding the right candidates for our clients. Let’s discuss that process in more detail below:

Step #1: Conduct Research and Perform an Interview “Deep Dive”

Some recruitment firms take the key requirements and skills for an open position, and use that information as the sole basis for their candidate search. Those elements are certainly crucial. However, our team at The Doyle Group goes the extra mile in determining what our client is really looking for. We look at the organization’s mission, culture, and team dynamic. We conduct a “deep dive” interview with key stakeholders. This approach ensures that we’re truly aligned with the needs of the company. In turn, we can look for the right attributes in a candidate.

At the same time, we make sure our research is candidate-facing as well. It’s important to understand and communicate what benefits the candidate will receive by joining our client’s team. We also want to address with our client what the best candidates will likely be looking for. What do they want in terms of compensation, benefits, work-life balance, professional development opportunities, and so forth?

Simply put, this stage of the process allows us to understand our client’s overall goals, the full scope of the open position, and how we can provide long-term assistance.

Step #2: Bring the “ING” to Life

Accurate and compelling job descriptions are key to attracting top talent. It’s important to describe in detail what the opportunity is, and incorporate some qualifying questions that will get the right candidates excited for the role. It’s also critical to answer the question “Why?” — as in, “Why would the most qualified candidates want this job?”

At The Doyle Group, we help coach and educate our clients on what will attract the best candidates, and what could potentially repel them (e.g., listing “nice-to-have” skills as though they were “must-haves”). We also work to make the right things stand out from the description. These include competitive pay, a positive culture, and opportunities for growth and advancement.

Put simply, every job description talks about what working at the company involves — but this step in our process brings the “ing” in “working” to life.

Step #3: Lead the Interview Process Consultation

The Doyle Group works with each client to determine what the optimal interview process should look like. We help provide insights into interview best practices. These include selecting the interview committee, candidate criteria, and best questions to ask. This consultative approach also allows us to clearly communicate expectations to candidates. 

Prepping for the interview process is key. It should be a seamless and enjoyable experience for candidates, who are getting their first glimpse at how a prospective employer operates. It’s vital that the process itself is well-designed. Each person involved in the process must have a clear grasp of what their role is and how they should evaluate candidates. For example, a 30-minute interview typically shouldn’t include a panel of five interviewers. Additionally, a person interviewing one candidate should not evaluate using alternative criteria for another. 

Having a clearly defined end-to-end interview process in place will make it easier for a company to “pull the trigger” on a promising candidate. Timing is everything when it comes to winning top talent. And you don’t want to lose your first choice by mishandling the interview process. Ideally, a client should be able to hire a full-time employee within two to three weeks of interviewing them, and a contractor within two to five days.

Step #4: Leverage The Doyle Group’s Pre-Vetted Network

Pre-vetting candidates saves the hiring manager valuable time. Our team at The Doyle Group has access to an extensive pre-vetted network of candidates. This empowers us to select the top two to three candidates for review, rather than overwhelming our client with stacks of resumes.

Some agencies subscribe to the “post and pray” method — that is, posting a job and praying that the right candidate comes along. That’s not The Doyle Group’s approach to finding top talent at all. When we add a candidate to our network, we know their experience, skills, strengths, and where they would rank for a specific client’s open roles. We are constantly involved in the community with the goal of building our network even further. As a result of our efforts, our network is over 30,000 strong, and we are able to present highly qualified candidates for our clients’ consideration.

Step #5: Provide Ongoing Support

Placing a candidate with a client is not the end goal for The Doyle Group. We want to see our candidates and clients both succeed in the long run, which is why we provide ongoing support in various ways (such as client care, candidate care, and re-engagement). We have regular check-ins with candidates and clients, send out post-placement surveys, and work to communicate any gaps or opportunities between candidates and clients. Moreover, our online community, The briDGe, is another resource that professionals can use for advice and suggestions on how to thrive in their new role. 

We want to ensure that both parties are satisfied and that all expectations have been met. Transparency is one of our core values, and we encourage both sides to be open with our team. We often assist with communicating onboarding expectations to new hires and negotiating terms of employment. 

Successfully Find Top Talent

In summary, our five-step process is detailed and rigorous. We work to ensure that we’re on the same page with our clients, delivering an accurate and compelling job description. We implement a streamlined interview process and present the best candidates for review. Finally, we provide ongoing support for new hires and employers alike. If you’re interested in seeing how our process can benefit your organization, please reach out to our team today! We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.