Attracting the best candidates is the first step to finding the perfect employee.
You've signed up to Scout as an employer and you’re ready to post your first job ad, but you’re stuck. Don't panic, we spoke to three experts and found out how to connect with people who share your company's values.
Put yourself out there
Amy Malin, owner of Smith Street's Modern Times, can empathise, “Writing a job ad is really hard!”
“What I’m learning is don’t get too bogged down in the detail, long lists of tasks or skills required won’t necessarily help you find the best applicant.”
St ALi and Sensory Lab Operations Manager Lachlan Ward says you need to start by giving potential applicants an idea of your business – what is your personality?
“You need a really well defined blurb about what you and your company is about, what you stand for and what you're trying to be,” he says.
“I think that really resonates with people when they are applying. If they are the right kind of person they are going to be attracted to that. Don't try and sell your business as something it's not.”
What you need
Next step is the non-negotiatables. Maybe you need someone who can work weekends or is available to start immediately. If you have chosen to use a Standout ad, your three screening questions can be a great way to do this.
“Asking some specifics can help filter the applicants early on,” Amy suggests, “This might be something as simple as requesting a cover letter.”
When it comes to outlining the skillset you're after, stick with dot points. Both Lachlan and Amy stress that you shouldn't be too strict with these, if you're open to training up the right person, say that up front.
What you want
“I'm looking for stability and attitude towards work and problem solving ability, moreso than cookie cutter: 'we need two years of working in a restaurant'.” Oliver Shorthouse says, “That's less important to us than a good attitude and an interesting personality and someone who is truthful and tactful.”
Oliver, who is General Manager across all of Andrew McConnell's restaurants says the process of finding the right candidate starts even before you post the ad. Both the reputation of your company and word-of-mouth from your staff are vital to attracting good candidates.
“I'm aware that running high quality restaurants will get us high quality people and that's the main tool for what we do,” Oliver says. “You still get lots of applicants who haven't considered things, they've just applied because it says, 'Apply Here'.”
For those people, you should definitely direct them to our How to Write a Resume Guide
