Challenges of pan-India recruitment and how to overcome them

The biggest challenges while recruiting people would depend on the size of the company you work with and the types of roles you are hiring for. There are many common recruiting challenges that recruiters face. 

According to a study by SHRM India, cultural differences can make it challenging to find the right fit for a company’s culture, and this is especially true when recruiting talent from different regions in India. 

Here we are listing a few challenges with some ideas of how to overcome them.

Efficient recruitment process

Attracting the right candidates

Finding the right candidate is always a challenge. We end up choosing from a small pool of people who have applied for a particular job. Although you will choose the best person from that pool of people, they are not always the best fit for that job. So how do you find the right people from a smaller pipeline of more qualified talent? You will have to be clear in the job advertisements about the requirements and give a clear idea of the role. You could design an application form which has clear, knockout questions which will get the applicant to answer with a clear “yes” or “no”. These will help you get a better idea of the people who are applying and help you with the filtration process.

Engage better with potential candidates

Good candidates are often approached by recruiters and hence they do not take emails from recruiters seriously. Making your email stand out in their mind is therefore a challenge. Some candidates who are very qualified may also be considering several opportunities at the same time. In order to make your offer standout, you must research the candidate and find out what motivates them and keeps them engaged. This will help you personalize your emails giving them a good idea of what is on offer. This will be a different approach compared to asking them what they can do for the company.

Hire quickly

Filling positions quickly is important for recruiters because vacant positions cost money and affect operations in a company. Sometimes, a delay in the recruiting process can be frustrating for the recruiting team. This may be due to various factors like a shortage of qualified talent or even a delay in the hiring process. Look at your own hiring process and see if you can crunch the process and fill the positions with a quicker turnaround time. Also check if you are looking at the right sources to fill the positions you are hiring for. Check if you are communicating quickly and effectively with potential candidates. Despite all these, it is possible that certain roles will involve a longer hiring process. It is important to set the goals for the hiring teams appropriately and ensure that a bad hire is not done to just place a tick in the recruitment box. That will result in a huge loss for the company in terms of cost and opportunity.

Use data effectively

Data and metrics can be used very effectively to make recruitment decisions. Hiring teams need to streamline and organize their data very effectively. This is sometimes done using spreadsheets but this is cumbersome. There are some effective analytics and recruitment software available that will enable you with helpful reports. It would be a good idea to invest in some of these to help with the recruitment process. You will have to make a decision based on the size and needs of your company as to which kind of analytics and software to invest in.

Create a good employer brand

A good employer brand helps with attracting and engaging better with potential recruits. For this the company must invest in building a good work culture and ensure that this is broadcast through proper channels that will help promote the idea of a good work experience in your organization. This is a complex task and needs several functions within the organization to create, collaborate and broadcast the culture of the organization. Employees are good ambassadors and a good employer listing in a media product is a great way to get your employer brand noticed.

Ensure that the candidate experience is great

Ensuring a good hiring experience for candidates during the hiring process will help them mirror how the experience will be post recruitment. Positive experiences during the hiring process can increase the chances of a candidate accepting your offer and spreading a good word about you as an employer. Good communication process with candidates is a great way to create a positive experience, candidates do not like to be kept in the dark. Good coordination and giving them all the information they need is another way of ensuring a good experience.

Fair recruitment processes

Being objective, transparent and following all the legal processes during recruitment is very important. Ensure that you provide equal opportunities and avoid stereotypes. If you have an inclusive workplace, that will showcase to potential candidates that you respect meritocracy. They will then believe that you are a fair employer.

Efficient recruitment process

Sourcing candidates, finalizing them, organizing the interviews and having effective communication all through the recruitment process will ensure that there are no gaps experienced by the candidates. Managing administrative tasks and having good coordination within the recruiting team is critical. Have good calendar protocol, email templates and other technology that can help you streamline the process.

The biggest problem with pan-India recruitment is sourcing the right candidates. Attracting the right talent is a challenge considering the geographical expanse involved. Finding the right media channels to place advertisements and reach talent is of importance. Building a good employer brand is also important because good talent is attracted to such employer brands. Despite all the efforts that you take, you must accept that pan-India recruitment is a challenging task and will be time-consuming and takes a lot of effort.