We know that recruitment is an important development issue. Beyond the cost they represent when they fail, they are above all a crucial investment for businesses. So, how can we integrate the recruitment process into a long-term vision for the company's evolution? Antoine Chaudron talks to us about recruitment as a lever for continuous innovation and onboarding.
Onboarding: capitalization for the company
We know that recruitment only ends at the end of the trial period: this is why the onboarding period must be particularly careful. To clearly define its contours, we can say that it begins the day the candidate and the employer sign a mutual agreement (or confirm their reciprocal commitment by e-mail), even if the future hire is not yet present. physically in the company. Likewise, onboarding ends at the end of the trial period.
From this signature, the company enters a period of fragility, because at any time, this future hire can leave the company.
[ Read also ]
The causes can be multiple (better offer from a competitor, poor reception or poor follow-up during the trial period, etc.), hence the importance of organizing to retain this good candidate.
Hiring a new employee represents a significant investment (cost of recruitment, training of the person concerned, salary during the trial period, etc.) which must be recouped quickly: the sooner the company successfully integrates the candidate and makes him operational, the sooner it will have succeeded in its bet.
Who are the players for successful onboarding?
Of course the HR department is the first concerned. We can also count on the future N+1 or even the N+2. They must indeed be completely involved, in coordination with HR. For example, if the candidate does not join the company straight away, the N+1 must check in regularly or invite the future entrant to special events or meetings in order to maintain the candidate's interest. -this. In addition, he must be assigned a "tutor" who will liaise with the company's various departments, who will be an administrative relay for all material questions and above all who will collect any comments or grievances from the future new employee.
Implement a continuous improvement approach
The tutor is therefore of capital importance from the arrival of the newcomer, especially in the first days during which the latter must not feel alone or left to their own devices. During this period, the tutor can (and must) send corrective messages if necessary. This requires a well-established organization and method:
- development of an hour-by-hour schedule for the first 15 days;
- plan a debriefing interview at least every 2 days with the N+1;
- schedule an interview every 15 days with the N+2;
- plan an immersion in a particular factory, warehouse or department;
- plan the dates for the mid-term and end-of-term interview.
It is up to the HR department to develop this organization, and above all, to control each step of the process to improve its effectiveness.
The company must be able to rely on a structured onboarding process that leaves plenty of room for dialogue that can be opened up by the comments of a new employee. Indeed, what could be better than a fresh eye to highlight positive aspects to be sustained as well as dysfunctions to be improved?
The specificity of recruitment in a process of continuous improvement
Beyond onboarding, the six stages of recruitment must aim towards excellence:
1- Writing the ad
Does it exactly match the job description? Is the employer brand sufficiently highlighted?
2- Sorting CVs
How is it organized? On what priority criteria? How important are spelling and syntax?
3-The telephone pre-selection interview
Does the recruiter give a good first impression of the company? How does the conclusion of this interview go?
4- Face-to-face (or remote) interview
Did the recruiter present the interview process before starting? What are the essential questions he has prepared? What type of conclusion did he choose? What image does the recruiter give through his behavior?
5- The decision circuit
Who are the people the candidate must meet? Who gives their opinion and how? Collegial decision, or does someone ultimately decide?
6- The response to the candidate
Whether the response is positive or negative, the company must always give the best image of itself: how is the response letter or e-mail written? What is the maximum time limit for it to be sent?
All these questions require clear and precise answers. Recruitment therefore requires the development and continuous improvement of a specific process, controllable and verifiable at each moment.
The mid-term interview: self-criticism and questioning
To properly prepare for this interview, the HR manager will have spoken beforehand with all employees who have been in contact with the new entrant. But this is only part of the interview: the other, very important part, consists of getting the new hire to talk and listen to the feelings of the new hire on all subjects concerning the company (including the recruitment process).
For this active listening to be useful, the employee must be ready to accept criticism and question themselves. Under no circumstances should he put himself in opposition or justify himself, otherwise the dialogue will quickly stop. This “listening” part can also represent up to 70% of the time of the mid-term interview…
What should the company be prepared to do?
The professionalization of the recruitment process and those involved makes it possible to make recruitment more sustainable, without there being a magic formula for achieving 100% success.
Recruitment is a delicate process, the recruiter(s) sometimes make mistakes despite their experience. Even in the event of a perfect recruitment, the candidate can change his mind until the last moment. Hence the interest in questioning and continuously improving existing processes in the company, onboarding being one of the levers, sometimes not sufficiently taken into account...
