Recruiting 101: Best Practices for HR Leaders

Hiring sometimes feels like searching for treasure without a map. You know what you’re looking for—but you have no idea how to find it. And just when you think you’ve struck gold with a promising candidate, you realize it was fool’s gold all along. Getting burned in the hiring process hurts. It wastes your time, drains your energy, and sets your whole team back.

If you’re tired of feeling lost in the hiring process—or fed up with third-party recruiters handing you duds—it’s time to take back control.

So let’s break down what recruiting is—and how different types of recruiting can help you find candidates that are the cream of the crop.

What Is Recruiting?

Recruiting is the process of finding qualified and eligible candidates to fill open roles at your company. It’s a constant search for new talent that’ll keep your company running smoothly or take it to the next level. Employees make your business go, but they’re also your biggest expense—so make sure you choose new hires wisely!

Different Types of Recruiting

Recruiting doesn’t have to be a wild-goose chase. With the right recruiting strategies, you can find what you’re looking for in potential employees. Use these three main methods of recruitment to help you staff your team.

Internal recruiting is a great way to grow your team from the inside out. And when you fill open roles with current team members, you’re not only promoting growth—you’re building loyalty. Internal hires create opportunities for advancement, boost morale, and strengthen retention by showing your team there’s a future for them where they are.

External recruiting is when you fill open roles with outside applicants. You can find applicants by:

• Listing openings on your website
• Sharing open roles on social media
• Posting on job boards
• Hiring a staffing agency
• Revisiting old applicants (especially runners-up)

Side note: Never externally and internally recruit for the same position at the same time. Always start with internal recruits, or you’ll kill morale and trust. Boom! Dead. And that’s the last thing you want.

Referral recruiting is when you interview people because they were recommended by one of your current employees.

This recruiting strategy is a huge boost for your company culture as well since it naturally brings like-minded people together to contribute to your company’s mission. We thrive on referrals at Ramsey Solutions—21% of our team members were referred by another team member.

From Recruiting to Hiring

Finding candidates is only half the battle. Now, you need to sift through your lists with a fine-tooth comb to figure out who you want to hire. Like we said before, employees are your biggest expense, so don’t rush this process. Take your time choosing the right candidate.

Check out the 12 Components to a Good Hire for the tips you need to hire team members that’ll help your organization win.