Advice For Employers 

RMA guidelines for making the most of the partnership to secure the best people.

• Utilise our resources - that's what we're here for
• Invest time in identifying what is important to you
• Keep the lines of communication open
• Fly kites with caution
• All rocket scientists?
• Endeavour to react in a timely fashion
• Yes / No / Maybe
• Be prepared to justify your decision
• Successfully filled? Great! Let us know
• Capitalise on your own appeal.
• Useful Resources

 

Utilise our resources - that's what we're here for

Make use of our recruitment expertise and knowledge.
Get us to help you decide on type of person you require.
Ask us for assistance to define the duties and scope responsibilities to produce a position description.
Re-consider the type of person that would be best suited in the role.
As us to evaluate what form of advertising would be best (internet, print, etc).
Seek our advice to keep abreast of legislative requirements.

 

Invest time in identifying what is important to you

As in any IT exercise, time spent thinking and planning at the beginning of the process is always time well invested. Advise which personal attributes, experience and technical skills are required on a necessary and desirable basis, and importantly, notify promptly of any changes.

 

Keep the lines of communication open

It is vital that candidates be kept up-to-date at all stages of the recruitment cycle.

Finding the right person and performing the steps necessary in the process takes time, and sometimes more than any of us would like. This can be due to circumstances beyond our immediate control, such as changing business priorities, company re-organisations, unavailability of stakeholders, holdups in approvals, etc.

If we keep the candidate well informed, they are more likely to understand and be patient (they work in business too). They will also appreciate the consideration shown, thereby enhancing your image.

 

Fly kites with caution

Differentiate between real and anticipated requirements. Be aware that your actions influence the perception of your company as an employer in the marketplace and in the broader IT community. No-one likes to feel that they have been ‘led up the garden path’, but they do understand if initial discussions are acknowledged as ‘preliminary’ to a position being confirmed.

 

All rocket scientists?

• Be careful not to ‘over specify’ a job. Not every position requires the most highly qualified, achievement- oriented or ambitious individual.
   
• There are roles that do require this type of person, but many don’t. There are major implications for staff morale and turnover in striking the right balance between what a person’s overall capabilities are, and what their job actually entails on a day-to-day basis.
   
• Use your own people who are performing well as a guide. Are they all high-fliers? Consider their backgrounds, academic qualifications, level of experience, personal qualities, etc when specifying your requirements.

 

Endeavour to react in a timely fashion

• There are extraordinary demands on people’s time these days (consider your own commitments!).
   
• To be fair to all parties, but particularly to ensure that candidates are dealt with in a considerate way, prompt feedback is essential. Even if it is not good news, people prefer to know about it sooner rather than later.
   
• Bear in mind also that surprisingly often, candidates who are not selected for a certain role are later recalled for interview for another position. If they have been treated well, they are generally very pleased to re-open discussions.

 

Yes / No / Maybe

• After reading a résumé or completing an interview, give a considered opinion as to the candidate’s suitability and the reason for your conclusions (this is also important when it is a Yes).
   
• If it is not a Yes, remember that a judgement has been made that the candidate is suitable for consideration based on information provided by you or your company. Time and effort has been invested and feedback at this point is the best way to qualifying candidates more effectively.

 

Be prepared to justify your decision

• You may or may not be correct in your assessment of a candidate’s capabilities or experience. It could be, for example, that certain information regarding their experience was not conveyed by the candidate during the interview, or was not stressed sufficiently in the résumé
   
• Be prepared to listen to another point of view if there are points on which there is non-agreement.
   
• Don’t forget that there is no long-term gain for any of the parties if a poor recruitment decision is made, whether this is to accept or to reject a candidate.

 

Successfully filled? Great! Let us know

Advise suppliers as soon as a position is confirmed as filled (this is not necessarily the same as a formal offer being made). This will help to minimise the time and effort expended on the part of candidates and suppliers.

 

Capitalise on your own appeal.

The following may be relevant to your company:

- Image in the community, or in a particular industry.
- Implementing changes to the company, and implications for IT.
- Working environment and location.
- Embarking upon new and exciting projects.
- Embracing new technologies.
- Capacity to pay well with attractive packaging options.
- Secure future, and a well-established professional reputation.
 

 

Useful Resources

Information For Employers

Good Practice, Good Business - Eliminating discrimination and harassment in the workplace.