How to best hire for a HR Specialist - 6 tips
Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes
As more managers realise that wooing great job candidates takes significant time and effort today, many organisations are adding human resources professionals to their teams to help out with the recruiting process.
Human resources specialists support recruiting, onboarding and talent management programs. In addition, they may take responsibility for employee engagement, create wellness initiatives, develop training and team-building programs, and enhance organisational culture.
With this focus on people management, it’s essential to find the right person to serve as a human resources specialist for your company. However, low unemployment rates and a shortage of skilled candidates have made that difficult.
So, what HR roles should you spotlight now in your hiring, and how do you attract the top candidates? Here’s what you need to know:
When to hire a human resources specialist
Determining the right time to bring in specialised HR professionals depends on the needs, schedules and budget of your organisation. Also, depending on your industry and market, you might find different types of expertise in demand.
Here are just a few examples of when and where a human resources specialist can benefit your company:
- High workloads — If the amount of work is increasing at your organisation, new employees or project professionals may be required to handle the additional responsibilities. That’s a sign you’ll need a human resources specialist to help with hiring, rolling out updated benefits packages or new employee programs, especially if you’re creating and recruiting multiple roles.
- Sluggish hiring — If your favourite candidates are getting snatched up by other companies before you can make an offer, you’ll want to bring on a human resources specialist to help ensure you’re conducting interviews and extending offers in a timely manner.
- Benefits enrolment — Many organisations also need assistance with benefits open enrolment, which an HR specialist can provide. In California, for example, HR specialists with this experience are in particularly high demand.
How to find your best hires
Because of the increased competition for HR gurus, strategy is key when staffing these positions. As you search, keep the following tips in mind:
1. Be specific
Knowing how to write a job description that’s carefully crafted can give you a springboard to identify candidates who match your requirements. Job descriptions should contain an outline of all the skills, experience and personality traits you’re looking for. This is also your chance to sell your company to candidates, so tout factors that will entice top HR talent, like on-site childcare, career advancement opportunities and how great your organisational culture is.
2. Get referrals
Friends, family members, professional contacts and existing staff are valuable resources when looking for accomplished HR professionals. You might even offer incentives, such as gift cards or bonuses, to employees who provide referrals leading to promising new hires.
3. Look for balanced skill sets
Along with HR expertise, a human resources specialist should have outstanding soft skills. Particularly valuable today are collaborative abilities and an aptitude for problem solving. Also essential are strong communication skills, including a capacity to work well with others and clearly explain HR matters that can be confusing to employees, such as benefit elections or how pay periods are structured.
4. Keep an eye toward the future
Transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are reshaping HR as they change processes and take over routine responsibilities like scanning resumes and data entry. You’ll need HR specialists who are tech savvy and adaptable to help you in this age of digital disruption.
5. Don’t wait for a unicorn
Keep in mind that the perfect candidate probably doesn’t exist. Spending time looking for someone who ticks every box could cause you to miss out on a wealth of talented individuals who would shine in your company. Instead, be open to providing on-the-job training to develop additional skills required for the role.
6. Make your offer quickly
Today’s candidates know they’re hot commodities, and many have multiple job offers on the table. If you drag out your hiring process, you will lose skilled HR specialists to your competition. Once you’ve pinpointed the candidate you want to hire, make an offer. At the very least, stay in contact with promising applicants throughout the process to keep them interested in the position.
One of the easiest ways to find human resources specialists in today’s labour market is to work with a recruitment agency. Their experts have the experience and connections to find candidates who are right for your company.
