In my experience, the quality of the candidate shortlist is usually determined by the quality of the briefing session. So, if you’re looking to hire a new team member, here’s my advice to help the process flow smoothly. Spend the time on your brief upfront, to save wasting time later in the process.
Some of the areas to focus on include:
➡️ Defining the “must haves” versus the “nice to haves”. Too often businesses look for the perfect candidate and overlook people who can successfully grow into the role.
➡️ Understand your “why”. Is this a replacement, growth position or succession planning? The search strategy changes depending on the objective.
➡️ Before advertising, clarify the interview process by deciding who is involved, how many interview stages there will be and the anticipated timeframe so candidates receive a consistent experience.
➡️ Know what you’re prepared to compromise on. If someone is culturally the right fit but is missing one technical requirement, would you still consider them?
➡️ Avoid changing the brief mid-search. Once quality candidates have been engaged, shifting requirements (experience level, salary, project type, or profile) often means restarting the process and losing top applicants.
Lean on your recruiter during the process, both for market intelligence and a reality check. If you’re asking for 10+ years’ experience, niche sector exposure and a lower salary, it may significantly reduce the available talent pool.
A specialist recruiter should challenge the brief where appropriate and provide feedback on salary, candidate availability and competitor activity, not simply take an order.
With 20 years’ experience and a transparent, collaborative approach, I help businesses across the construction, property, development, real estate and project management sectors build strong, productive teams.
Reach out today to talk through your requirements.