Recruitment processes are the obligatory step for any candidate who wishes to join a company. What are the steps of an effective recruitment process? What awaits you before starting your job? Here’s everything you need to know!
When a recruitment need arises from companies, they put in place a whole process aimed at finding the ideal candidate for the position to be filled. While some go through a recruitment agency, others opt for a simple online advertisement. These recruitment campaigns on dedicated sites and/or social networks can be an excellent way to find the ideal future employee!
Recruitment strategies adopted by companies differ from one organization to another. Indeed, in professions that require particular expertise, the candidate will need to pass tests aimed at assessing whether they can be hired or not. Keep in mind that the objective of these recruitment approaches is always to have an application “fit” with a position to be filled, but also to allow potential future employees to better understand what awaits them in terms of mission and framework. work.
What are the stages of the recruitment process?
The main steps put in place by the recruiting manager are similar regardless of the company for which you are applying. Indeed, a good recruitment process always begins with an ad that you can find on social networks or specialized sites. Generally, you are asked for a CV and a cover letter.
Once you apply, all you have to do is wait for feedback from the company in order to take the next steps. The usual recruitment procedure takes place in two interviews: the first is now often carried out by telephone, while the second, longer, aims to check whether your skills and experience can be applied to the position and missions for which you are applying.
In rare cases, companies offer a third interview. This can be used to check whether your values and personality are in line with the company culture. This can also be an excellent time to negotiate your salary and/or benefits associated with the position. However, fewer and fewer organizations go through the third interview stage when a recruitment need arises. Indeed, in general, jobs need to be filled quickly and companies seek to speed up the process.
The job offer, first step in the recruitment process
We often forget it, but to carry out a good, effective recruitment process, we must not neglect this key step. On the business side, it is important to publish an attractive job offer. You must be specific about what awaits the candidate, both in terms of missions and the benefits and culture of the organization. Care must be taken in the way information is presented. Indeed, an ad without any paragraph, with pasted text, can put off some candidates and rightly so! The form is not as important as the substance, but it helps to better attract talent.
For candidates, the job offer is also the first step towards obtaining the position of their dreams in the target company. You must therefore create a beautiful CV, avoiding using too much color. Creativity allows you to stand out from the crowd, but you have to be careful about the use of icons, colors and the alignment of elements! In general, you have to adapt to the sector you are applying for. A CV that is too simple, in black and white, for a creative position (design, video, photography, etc.) will not attract attention. On the other hand, for the world of consulting, you should not hesitate to be more traditional, even if touches of color are welcome.
Regarding the cover letter, it is the element that is most neglected by candidates. It is important to personalize it for each application. You have to make it clear to the company that you really want to work for them. To do this, it is important to find out about the position and the expected missions, but also about the company in general. The cover letter will allow you to show how useful your skills and past professional achievements will be to the company!
The first interview
Most of the time, the first recruitment interview is carried out by telephone or videoconference. This one is short (around twenty minutes). Its purpose is to carry out a second “sorting” of the candidates, after the stage of screeningwhich corresponds to the sorting of applications based on the CV and the cover letter.
During the first interview, the company really tries to understand if you are a perfect candidate for the position. Roughly summarized, the recruiting manager will try to understand if you are not wasting their time and if it is relevant to send you for a second, longer interview with your future manager.
During this first exchange with the company, you will mainly have to talk about yourself and your background. The company may ask you questions regarding your experience or your mastery of essential tools to carry out the missions that will be asked of you. The idea is to find out more about you to ensure that you match the profile the organization is looking for.
The first interview, even if it takes place by telephone, must be prepared. It is important to appear professional and not hesitate to ask a question at the end of the exchange to show your interest in this particular position. You can also take the opportunity to find out more about the rest of the recruitment process.
Recruitment process: everything you need to know about the second interview
The second interview is generally the most strategic. It takes place in front of one or two people from the company. This stage of the recruitment process takes place with your potential future manager, who will evaluate you on your level of expertise and your knowledge of the profession. In some cases, he is accompanied by a member of the human resources department. This person will mainly be present to assess your interpersonal skills, talk about elements such as salary, working atmosphere, etc.
Know how to present yourself in a recruitment interview
If the presentation stage is important during the first interview, here it is key. Knowing how to pitch yourself effectively, in a few minutes, is an art that must be mastered. The first rule is to be concise and precise. You have to learn to present yourself intelligently by going over the details that matter: your name, your age, your diploma, your position or your current situation… You can also take the opportunity to talk about what you learned in your training or your current positions . Here, the hiring manager will want to know if you know how to be synthetic, but also to learn more about you.
An example of a good presentation pitch might be: “ My name is Quentin. I’m 30 years old. I graduated from an engineering school and decided to specialize in computer science. During my training, I was able to deepen my knowledge in web development and develop skills in coding and problem solving which were valued during my previous internship periods. I am also passionate about technology and regularly monitor new tools and innovations that emerge on these subjects. »
The objective is always to contextualize your presentation according to your background, of course, but also the qualities that you wish to highlight. The ideal is to orient your presentation according to the position for which you are applying, but also to the missions which are proposed.
Talk about your faults and qualities during an interview
Although this question tends to be asked less and less in interviews, it comes up regularly from recruiters. It makes it possible to measure the candidate’s profile, in particular their ability to work in a team, but also their flexibility and other so-called “soft” skills. Soft skills have become very important for recruiters. In fact, they will evaluate the candidate on their technical knowledge, but also everything related to their personality in the context of the work.
Here again, it is important to give examples, particularly in the context of defects. Regarding qualities, we invite you to address the traditional ones: I am dynamic, I know how to adapt, I listen or I am organized. However, do not hesitate to provide concrete elements that will prove these qualities.
Remember that interviews should be used to choose the right candidate. So, in terms of defects, you need to mention elements that cannot harm your application. However, your future employer will not be receptive to the cliché: “I am a perfectionist”. Here, we especially advise you to demonstrate how you work on this defect or how you were able to overcome it. For example : ” I’m very impatient. I like when things move and when I am offered challenging missions. »
End your job interview well: questions to ask
At the end of your interview, one of the crucial elements that will help define whether you are the right candidate or not is your motivation. This is also an element that is crucial during this recruitment process. This motivation can be proven throughout the interviews, but also at the end of the meeting. It is imperative to always prepare a question to ask your recruiter. You can find out about the rest of the process, but also try to understand what challenges will await you in this position, what are the expectations of your potential manager, etc.
Here are some questions you can ask during an interview:
- What is the biggest challenge your team has faced in recent weeks?
- Who will be my contacts during this internship or work-study program?
- Can you tell me more about the working atmosphere?
- What is the defining quality you look for in a candidate?
What are recruitment interviews for?
Recruitment interviews fulfill several objectives that must be kept in mind, both on the side of the recruiters and on the side of the candidates. The first element that an employer will seek to know before hiring is of course the match between your profile and the position that is open. This is why you should not hesitate to talk about your skills, your professional achievements and your knowledge. Furthermore, the objective of these interviews is also to measure your technical know-how as well as your interpersonal skills, or your soft-skills.
The other objective of recruitment interviews is to measure your motivation. This is a determining element of recruitment. This is why, for companies, it is imperative to put in place the entire framework that allows the candidate to fully express their potential and motivation. Furthermore, an interesting filter to measure this parameter is the case.
The case, an essential step in the recruitment process
The case is an exercise that is given to candidates, either during the interview or between two meetings. It is not required for all recruitments. However, it is growing more and more, especially for executive level candidates. It has even become a must in the world of consulting and auditing.
Overall, the case does not seek to test you on perfect mastery of technical skills, but more on reasoning, a way of operating. You must therefore deploy all the tools at your disposal to demonstrate that you master your subject. If this happens during the interview, don’t hesitate to state your hypotheses out loud.
Recruitment times
Deadlines vary from company to company and from position to position. Depending on the expertise requested, you will not have the same process and it may take several weeks between your application on the recruitment announcement and the final return of the teams. However, companies tend to reduce these deadlines, to relieve the pressure on the candidate, but also to ensure that the position is filled quickly. Some audit firms carry out all the interviews on the same day, before providing a response within 48 hours to 72 hours.
