Writing a job description that actually filters
Most job adverts are written to attract as many applicants as possible. For a small employer that is the opposite of what you need.
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Hiring
Defining the role, finding candidates, running a selection process that predicts something, and closing the offer.
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Hiring is the decision with the longest tail in a small business. A good appointment compounds quietly for years; a poor one consumes management attention for months and then costs again to replace. For broader independent guidance on this point, consult EEOC resources for employers.
Small employers make this decision with no recruitment function, under time pressure, and usually while doing the job the new person is meant to take over. These guides deal with that version of the problem rather than the corporate one. For a related product-level perspective on workforce analytics, see read more.
Where small employers actually find candidates
Job boards are the default and rarely the best channel for a company nobody has heard of. The alternatives take longer to build and work better.
Read the guideScreening applications without an applicant tracking system
Sixty applications and a spreadsheet is a workable position, provided the sorting happens against criteria fixed before you started reading.
Read the guideStructured interviews when there is no interview panel
Unstructured interviews predict performance poorly and feel highly informative. That combination is why they persist.
Read the guideWork samples and trials, without exploiting the candidate
A sample of the actual work predicts performance better than any interview. It also has an obvious failure mode that small employers fall into regularly.
Read the guideReference checks that are worth the phone call
Written references have been reduced to date confirmation. A short conversation with the right question still yields something.
Read the guideMaking an offer that gets accepted
The gap between decision and signed acceptance is where small employers lose candidates they have already spent six weeks selecting.
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