When you need to find a professional to fill a vacant position, ensuring you find a strong match the first time is essential. Fortunately, by incorporating the right defense candidate screening processes, identifying a right-fit job seeker is easier. If you want to take your screening process to the next level, here are four things you can do to strengthen it.
1. Perform Social Media Screenings
Social media screenings allow you to learn more about a defense candidate’s personality and priorities, as well as their career. As you narrow down the list of applicants, take a moment to look them up on LinkedIn to gather details that didn’t fit on their resumes. Then, head to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to see if there is more to learn.
Often, you’ll get insights about a job seeker’s capabilities, as well as their personality. As a result, you may have an easier time determining if they’ll mesh with your company’s culture.
Plus, you may be able to tell if there are any security concerns, something that’s critical with defense candidates. For example, you can evaluate how they discuss their jobs or employers, the kind of information they reveal, and who’s part of their network, giving you critical insights.
2. Add Skills Assessments
In some cases, it’s hard to judge whether a defense candidate is well-equipped for a job by their resume alone. As a result, adding a skills assessment to the screening process can be a wise decision. It allows you to see if a job seeker has the right capabilities first-hand, making it easier to identify genuine top contenders.
Ideally, you want to make the assessment relatively short and convenient for defense candidates. A simple pre-hire test could be a solid choice, as you can create exams that take 30 minutes or less to complete. If you go with a pre-hire project instead, keep the requirements concise and the project itself relatively simple. Remember, top defense talent won’t dedicate several hours to a screening activity if they can reasonably secure an opportunity elsewhere, so don’t go overboard.
3. Use Video Interviews
Phone interviews have long been a simple way to get an initial feel for candidates, allowing you to identify top contenders. However, going with video interviews can be a better choice. It lets you engage with a job seeker face-to-face, making the experience more meaningful, all while allowing you to determine if they have the right skills, knowledge, and personality to move forward in the process.
Plus, video interviews allow you to gauge a defense candidate’s tech-savviness. For remote roles, this could be particularly vital, as a job seeker that struggles with completing a video call may have greater difficulties with remote technologies than those that don’t.
4. Have a Hiring Team
In some cases, hiring is best when there is a team leading the process, not just an individual. By having a multi-person interview panel, you can potentially eliminate bias. Plus, you can gain insights based on the unique perspective of all of those involved, potentially leading to a stronger overall hire.
Who you should include may vary depending on the position. However, it’s wise to begin with, the position’s supervisor, an upper-level manager, and a future team member of the new hire. That gives you several levels of professionals involved in the mix, which could lead to powerful insights a hiring manager alone may overlook.
Are you seeking exceptional defense candidates for your vacant positions? Partner with the Staffing Resource Group to connect with top talent and streamline your hiring process. Contact us to learn more about our services today.
