In October of last year, I spoke to Real Business about what I’d learnt about recruitment – and why I felt ‘the fit’ of individuals was so important in an organisation. Since then, Natural HR has expanded even further – in fact at its fastest rate yet! We’ve employed 8 people across 2019 so far and now have a team of 24 people.

I decided to look back at that article with Real Business to see which bits really resonated after even more ‘recruitment’ experience. Here they are:

• The office walk around. I take all of our candidates around the office and introduce them to the team – this works to ensure both the prospective employee and the organisation can make an informed decision.
  
• Look out for the trait of adaptability! This is even more prevalent for us now as the organisation has gone through unprecedented growth and roles often morph. If you’re a growing business, acknowledge this and find people willing to embrace this, take on new challenges and see the opportunities that inevitably come from this.
  
• Unearth their ethos and values. When you’ve built an organisation from scratch you need people who are going to mirror your values and feel happy aligning themselves to the ethos of your business. Consider how you can find out what these are in the interview stages. Notice how candidates discuss themselves, their approach – and take note of the reference!
  
• Give the candidates something to prepare in advance.  I find posing a question for them to consider and prepare a ‘response’ to in advance will speak volumes about the individual. I was asked to do this for my first HR Intern role!
  
• Be honest. As a business owner or person responsible for recruiting, being honest about your organisation is the first step to finding people who will genuinely contribute positively to it. Don’t just say things because you think it sounds impressive or it’s what you ‘want your organisation to look like in five years’. Of course, you are trying to present your best self in this context, but make sure it’s honest. Otherwise, you may find yourself re-hiring when the reality is very different for that new employee.

Do any of these resonate with you?