
April 24th, 2018 by James Harkness
It’s the scenario no manager wants to face but it happens all too often: an employee quits on the spot and the position left vacant needs to be filled ASAP. Usual recruitment cycles can take up to two months with job ads to create, interviewing, hiring and offering and all the recruitment admin that’s part of the process, so condensing that into a week or two can seem next to impossible.
To avoid the mad rush, here are some strategies to ensure the next time you have to hire quickly, you’re prepared.
You should always be on the lookout for qualified talent. Make it clear on your company’s website, LinkedIn, and any other platforms you use, that you’re always accepting applications and be sure to tell your employees about this too. That way, when you suddenly have an opening, you also have a stack of resumes you can begin going over, or a database filled with potential applications.
Do not be afraid to look back at old applicants and resumes either, as there may be some on-hand who are ready for the role and have already taken interest in your company.
No matter when or how you recruit there are going to be costs involved. Paying for some of these costs in advance can help so that you’re ready to hire at a moment’s notice. Whether it’s engaging a recruitment company and having your business on their books, or doing DYI advertising if you pre-purchase services or advertising products you can often get a discount. At the beginning of the calendar year, or financial year, review how many roles you had to fill in the last 12-months and plan accordingly.
You’ll feel a lot better about emergency recruitment if you have a plan in place of how to handle it. This means having an action plan that you can enact the moment an employee resigns.
The plan should include:
While no business owner ever wants to be in the situation where they have a staff member resign without notice, a good plan will help you navigate the recruitment process a lot easier and ensure your open position is filled as soon as possible.
About the author
Saxon Marsden-Huggins is the managing director of Recruit Shop, which offers recruitment services to small businesses in Australia and New Zealand.