How do you define and implement a recruitment policy?

Whatever the business or sector concerned, the recruitment policy defines the best practices applied to recruitment within an organisation. It outlines the recruitment process by including the actions, decisions and resources implemented by a team or department to fill vacant or newly created positions within a company.

Whether you are a human resources director, manager, HR manager or departmental recruitment officer, the human resources policy you implement is of vital importance to your organisation's overall strategy: It guarantees the application of procedures while improving the experience of future employees and promoting the company's values and culture.

How can you put in place a recruitment policy at the heart of your HR approach and make a success of your recruitment campaign?

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Why define a recruitment policy?

If the aim of recruitment is to acquire new talent, setting up a recruitment policy defines the conditions under which recruitment takes place.

It will serve not only to find suitable candidates, but also to :

• optimising processes
• support the company's development,
• and ensure the long-term development of its activities.

Let's take a look at the issues involved in defining a recruitment policy.

Adapting to the main recruitment constraints

Following a well-defined policy helps to limit the impact on the company's activities. Recruitment is a complex system to implement, and is exposed to different types of constraints:

• it takes time and costs money: the preparation of the recruitment process, the publication of the advertisement, and the possible use of an external recruitment agency or service provider all involve costs;
• It is dependent on changes within the company: faced with technical, organisational and other changes, the recruitment process has to adapt to these changes and keep pace with these requirements;
• it depends on the economic situation and the state of the market: other offers on the market, in specific sectors that are in high demand, make the search for the rare pearl more difficult.

Defining a recruitment policy, linked to a strategy, makes it possible to circumvent anticipated difficulties or mitigate their effects, for example by strengthening its employer brand in order to stand out from other recruiters on the hunt for talent.

Adopt a consistent and transparent approach

When a recruitment policy is defined, monitored and adhered to, the actions taken are streamlined. As a result, a genuine recruitment process can be put in place and good practice can be applied systematically.

In order to establish the procedures to be followed, here are a few points to consider:

• How and on what criteria can I select and validate skills?
• What research or talent management tools will I use? Will an HRIS be necessary?
• How should the job interview be conducted? Will there be several interviews? Which employees will be present?
• What assessment tests or evaluation tools should I use?
• What factors will be essential in determining my final choice?
• What steps will I take to integrate new employees?

To ensure that the process is transparent, a clear recruitment pathway can be announced to each candidate:

• whether or not a pre-selection interview is held,
• number of interviews and with whom (manager, HR manager, future manager or employee, etc.)
• a business or technical assessment,
• a personality test, etc.
  
  

And why not go a step further and detail the integration process for the new recruit: onboarding period, introduction to the company and its businesses, welcome afterwork with the team, etc.? Candidates will certainly find it useful to know what to expect during and after the process, and this will help them decide whether or not to apply.

Promoting your employer brand

A clear statement of the company's values can arouse the interest of qualified candidates before they are recruited. By incorporating these strong values into your recruitment policy, you can convey an image of cohesion and harmony to applicants. Your objective: to attract new talent, but also, in the longer term, to make them want to stay.

Your employer brand is based on a set of strong values that create your corporate culture: innovation, leadership, solidarity, ethics, equal opportunities, skills development, etc.

Here is an example of how the Parot Group's key values are highlighted on their website, under the heading "Our HR policy" / "Our values":

In this case, the company's values are clearly identified and promoted with simplicity and aesthetic appeal.

You too need to take care with your employer communications in order to develop an attractive image among candidates, whether :

• via the careers page on your website
• your corporate profile on LinkedIn
• or at a professional event.

Will your company choose to highlight recognition, well-being at work and performance? Know how to communicate the company's values, mission and expectations in a way that sets you apart and highlights your strengths as an employer.

⭐ Our advice for enhancing your employer brand: opt for a tool that facilitates communication between you and candidates (and future recruits), such as Flatchr (more info below). Your corporate culture will be visible on your careers site, you'll be able to centralise and manage applications more effectively, and you'll be able to project a positive image of your company... In short, you can control your brand image and recruit more effectively!

Comply with legislation

A recruitment policy must also take into account the imperatives of fairness and equal opportunities. In the world of work, the law aims to give everyone access to any type of position, whether in the public or private sector, without distinction of any kind:

• race
• gender
• age
• religion
• ethnicity
• state of health, etc.

All forms of discrimination must be avoided from the moment candidates are selected.

A recruitment policy makes it possible to lay down rules to ensure that those responsible for recruitment do not allow themselves to be influenced by discriminatory (but possibly unconscious) prejudices, practices or customs.

To date, 20 discriminatory criteria have been included in the Criminal Code.

The exclusion or preference of one candidate over another should be based essentially on the skills required for the position to be filled (including knowledge, technical skills and soft skills).

Other parameters also need to be taken into account, such as :

• the protection of personal information, which is handled during all recruitment processes,
• personal rights,
• and everything to do with health and safety in the workplace.

Sustainable recruitment

Recruiting is an investment on several levels (budget, time, resources, etc.). That's why it's so important to have a long-term (or at least medium-term) recruitment policy. Its aim is to achieve long-term recruitment. To achieve this, it provides the means to promote :

• a good match between the job and the skills required
• the successful integration of the new recruit: induction programme, induction booklet, etc.
• strong corporate values and culture with which future employees can identify,
• employee well-being or quality of life at work : health at work, working hours and conditions, quality of professional relations, etc.

Finally, the policy includes a set of measures aimed at employee fulfilment. This is part of the company's more general HR policy, which aims to establish, for example, a healthy working climate open to dialogue.

How do you set up a recruitment policy?

Know your company's strategy

To be relevant and successful, any recruitment strategy needs to be thought through in advance and in line with the company's overall strategy.

This means familiarising yourself with the company's strategic objectives in terms of economics, finance, technology, social issues, etc.

This is followed by the definition of priorities: strategic needs are prioritised, then skills requirements are identified. Finally, the types of profiles required for the company's development or long-term survival can be validated.

Defining recruitment objectives

The aims of recruitment must be defined upstream and depend on the company's short, medium and long-term objectives, as well as its current projects or changes: developments, transfers, relocations, restructuring, etc. These variables can have a direct impact on recruitment: an inflated budget for a given period or, on the contrary, a freeze on recruitment, etc.

Objectives can also be set at department or team level. For example, a department may set itself the target of finding specific, appropriate skills and professional experience in order to reduce the cost of subsequent training. Another case in point: a department that operates in an agile mode and values cross-functional skills will be looking more for a flexible personality with a collaborative spirit.

💡As well as defining the objectives, it may be useful to identify the factors that may determine whether or not they are achieved: don't hesitate to think about the key factors for risk or success in recruitment.

Drawing up specifications

Once the needs have been analysed and the objectives formulated, the conditions for implementing the policy need to be set out in detail. What means of action are available? Recruitment is one of them, but sometimes it may involve a training plan, if the existing resources match the skills required, or the development of new work processes.

Drawing up a set of specifications will meet a number of requirements for the effective implementation of a recruitment policy:

• formulate the response to be made to the company's diversity or equal opportunities criteria ;
• determine the fundamentals of the policy and set out its specific objectives,
• identify the key phases in the process.

Drafting the policy

Following these preparatory stages, the policy can be formalised. It may take the form of a paper or electronic document, containing :

• the purpose of the policy
• the scope of the policy
• a statement of the various rules and good practices as defined for the recruitment process,
• the definitions of technical or specific terms used, where applicable,
• any references or appendices to make the policy easier to understand,
• its date of entry into force and, if necessary, the date(s) of revision.

Implementing the key phases of the process

Once everything is in place, the policy then needs to be applied during the recruitment process. To do this, make sure that it addresses the issues mentioned above, at the crossroads between :

• compliance with the law
• efficiency and the long-term development of the company,
• and consistency with the organisation's values.

Make sure that it is properly communicated to all employees. In this way, each stakeholder will follow the different procedures put in place for each key stage of the recruitment process:

• preparation: identifying or expressing the need, defining the position, finalising the approach,
• candidate search: choice of tool, resources involved in the recruitment campaign,
• Candidate selection: sorting applications, interviews and tests,
• reception of candidates: communication of the positive decision, reception within the company and integration into the job.

From the search to the integration, via the recruitment interviews, the reference text that is the policy accompanies and guides your employees.

Measuring the impact of actions taken

When defining objectives, it is essential to check whether they have been achieved and to plan for an assessment of their impact. Once the above phases have been completed, you will be in a position to assess the success of your recruitment.

How do you assess return on investment? Directly, the aim is to see whether the tasks undertaken by the newly-arrived employee meet the needs defined upstream by observing the following elements, among others:

• How is the department or team performing?
• How satisfied are their direct colleagues or managers?
• How does the person themselves feel about their job, their tasks, the way they are received within the team, the quality of life at work, etc.?

These are all factors that can be used to assess the effectiveness of the recruitment policy being implemented. The work of the human resources function does not stop there! Other HR policies can complement the essential recruitment stage.

Other HR policies

Training policy

This will enable future recruits to develop their skills so that they can progress in their jobs and missions.

Internal development policy

By managing careers and professional development, the HR department "recruits" from within the company. That's why it's important to implement an internal mobility policy alongside recruitment.

Workplace well-being policy

A policy of well-being at work (team-building activities, friendly workspaces, etc.) encourages employee motivation and involvement. A good way to retain new recruits!

To ensure the implementation and efficiency of any human resources policy, there are tools available to help companies save time and increase productivity, and ultimately optimise their investment in human capital. Let's find out what they are!

Tools for an effective recruitment policy

What are the benefits?

Good recruitment involves putting in place a well-defined process, as we have seen. Certain tasks can be automated and the work carried out collaboratively.

Software can help you do this, and offers a number of advantages for optimising your entire recruitment process, such as

• Automatic distribution of vacancies,
• building up a pool of candidates and CVs
• managing applications and tracking them through the various phases,
• Dashboards for monitoring tasks or statistical data,
• automated correspondence, etc.

Automating tasks, monitoring them in real time and centralising information will undeniably make your recruitment process easier and faster.

Selection of 6 recruitment software packages

Beetween

Beetween is a digital recruitment management platform that digitises and centralises all your recruitment processes: multi-posting on over 150 job boards to choose from, sourcing from LinkedIn, creating a career site, collaborative recruitment with internal validation workflows, etc. Its vast range of functions will meet all your needs!

Why choose Beetween?

• software that is entirely customised and very easy to use,
• Relevant statistical reports to help you evaluate and improve your recruitment activity,
• the responsiveness and efficiency of the support teams who help you make the most of the tool.

Flatchr

Flatchr is a recruitment and candidate tracking software that promises to simplify the management and acquisition of candidates, and support recruiters throughout the entire process. With multiple job postings, statistical reports, an online CV library and more, you can take your recruitment to the next level with this simple, user-friendly collaborative tool!

Why choose Flatchr?

• A fully customisable recruitment management process,
• Customised rates and offers tailored to your needs,
• a motivated, expert and efficient support team at your service.

Greenhouse

The Greenhouse ATS solution makes recruitment a competitive advantage. Automate all aspects of hiring, and simplify CV management to enable your teams to find talent more efficiently.

The software even sends detailed reports and measurable data at every stage of the recruitment process so you can use them to improve your processes.

Why choose Greenhouse?

• It's easy to use and can be integrated with over 150 other partner systems.
• Alerts and notifications to reduce your reaction time and enable you to be proactive.
• Customisable recruitment plans that can be tailored to each member of the recruitment team.

Recruitee

Recruitee is a recruitment and talent management software package designed to optimise the efforts of recruitment teams so that they can concentrate on higher added-value tasks: from sourcing to the automatic distribution of vacancies, via skills assessment, the solution optimises the recruitment process. It can also be used to create a career site, helping to enhance your employer brand.

Why choose Recruitee?

• advanced data analysis features,
• an unlimited number of users, whatever subscription you choose,
• ease of use.

softgarden

softgarden is a tool for quickly recruiting the best talent. Automatically manage the CVs of your candidates so that you can find the talent among them more easily.

Post vacancies in just a few clicks using the help and templates provided by the tool, which you can automatically distribute to over 300 specialist partner sites.

Why choose softgarden?

• Everything is set up so that no time is wasted. Result: 60% less recruitment time;
• Constant evaluation of your internal processes and entry channels to optimise them;
• With the mobile application, receive notifications and react instantly. You can manage your recruitment campaigns in real time.

Softy

All-in-one software, Softy is a recruitment and application management tool that uses the latest technological innovations: a matching algorithm identifies the candidate best suited to the vacancy to be filled, grouped mailings optimise your communications with candidates, etc. Your application and recruitment process management is entirely centralised.

Why choose Softy?

• Recruitment tests integrated into the tool: personality, cognitive, technical and job-related,
• Video interviews can be conducted directly from the Softy interface,
• an intuitive tool that's quick to use.

Taleez

Taleez centralises the recruiter and candidate experience on a collaborative platform and simplifies the recruitment process.

The software automates the distribution of job offers and provides comprehensive recruitment management, from talent sourcing to application management.

Why choose Taleez?

• an all-in-one solution tailored to companies, from start-ups to SMEs and ETIs,
• the creation of a personalised careers site to promote your employer brand,
• multi-distribution of vacancies across a hundred or so sites and 13,000 higher education courses.

Talents'in

Created " by recruiters for recruiters ", Talents'in is an all-in-one software package that adapts to the needs of all organisations: Whether you're an SME, a multi-site company, a local authority, a recruitment agency or an agency, there's a solution for you. The software helps you put collaboration and efficiency at the heart of your approach, optimising your recruitment management and involving all your staff.

Why choose Talents'in?

• comprehensive functionalities in an ergonomic environment,
• the creation of a personalised candidate experience that enhances your employer brand,
• high-quality support in getting to grips with the tool, your strategy and your KPIs.

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The right method and tools for a successful policy

All recruitment requires the implementation and management of a recruitment policy in line with the company's strategic challenges, while integrating it into a coherent and global HR approach... a huge undertaking!

There are methods and tools to help you achieve this ambitious but achievable programme. For example, you can choose to put in place forward-looking job and skills management, an HR management tool that aims to make the strategic choices needed to best meet the challenges facing a company in the future.

Whichever approach you adopt, there are a number of levers at your disposal for successfully implementing your recruitment policy. Which ones should you choose?