How To Hire
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Intro
- Part 1 – Do You Need to Hire At All?
- Part 2 – Writing a Job Post That Works
- Part 3 – Reviewing and Filtering Applications
- Part 4 – Testing and Interviewing Candidates
- Part 5 – Review: Choosing the One
When it comes to accepting applications for your position, you have three main approaches available:
- Email submissions
- Direct messages through your chosen hiring platform
- Structured application forms
Which approach should you select?
Option 1 – Email-Based Applications
This method suits only those who excel at email management. You’ll need pre-configured automated filters and rules to systematically eliminate candidates who ignore your guidelines. Additionally, applicants must receive automatic responses outlining the subsequent process steps.
This approach works exclusively for the aforementioned group.
If you lack advanced email efficiency skills and prefer to avoid inbox clutter, continue reading the alternatives.
Option 2 – Platform-Based Messaging
This represents an excellent choice that I regularly suggest, provided you supply applicants with clear directives or questions to address, such as: “Contact me with your resume link and explain your approach to {specific task} should you secure this position.”
This approach enables efficient candidate filtering before advancing them further.
Your ideal hiring platform should offer straightforward applicant messaging capabilities plus user-friendly systems for moving candidates between stages based on your advancement decisions.
Option 3 – Structured Application Forms
Application forms will significantly reduce your time investment.
You can establish one within an hour using platforms like Google Forms or Typeform, yet it will save countless hours during application reviews. It will also minimize inbox emails.
Additional tip: Consider utilizing an Applicant Tracking System. These software solutions are designed for role tracking and hiring management, functioning as enhanced application forms and review tools. While potentially expensive, many offer free tiers allowing single-role usage.
A basic Google Form delivers 99% of ATS tool advantages when hiring your initial positions and launches quickly. However, if you have ATS access or wish to experiment, this represents another solid option.
ATS platforms typically enable form creation and provide URLs for inclusion in job posts or hiring platforms when publishing advertisements.
My Recommendation – Choose Application Forms!
Application forms represent the most efficient method for information capture and simplification. You can incorporate mini assessment questions within application forms, enabling applicant scoring to assist with reviewing and filtering.
Most application forms automatically update spreadsheets with completed submissions. Google Forms accomplishes this in real-time, allowing sheet modifications and column/note additions while applications continue arriving.
Introduction
Clearly communicate that this application form demands time and effort. If candidates won’t invest minimal effort, they’re likely not genuinely interested, making this position unsuitable for them!
This may seem somewhat strict, but it’s about establishing clear upfront expectations.
I then organize my application forms into four essential sections.
Section 1 – Essential Information
- Contact information
- CV/LinkedIn Profile links
- Availability for desired hours
- Location and timezone
- Computer specifications
- Internet speed testing
Section 2 – Professional Background
- Current position
- Departure reasons from current/previous role
- Previous role highlights
- Previous role challenges
- Most significant contribution in previous position
- Years of experience with specific skills or role requirements
- New role expectations
- Salary expectations in USD (or preferred currency)
Section 3 – Mini Skill Assessments
In this segment, I pose questions allowing skill and ability evaluation.
For virtual assistants, I might inquire about email inbox management or inbox zero concepts.
For social media roles, I might request a sample post they’d share with our Facebook audience on Monday morning. (Bonus points for including custom images!)
For developers, I might ask: “How would you create a React hook that executes only during initial render?”
Or for PostgreSQL: “Compose a SQL query returning all unique first name and last name combinations with occurrence counts, ordered from highest to lowest frequency.”
Consider the role and develop simple questions requiring no more than 5-10 minutes while providing clear ability insights.
Section 4 – Final Challenge
For the concluding application form question, I frequently ask candidates to complete one additional task demonstrating genuine job interest.
This provides candidates opportunities to exceed expectations, sometimes yielding impressive effort demonstrations.
I commonly request applicants record brief introduction videos explaining their suitability for the position as part of the application process.
Many candidates hesitate to record self-videos despite readily participating in video calls, so we rarely eliminate people for omitting this (unless video appearances are job requirements!).
When included, these videos offer excellent insights into candidate presentation. However, nothing substitutes actual conversations and genuine interactions.
Review the resources section for sample application form links you can adapt.
I strongly recommend using application forms for any hiring. It requires applicant effort, demonstrating genuine role interest while enabling efficient information capture and simplified application review and filtering. More details follow in the next section.
For hiring funnel optimization, combine Option 2 (platform messaging applications) with Option 3 (application forms).
Have applicants send initial messages answering simple questions, then provide successful respondents with application form links for detailed completion.
This approach works excellently as it creates advancement satisfaction without creating excessive initial barriers, avoiding lengthy first-stage application forms.
The key involves maximizing quality applications without losing strong candidates through excessive early demands.
After completing your job post and application form, you’re prepared to publish your job on chosen platforms and await incoming applications.
The Application Review Process
As described earlier, hiring resembles sales. You employ a funnel to attract a group, then reduce them through stages until finding your ideal candidate.
The primary application form benefit emerges after applicants begin applying and completing forms.
This is when you can utilize their written responses for efficient review, scoring, and filtering to create your Yes, No, or Maybe candidate lists.
If you’re using Google Forms (highly recommended), it automatically generates constantly updated Google Sheets as more applicants apply.
Meanwhile, you can add columns to the right of answer fields for scoring and filtering applicants.
Assuming you’ve created your form, submitted test entries, and clicked the Google Forms responses tab button to link with Google Sheets, you’re ready to proceed.
When hiring, I add these columns to the far right-hand sheet side for review and filtering assistance:
- English Skills – Excellent, Adequate, Inadequate
- Test Questions – Excellent, Adequate, Inadequate
- Effort Demonstrated – Excellent, Adequate, Inadequate
- Application Review Impression – Yes, No, Maybe
- Advance to Next Stage? – Yes/No
You’re now prepared to review applicants.
Application Review Timing
You can review applications daily or every two days as they arrive, or wait and batch process when you have sufficient volume. Five-day and ten-day reviews typically work well, depending on role specialization and application volume.
Depending on your advertising locations, you might receive anywhere from 5 to 500 applicants!
Remember: more is NOT superior.
At JobRack, we focus on ensuring high-quality applicants sufficient for excellent choices without overwhelming application volumes.
You MUST invest time in this review stage.
In my experience, business owners who rush this portion often make poor continuation decisions, frequently resulting in hiring unsuitable candidates for themselves and their businesses.
Individual Application Review
For each applicant, examine their application form responses.
Review their first section answers. If you followed the outlined approach and our sample application form, this includes Essential Information questions (working hours capability, computer adequacy, etc.).
Mark them as ‘No’ if their answers don’t match your requirements.
Then examine their role-specific responses. These typically involve longer-form answers including current position details, new role motivations, plus ‘test’ questions providing skill and experience insights.
If you’ve organized your tracking sheet as described, you’ll score these key areas:
- English Skills
- Test Questions
- Application Effort
- Application Review Impression
When scoring, remember: simplicity works best.
“Good, Good enough, or Not good enough” effectively determines next-stage advancement.
You can then filter columns and conduct detailed reviews of Yes or Maybe flagged candidates.
Finally, I always add Yes or No to my ‘Progress to Next Stage’ column.
This clearly identifies applicants I’m considering advancing and highlights those requiring non-progression notifications.
CV Review Strategy
CVs can consume significant review time. However, they also contain attention-grabbing information that’s extremely useful for hiring decisions.
When reviewing applicants, I first review and filter form answers. After filtering to Yes and Maybe columns, I conduct detailed reviews including CVs, portfolios, and other included links.
I always recommend reading their CV and/or LinkedIn profile. Often you’ll discover standout elements – perhaps additional useful skills or experience, or perhaps frequent job changes warranting deeper exploration during conversations.
During detailed reviews, keep in mind your priorities and role requirements.
These might include:
- Required specific skills or experience
- Specific English proficiency levels – typically evident from longer question responses
- Application enthusiasm and effort
Your goal here involves creating 6-10 candidate shortlists for next-stage progression.
This comprehensive review allows comment additions and applicant ‘score’ reviews from initial assessments.
I recommend adding notes and specific candidate thoughts to your created comments column for easy reference during candidate conversations.
Managing Application Decisions
You now have applicants flagged as Yes, No, Maybe.
For No’s, thank them and inform them you won’t continue with their applications. If you can provide individual feedback, that’s always greatly appreciated. Otherwise, perhaps share information about your requirements.
For example:
“Thank you for applying for my role. Currently, I won’t be progressing with your application. I cannot provide individual feedback, however, the key elements I sought during this review stage were relevant experience and test question responses within the application form.
Good luck with your job search.”
You can send this via bulk email (using bcc) to their addresses, or use your hiring platform to organize candidates into ‘Rejected’ lists and send bulk messages.
If you’re hiring through JobRack, you can accomplish this simply by selecting “Bulk Message” on our View Applicants Screen.
Don’t Overlook the Maybes
Avoid dismissing maybes too quickly.
Outstanding hires often exist within Maybe lists. It’s simply determining what could transform them from Maybe to Yes.
I really appreciate brief candidate videos during applications. However, this can be nerve-wracking, especially for non-native English speakers.
While happy to participate in calls and interviews, video recording can intimidate many people, so I typically receive videos from only 50% of candidates.
If someone hasn’t recorded a requested video, I usually mark them as ‘Maybe’. However, valid reasons may exist for video omissions, so I’ll carefully review remaining applications and assess overall impressions before considering next-stage inclusion.
If remaining applications are strong, I typically contact them regarding video absence and observe their responses. Often, it may simply have been inconvenient video timing during form completion.
Preparing for Next Steps
Depending on your mapped hiring process, the next step might involve initial meet-and-greet video calls or direct test task assignment.
Many prefer immediate test task progression, but remember the importance of building trust and interest with potential new hires. Choosing new jobs represents significant decisions for anyone, especially when leaving ‘conventional’ jobs for remote work with you, so help them feel excited about working with you.
I always prefer initial candidate calls before assigning test tasks. Typically, I conduct brief 5-10 minute video calls where they share about themselves while I provide question-asking opportunities.
If I’m immediately satisfied, I’ll discuss test tasks during that initial call.
If I’m not immediately satisfied, I’ll inform them I’ll respond within the next few days. I’ll note concerns in my tracking sheet, and once confirming they’re a No, I’ll send considerate messages explaining I won’t advance them to the next stage.
I’ll always attempt providing specific feedback regarding reasoning so they can learn, improve, and potentially succeed in future applications with me.
Alternative Approach for Time Constraints
If you’re time-limited and prefer putting applicants through test tasks before conversations, it’s important to still build trust and maintain contact before testing.
One excellent method involves recording brief videos expressing application appreciation and next-round advancement desires.
Explain that you’d like them to complete paid test tasks, then you’ll review and schedule interviews. This provides opportunities to discuss roles and experience while allowing their questions as well.
You can email video links along with test task instructions. We find this significantly builds trust if you cannot or prefer not to invest time in initial introduction calls.
That covers application review and filtering. You’re now ready for the next step – Testing and Interviewing Candidates.
