Recruiting and hiring new article Large

Get the Best Talent Now

January 28, 2020

Recruiting and hiring is a major component of your business success. The resources below will help you explore recruiting opportunities, post jobs, find local events (like job fairs in your area), and learn about special programs.

  • Get the experience you need with mature workers or by hiring persons with disabilities.
  • Provide an opportunity for youth to learn important skills and acquire hands-on experience.
  • Veterans bring unique skills and experiences to the civilian workforce.
  • Hire a re-entry candidate to help remove an ex-offender's barrier to work.
  • Volunteers make a $400 billion contribution to the global economy. How can you utilize them?

Local employers can also check our Illinois work​Net service finder for a Business Services Team near you to get one-on-one assistance.

Recruiting

Business Service Teams (BSTs) are made up of workforce partners trained to assist you with your business needs. Recruitment services offered by BSTs include:

  • Workplace Assessments
  • Labor Market Information and Economic Snapshots
  • Job Posting and Recruitment
  • Candidate Matching and Referrals
  • Pre-Employment Screening
  • Employee Work Readiness Assessments
  • Job Fairs and Recruitment Events
  • Hiring Benefits and Tax Incentives
  • State and Federal Resources on Hiring Unique Applicants
  • Training Opportunities

One of the key items to recruiting the perfect candidate is having an accurate job description. Consider these items to create a great one:

  • Individual tasks involved,
  • Methods used to complete the tasks,
  • Purpose and responsibilities of the job,
  • Relationship of the job to other jobs, and
  • Qualifications needed for the job.

Check our resources below to find tips and tools to write the perfect job description for your next employee.

You can also review the Employer resources on Illinois JobLink​, brought to you by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).

Interviewing

You established a need for a new position/employee and created or updated the associated job description. The next steps include:

  1. Posting the job
  2. Reviewing applications, and
  3. Interviewing

Post jobs using different methods to ensure your post is seen by the right candidates. Utilize:

  • Your website,
  • Illinois JobLink,
  • Local newspapers or publications,
  • Online job boards,
  • Hiring events, and
  • Other networking events.

You can also add a booth to the Illinois workNet Virtual Job Fair. You can get connected with job seekers while getting information about your business out there. Being featured provides users with your company information, a link to your site, and what you are looking for in a job candidate.

Once you are ready to interview, establishing a process is a good way to ensure you are selecting the best candidate for the job. Be sure to use the Interviewing Do's and Don'ts (PDF) to help you through the interviewing process. You can also consider the following:

  • Pre-screen candidate by phone or web interviews.
  • Create an interview structure, i.e. standard questions for the position.
  • Determine the kind of interview - one-on-one, group, panel, etc.
  • Establish how you will "grade" interviewees.

Interview questions are one of the most important aspects. Use the Interview Questions to Ask and Avoid (PDF) to ensure your current questions are on target, and maybe find additional questions to ask during an interview.

Utilizing these tools and working with a business services team near you can help you have a smooth interviewing process.

No Salary History Law

As of September 2019, it is no longer legal for an employer to ask about your previous salary. For more information about this, read our article on the No Salary History Law. In the event that you are asked about your salary, this article includes information on how you can appropriately respond to the question.

Hiring

Make the right hire! Then, retain your valuable employee. First, check our Employer Hiring Credits page to determine if your recent hire entitles your company to any hiring incentive programs. You can also learn about grant and training opportunities to help pay for upgrading employee skills in order to remain current in new technologies and business practices.

Interns - Another type of employee that includes students who learn and work. These are similar to an apprentice program in trade and vocational jobs. These jobs are usually temporary in nature.

Volunteers - Two options exist:

  • Hire volunteers in exchange for skills training and maintenance; or,
  • Participate in employee volunteer participation programs.

The number of full-time equivalent volunteers is approximately 140 million people. Connect with millions of business professionals available for pro bono services, or partner with organizations to develop your volunteerism programs.

Find more recruiting tips using social media by linking here:

Read more about hiring in general at the Hiring for Employers page.
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