Recruiters experience the tremendous amounts of stress in finding the "perfect" candidate to fill a job vacancy.  The recruiting process is usually a long and tedious one.

To add to the recruiters' woes, a "perfect" candidate is often elusive, especially if the right techniques are not employed.
However, this process can be less torturous with the help of some useful hints:

1) Knowing WHAT you are looking for

Know exactly what you want and what you should look for. It gives you a clear direction in searching for the suitable candidate. Ask yourself the following questions before beginning the recruiting process:

- What is the job scope?
- What major responsibilities does it entail?
- Have you worked out a system on which and how candidates are short-listed?
- Is such a personality or character ideal for a particular position?
- Is the position to be filled urgently?
- What is the salary range?

2) Identifying the position and responsibilities involved

Recruiters should discuss it along relevant parties prior to the commencement of the recruiment process, as they will be the ones working closely with the candidate. The following issues should be identified:

- Reporting Lines - who will the candidate report to, and who will report to him
- Work Experience / Academic background
- Workload
- Potential working teams
- Exactly what is required from the candidate e.g. character, achievements, specialization

 3) Where to Recruit

A good way to find the right candidate is for the recruiter to know WHERE they should be looking at. Ultimately, this helps recruiters decide on the optimal medium to exploit so as to reap the best results.

- Campus Recruitment - For fresh graduates and also for post-graduate students who have a fair amount of work experience.
- Print Media - Broadsheets, tabloids, magazines, financial or business papers, etc. 
- On-line - Is there a certain niche that the Internet can tap into?

4) Candidate Requirement

What is needed from the candidate?

- Experience level (how many years of relevant work experience?)
- Previous work and educational achievements
- Education Background (Secondary / pre-university / tertiary / post-tertiary)
- Type of character or personality preferred

5) Compensation and Benefits (C&B)

Most companies nowadays provide some kind of compensation or benefit scheme for their employees. Always put yourself in the shoes of job seekers and try to foresee what they are looking for. 

C&B involves issues such as health plans, retirement plans and work place conditions which directly relate to the employee.  Employers should take some time to shop around for the best medical and retirement plans for their employees. 

There are four main areas that job seekers and recruiters should focus on when dealing with company Compensation and Benefit issues. 

1. Health/Medical Plan
2. Retirement Plan
3. Employee Services and Benefits
4. Work Place Conditions

Company Healthcare plans are very common nowadays. They usually incorporate doctor visits, hospitalization, specialist visits, sick leave, etc.
These are dependent on which health insurer your company has an alliance with.  The claimable amount is NOT determined by the employer but by the health insurer.
Most companies provide employees with standard medical plans where employees can claim up to a certain amount for doctor visits and also partial hospitalization costs.
It is important for both parties to check what health plans there are and what they offer. 

RETIREMENT

People are becoming increasingly concern about life after retirement.  Retirement plans are usually drawn up by a financial party who will be looking after the funds until the employee retires.
So make sure that an established institution with a good track record is chosen.
With the introduction of the MPF in Hong Kong, it is now imperative that employers in HK must carefully select the best and most economical retirement plan for their employees. 
 

EMPLOYEE SERVICES & BENEFITS

Many companies nowadays offer employees many ‘on-the-side?benefits such as access to holiday houses, usage of company cars and chauffeurs, club memberships, sign-on bonuses just to name a few.  Employers should take the time to organize and promote different types of services and benefits to employees as this form of encouragement and motivation will deem beneficial to the company in the long run. 

WORK PLACE CONDITIONS

Safe and desirable conditions are almost the basic requirements for any job seeker. Many candidates consider them as important factors when assessing the overall package offered by the employer.
 

 6) Recruiting - Reference Checking

- as a mean of ‘double checking' or ‘cross checking' to verify certain details.
- as a tool for employers to identify the candidate’s character and strengths.

Referees can be divided into professional and academic referees.

PROFESSIONAL referees include ex-colleagues, mentors and previous employers.  They are usually the preferred as they often provide accurate and concise opinion on the candidate from an employer's perspective.

ACADEMIC referees are usually used when the prospect is a fresh graduate who does not have work experience. They are often professors or tutors who had academic relationships with the candidate. 

PERSONAL references such as close friends are seldom used.  However, they are good for character cross-checks.

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