Hiring and recruiting are distinct processes that are closely interrelated. The terms are often used interchangeably but have notable differences. Hiring includes the solicitation and review of applications for an open position. These positions are typically posted on job posting sites and
include the specific criteria for the desired worker. In other words, hiring is the process of seeking and evaluating potential candidates for specific roles.

Conversely, recruiting is an ongoing search for the best employees for the company. That is, it occurs not only when there is a role to fill, but on a regular basis. It involves building brand awareness for your company and convincing talented professionals that your organization is a good fit for them. Recruiting is about building a pipeline of employees that are a suitable match for your company so that you’re not scrambling to search for candidates when an opening arises. It encompasses everything from posting the job description to presenting the offer letter, including the application, screening, interview, assessments, background checks, and any other critical elements that lead to selecting the right person to hire.

In short, hiring is what occurs when you need to fill a role. On the other hand, recruiting is the process of attracting top talent to your organization. 

The key things to keep in mind regarding the recruitment process are optimizing your recruitment strategy, speeding up the process, saving money for the organization, attracting more of the best candidates through effective job descriptions, increasing employee engagement and retention, and building a stronger team.

Best practices for hiring include selecting based on soft skills rather than degrees, focusing on your business’ reputation, and being transparent about compensation. 

When it comes to recruiting, you should involve your team, promote your workplace culture, tempt prospects with competitive benefits,  compensation, and culture, focus on retention, and invest in onboarding, training, and development.

Recruiting includes 10 key components:

1. Recruitment marketing
2. Passive candidate search
3. Referrals
4. Candidate experience
5. Hiring team collaboration
6. Effective candidate evaluations
7. Applicant tracking
8. Reporting, compliance, and security
9. Technology (including ATS, AI, and assessments)
10. Onboarding and support

Similarly, the following are important when it comes to hiring:

1. Know the laws
2. Provide a clear employment contract
3. Pay the right wages
4. Recruit the right people
5. Start on the right foot with training
6. Set appropriate expectations
7. Control costs throughout the process
8. Communicate transparently
9. Utilize established relationships
10. Offer incentives to team members

Some additional considerations to keep in mind for both recruiting and hiring are that you want to treat candidates like customers, use social media, create compelling job descriptions, check resumes posted online, consider past candidates, attend industry-related meetups, and include
peers in the interview process.

We can provide services to streamline your hiring and recruiting process. These include but are not limited to managing job requisitions, posting to job boards, conducting interviews, and negotiating offers with potential candidates. Contact us to find out how we can help.