5 Things to Avoid with Social Worker Recruitment

Written by Ruth Williams Tuesday, 30 August 2011 04:12

Making the most of your resources by taking on the right staff is essential, particularly throughout an unstable economic climate, which is where social worker recruitment can be of great benefit.

Making the most of your resources by taking on the right staff is essential, particularly throughout an unstable economic climate, which is where social worker recruitment can be of great benefit.

It is best to take into account the objectives which you hope to accomplish and the sort of people you need to achieve them, when recruiting social workers for your organisation. As you go through the candidate selection process, you might find the world of social worker recruitment full of potential issues; here are just a few of the things you may need to stay clear of.

Believing you can't

The economy's current state doesn't mean that you can't fill the social worker vacancy or that you'll have to settle for second best. Finding the right staff is not easy but the current economy means that your social worker job will provide an opportunity for a lot of eager and qualified people. Finding a cost-effective recruitment process and allowing plenty of time for this task should assist you to fill your social worker posts with ease.

Looking in the wrong places

As with all hiring practices, social worker recruitment deserves time and consideration and you need to be on the lookout for right person. Knowledge and guidance can come from a recruitment agency or consultant to help with this process. If it is true expertise and the most relevant working experience you're looking for, it will be worth speaking to a dedicated social worker recruitment expert who is dedicated to providing candidates that suit your specific needs.

Considering bad advice

If the recruitment consultant you've been talking to is heavily suggesting a candidate or a certain recruitment path to an end goal you hadn't envisioned, remember that you don't have to listen. It maybe that you need a high level of input from a recruitment agency or consultant but if you are clear on what your end goal is, don't be persuaded otherwise. You do not have to go along with their 'best option' if you do not believe it is the right choice. It is perhaps best to only listen to those if they have listened to you and taken on board your requirements.

Being unsure of what questions you are going to ask at the job interview

It is important to prepare interview questions for when the candidates have been shortlisted, be sure to come up with questions which will inspire the answers which you are looking for. Be aware that people may say what you want to hear for the right job, but there will be a lot of qualified people on the ground looking for a new role. Be careful when ruling out interviewees. Be ready to ask questions which the candidates won't expect, think outside the box, and think about what indication the answer will give you.

Attempting to fill a post too quickly

When you've interviewed some viable social worker candidates and you're ready to recruit, don't rush ahead into hiring. It is fine to request a second interview or practical assessment to help you make the right decision. Candidates should be willing to participate in another interview as these types of opportunities are thin on the ground.