5 steps to an effective recruitment plan template

Recruiting and retaining top talent isn’t easy, especially if you’re hiring for a global workforce.

The good news? You can use a recruitment plan template to streamline the hiring process. This makes it easier to scale your business anywhere in the world.

Read on to learn how to develop a recruitment plan template that works.

What is a recruitment plan template?

Businesses looking to scale can’t afford to waste time and energy developing a new recruitment plan whenever they need to bring on more talent. A recruitment plan template is a business’s structured approach to recruiting, screening, interviewing, and hiring new employees. It includes the detailed steps, strategies, and timelines required to find the best candidates.

A consistent, reusable template makes sure you aren’t recreating the wheel each time you need to recruit and hire new workers. As soon as you’re ready to expand or fill positions, you can start immediately with your template. 

HR personnels can save a lot of time by developing a recruitment plan. A comprehensive plan outlining timelines, budgets, and qualifications for new hires cuts down on the guesswork and streamlines the hiring process.

Recruitment plan templates also help you track efficiency. You can see what you are doing well while identifying any areas that need refinement to consistently find the best candidates.

How do I create a recruitment plan template?

There are five key steps to creating an effective recruitment plan template. Identify your needs, establish your approach, decide how to locate candidates, start your efforts, and refine your methodology over time.

Let’s dive further into each step.

1. Identify your needs

The first step for developing a recruitment plan template is to take stock of your current needs by answering the following questions:

• Who does your business need to hire?

Start by narrowing down which positions you need to fill and what type of person you are looking for. Are you looking for independent contractors to complete short-term projects? Or employees interested in remote positions in another country?

Review your short-term and long-term business needs, especially if you plan to expand. 

• How many positions need to be filled?

Once you’ve taken stock of the types of team members you need, narrow down the number of positions you need to fill. Take a look at your current job descriptions, and revise them as needed.

Don't forget to identify any in-house promotion or advancement opportunities for your current employees. You need to keep this information in mind to determine how many recruits you need.

• What is your timeline?

Now set your timelines for recruitment, vetting, and hiring. Of course, recruitment timelines vary depending on your business needs. On average, you can expect the entire process to take about 3 to 6 weeks.

Factor in time to onboard employees. New team members need additional time to familiarize themselves with company policies and job responsibilities. Onboarding may also include company or job-specific training for new hires.

• Where are you looking to expand?

If your business is looking to expand internationally, there are additional factors to keep in mind. Each country has unique labor, employment, and tax laws that can affect your recruiting and hiring processes.

A Global HR partner like Remote can help you expand your business in a new country. We have legal entities around the world, offering you the expertise and support you need to stay compliant in every country.

Once you know the answers to these questions, you're ready to tackle your recruiting approach.

2. Establish your approach

Start by looking at your previous hiring efforts to see what worked. Keep past successful strategies in your recruitment plan template.

Next, investigate the region you want to expand into, including any expectation that local employees have. Budget salaries, benefits, and other compensation to attract the best possible candidates. 

Plan how to advertise your business to appeal to candidates. Make sure your process is aligned with your company’s values, mission, and goals. Find a talent assessment tool to predict the performance of potential hires. This can increase productivity by 10% and boost employee retention rates.

The average cost per new hire is $4,700, so keep this in mind to determine your recruitment budget. See how much you want to spend on advertising, job postings, and recruiting events.

It's easy to only consider these hard costs, but you’ll also want to factor in soft costs. For example, managers may need spend valuable time to support HR leaders during recruitment.

3. Determine how to find the best candidates

Businesses have more options than ever to attract top-notch candidates.

• Job boards are one way to get the word out that your company is hiring. Most job boards charge a fee for you to advertise, so research your options carefully. Some broadly advertise across industries, while others focus on specific niches.

• Job fairs are another option. Some are in-person, while others are held as virtual events. If you go this route, plan who is hosting the event and how those individuals will vet potential candidates.

• Social media is a great way to find top candidates. About 57% of people search for a new job through social media, while 73% found their last job using social media. Tap into the social media accounts your company already participates in, whether that’s LinkedIn, Instagram, or something else entirely.

• Outsource your recruiting to a reputable staffing agency. Work with a staffing agency to identify your ideal candidate profile. The agency should complete the searching, screening, and interview process for you. If you’re hiring internationally, don’t forget the benefits of partnering with an employer of record (EOR). Remote’s EOR platform helps you hire excellent candidates in your location of interest while keeping your business compliant with local labor, tax, and employment laws. 

Once you’ve decided on the specific methods through which to find candidates, you’re ready to start recruiting.

4. Start your recruitment efforts

As you begin the recruitment process, think about how you want to screen applicants. You'll review job applications and resumes, and maybe also do a skills assessment. Continue with background and reference checks as needed, and complete an initial phone or video conference screening. Once candidates are vetted, you can start the interview process. Decide who will interview and the questions will look like. Some jobs may require a panel or succession of interviews to determine the best person for the job. 

A good recruitment plan template also covers the onboarding process. Employees are 2.6 times more likely to stay with a company that has a smooth onboarding process. Unfortunately, only 12% of employees say their organization did a good job with onboarding.  Don’t be a company that gives a bad onboarding experience for your employees. Check out our tips to create a smooth, satisfying onboarding process for each new hire.

5. Refine your template over time

Once you landed on your ideal recruiting plan, review its efficacy over time. Use a variety of metrics to analyze your recruiting and hiring results, and refine the plan until it’s seamless.

Your metrics could include the time taken to fill new positions. You can also track the acceptance rate of each position listed. 

You can also track how new hires grow into their position over time. Are they successful in their roles? Can you identify candidates with growth and advancement potential? Do you notice a difference in employee turnover rate? Consider your metrics carefully, and use them to drive your future recruitment efforts. Over time, you will have a plan focused on locating and retaining the best possible candidates for your company.

It’s time to implement your recruitment plan template

Start building your recruitment plan template by defining your company’s needs. Who is your ideal candidate? Which positions do you need to fill? What is your timeline? 

If you plan to expand internationally, you can join forces with a Global HR partner like Remote. You can easily post open positions in Remote Talent to attract top talent across the world. Learn how you can find the best international candidate through competitive benefits as part of your recruitment plan. Contact Remote to start recruiting and hiring internationally today.