To attract top talent, start by creating a compelling employer brand and writing clear, engaging job descriptions that highlight both the role and your company culture. Use multiple sourcing channels like LinkedIn, job boards, employee referrals and ensure your hiring process is candidate friendly, responsive, and inclusive. Offering competitive benefits, flexible work options, and clear growth opportunities also helps attract high calibre applicants

Streamline your interview process by preparing structured questions that assess both technical skills and cultural fit. Consider incorporating practical assessments to evaluate candidates' real world problem solving abilities.

An effective job description should include:

• A clear job title
• A short, engaging summary
• Key responsibilities
• Essential and desirable skills/experience
• Salary and benefits
• A bit about your company culture

Keep it concise, remove jargon, and focus on how the role fits into the bigger picture. Use keywords relevant to the job to improve visibility in search results.

Advertise jobs on high-traffic job boards (Indeed, LinkedIn, TotalJobs), specialist industry sites, and your company website. 

Also, use social media platforms and employee referral schemes. For niche roles, partner with recruitment agencies that have access to targeted talent pools.

Look for relevant experience, achievements (not just duties), career progression, and cultural alignment. Pay attention to transferable skills, gaps in employment, and consistency in dates and roles. Also assess how well the CV is structured. Well written CVs often reflect strong communication skills.

To reduce time to hire:

• Streamline your interview process
• Use structured screening tools
• Set clear timelines and stick to them
• Pre-schedule interview panels
• Use recruitment technology or partner with a specialist agency

A quicker hiring process improves candidate experience and reduces the risk of losing top talent to competitors.

Ask behavioural questions that reveal how a candidate works, communicates, handles conflict, and aligns with your team values. Involve team members in the interview process to assess chemistry and alignment. Consider using a scorecard for a fair and accurate comparison based on  key hiring metrics.  

It depends! Definitely for hard-to-fill, specialist, or senior roles. A good recruitment agency saves time, provides access to a broader candidate pool, and brings market insight. Moving beyond one-off hires, partnering with a consultancy can significantly improve the way you hire and turn it into a competitive advantage. Look for agencies that understand your industry and offer a consultative approach rather than just CV-pushing.

The best interview format is structured and consistent. Use a mix of:

• Competency-based questions.
• Situational or scenario-based questions.
• Role-specific technical questions. Panel interviews or multi-stage processes can offer balanced insights, but avoid excessive rounds which can deter candidates.

Ask open-ended questions like “tproblem-solveell me about a time you faced conflict in a team such as "how did you handle it?” or “describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly.” 

Observe how candidates communicate, listen, empathise, and problem solve during the interview. Soft skills often reveal themselves in how they interact, not just what they say.

Benchmark salary using market data from salary surveys, job boards, and industry reports. 

Factor in experience level, location, and your internal pay structure. A recruitment consultant can provide tailored advice on current salary trends for your industry and region.

Red flags include:

• Inconsistencies on the CV
• Vague or overly scripted answers
• Speaking negatively about past employers
• Poor communication or professionalism
• Lack of enthusiasm or preparation

Always dig deeper into anything that raises questions.

Start with a strong onboarding experience. Set clear expectations, offer regular feedback, and invest in career development. Foster a supportive team environment and keep communication open. Recognition, flexibility, and a sense of purpose are key to retaining talent long-term.

Write inclusive job adverts, anonymize applications where possible, and train interviewers on unconscious bias. Broaden your sourcing channels and consider transferable skills over ‘tick-box’ requirements. Set clear DEI goals and track progress.

For a one-off hire, the cost of using a recruitment consultancy typically ranges from 15% to 30% of the candidate’s first-year base salary, depending on the role's seniority, industry, and complexity.

Some specialist consultancies also offer retained partnerships or long-term agreements to fill multiple roles. Payment is often in instalments (e.g., upfront, shortlist stage, and placement), often 15%–35% of total salary bill for each role, or a negotiated monthly fee. Others offer subscription or embedded talent models.