A Quick Guide to Recruiting

Recruitment has changed dramatically over the past few years. Economic uncertainty, evolving expectations around flexibility, and the growing role of AI mean that hiring today looks very different to even a year ago.

Whether you’re making your first hire, recruiting again after a pause, or simply want a refresher on best practice, getting the fundamentals right has never been more important.

In this blog, we revisit the basics of recruiting — updated for today’s market — and share practical guidance to help you attract the right people, avoid costly missteps, and build a workforce that supports sustainable growth.

Understanding Your Options: Types of Workers Explained

Before you go anywhere near a job advert, it’s vital to be clear on how you want to engage someone. This is one of the most common areas of confusion we see.

Broadly, there are four main options:
•    Permanent employees – ongoing roles on your payroll
•    Fixed-term employees – employed for a defined period
•    Freelancers / consultants – self-employed professionals who invoice you
•    Temporary workers – employed via an agency, working in your business

Each option comes with different levels of cost, flexibility, and control — particularly around how, when and where work is done. If you need full control, employed or temporary routes are usually the safest option. If flexibility and specialist expertise are the priority, freelance or interim solutions can be very effective.

A popular hybrid option in today’s cautious market is temp-to-perm — allowing both sides to test the fit before committing long term.

Flexible, Part-Time and Fractional: Not a Compromise — a Strategy

Flexible working is no longer a “nice to have”. It’s a commercial advantage.

Offering part-time or flexible roles allows businesses to:
•    Start small and scale sensibly
•    Control costs while still accessing senior-level expertise
•    Afford higher-calibre talent than a full-time budget might allow
•    Attract candidates who aren’t active on job boards
•    Improve retention and engagement
•    Increase diversity across age, gender, disability and life stage

Recent studies consistently show that the majority of candidates are more likely to apply for roles that offer flexibility — and that appetite for part-time work is growing well beyond traditional demographics.

Fractional roles, in particular, are gaining traction as businesses look for experienced professionals who can deliver impact without full-time headcount.

Job Design: The Step Too Many Businesses Skip

When a vacancy arises, it’s tempting to dust off an old job description and crack on. This is often where problems start.

Instead, take a step back and ask:
•    What does the business actually need right now?
•    What level of experience is required — and for how many hours?
•    Could flexibility or reduced hours work just as effectively?
•    Is this role operational, strategic, or a mix of both?

Well-thought-out job design saves time, money, and frustration later. It also significantly improves your chances of hiring successfully first time.

Routes to Market: Choosing the Right One

There are more ways to reach candidates than ever — but not all routes deliver the same results.

Common options include:
•    Recruitment agencies – wider reach, pre-screened candidates, time savings
•    Job boards – low upfront cost, but high time investment
•    Sector-specific platforms – more targeted, higher cost
•    Direct advertising via your website or socials – great for employer branding, low volume of applications
•    Networks and referrals – effective, but shouldn’t replace objective assessment

In today’s market, AI is also playing a growing role — from CV screening to candidate sourcing. Used well, it can improve efficiency. Used badly, it risks filtering out excellent talent. Human judgement still matters.

Interviews: Structure, Consistency and Candidate Experience

There’s no single “perfect” interview process — but there are common mistakes.

Key principles:
•    Decide your interview stages upfront
•    Use consistent questions to compare candidates fairly
•    Involve more than one interviewer where possible
•    Choose interview styles appropriate to the role
•    Consider testing or psychometrics as supporting tools, not decision-makers

Just as important? Remember that interviews are a two-way process. The questions candidates ask often reveal as much as their answers.

Securing Your Preferred Candidate (Before Someone Else Does)

One of the biggest frustrations we see is offer acceptance followed by late-stage dropouts.

Once a candidate says “yes”, don’t go quiet.

Stay engaged during notice periods by:
•    Keeping in touch regularly
•    Sharing company updates or internal comms
•    Inviting them to team events where appropriate
•    Making them feel part of the business early

This is especially important in a market where strong candidates often have multiple options.

Onboarding: Where Recruitment Success Is Won or Lost

A growing number of people leave new roles within the first 90 days — often due to poor onboarding.

Successful onboarding means:

•    A clear plan for the first few weeks
•    Early meetings with key stakeholders
•    Technology ready from day one
•    Thoughtful scheduling for part-time or flexible workers

Get this right and you significantly improve productivity, engagement and retention.

Final Thoughts

Recruitment today isn’t just about filling roles — it’s about making smart, flexible decisions that support your business long term.

The basics still matter. But the context has changed.

If you’d like to talk through your hiring plans, explore flexible options, or sense-check a role before going to market, the Ten2Two team is always happy to help.

Because great recruitment isn’t about hiring more — it’s about hiring better.