Whether it’s a small business or a relatively large one, it’s always essential to hire the right persons. Putting it in an even proper perspective, whoever you hire can make or mar your establishment. There have been cases of people who walked into a flourishing company and the company’s growth waned and then there have been cases where a company hired a game-changer whose presence on the staff turned the business around.
Not to worry, there are certain things you can do that will guarantee you a win in the lopsided lottery of hiring employees. Below are 15 crucial methods to hire the right person.
1. Have Definite Specifications
When you are hiring, it’s always important to make a list of specific skills, talent, and the type of personality you want the candidate to embody. This is not something to be impulsive about, you’ve got to create that list and resolve to hire just the right person that will suit the needs of your company or business.
2. Post the Jobs at the Relevant Places
This is also a very crucial part of the hiring process. Make good use of popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc. depending on the nature of the jobs. Also, there are other platforms like LinkedIn that are specifically dedicated to and mostly used by people looking for jobs.
3. Develop a Thorough Vetting Process
You can do this during the interviews. It’s always important to be thorough and meticulous in vetting candidates for the job you are offering. Ask them questions about the job and how they would handle a particular situation. Go through their resumes and ask them questions about the content. The last thing a company needs is an impostor or a con who knows very little or nothing about the job.
4. Look Beyond the Resumés
The truth about resumés is that everyone always has a good resume, or at least, everyone intends to have a good one. You can liken resumes to asking someone who needs a favor to tell you about themselves. Of course, they wouldn’t say they are bad people, even if they are. So, you need to look beyond the resume and know the person’s personality and what he can offer your company. This is why face-to-face interviews are more effective.
5. Do Not Base Your Judgment on the Past
While it’s always essential to know about a prospective employee’s past, you shouldn’t hinge your perception of them on that alone, especially when it was a long time ago. For instance, a 28-year-old candidate with a DUI on his record ten years ago is not necessarily a drunkard that’d be bad for business. He could turn out to be the game-changer for your business or company. While it’s normal to be worried about the candidate’s past, ask questions and make findings on whether such behaviors are recurrent. Apply the same too when it’s about the person’s past achievements. The fact that a person had certain achievements in the past should not make you hire them automatically.
6. Use Additional Tools Alongside Face–to–face Interview
Face-to-face interviews may not always be the best way to evaluate some candidates fully. Sometimes, there’s a bright star just within that nervous and seemingly flustered candidate and basing your judgment on interviews alone won’t make you see that. Consider letting the candidates go through personality tests and issue skill-based questionnaires.
7. Assess the Candidate’s Personality Concerning the Job
The first point in this article is about knowing and creating a list of the skills, talent, and personality you want the employee to have. Thus, it’s important that when the candidates do come along, you evaluate their personality and make sure it’s the right fit for you and the other employees.
8. Have Your Candidates Spend Some Time with Your Other Employees
Relationship and synergy between employees have vital roles to play in the growth and development of the company. Try to introduce your candidates to other employees, have them hang around for a while, and see how well they flow with the rest of the team. You can also get some feedback from the rest of the employees about the candidates’ disposition and attitude to work.
9. Take Cognizance of Their Questions
A good candidate usually has questions during the interview process. Pay attention to those questions; see how relevant and intelligent they are. A candidate with thoughtful and reflective questions shows noble attributes of readiness and focus. In making this happen, do not give the impression that the interview is one-sided. Make it look like a dialogue and give the candidates the freedom to air their views, opinions and ask questions.
10. Know What They are Not Good at
In the hiring process, some candidates may come off as very perfect for every task. However, this is not always the case, make sure you ask the candidate what it is they are not good at. It helps you to keep your expectations reasonable and realistic and reduces the chances of disappointment in the long run.
11. Hire Someone You’d Be Comfortable Working for
Facebook CEO and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg once said that he would only hire someone to work for him if he’d work for that person. This means that you should not hire someone you’d not be comfortable working for. It’s important to ask yourself the question of whether or not you can work for the person. If the answer is yes, chances are such a person would make a good employee.
12. Be Slow to Hire
This means that you should take your time when hiring because it’s going to be worth it in the long run. This must have been what gave birth to the popular phrase “hire slow, fire fast.” The cost of hiring a bad employee is gruesome and it’s always better to avoid such a mistake.
13. Look for a Committed Person
During the hiring process, make sure you are on the lookout for candidates who are committed to their careers. You can deduce this by asking lots of questions and vetting their loyalty to the other companies they used to work for. No company wants an erratic and disloyal employee.
14. Trust Your Instincts
Human instincts are powerful and significant. If you don’t feel good about hiring a candidate, don’t do it. Rather, find someone you feel good about and who is equally qualified. This is not to say your instincts are always right. However, they aren’t usually wrong.
15. Seek Ways to Improve Your Hiring Process
Times are changing, the same methods that got you your best employees five years ago might fail today. It’s always important to seek knowledge, get up to date hiring skills, and learn from consistently successful organizations.
Conclusion
Hiring employees is a big deal and it can either accelerate or slow down your company’s development. Applying all these tips gives you better chances of making the right choices in your hiring process.
Author’s Bio
Tobias Foster is a journalist and editor with more than 5 years’ work experience and big ambitions. Philosophy, marketing, and business are his passion, and he has a wealth of knowledge in these fields. He is a master of his craft and an expert in resume help.
