Who you hire can be one of the most critical decisions you can make for the future success of your company. Hire the right team members and future success can be almost guaranteed. Hiring the wrong group can be disastrous in many ways. For these reasons hiring should not be something to be taken lightly. The following article will serve to provide 5 best practices when hiring new people.
1. Clearly define the position.
Create a clear and exact description of the position you are seeking employees for. This will help you pursue and attract only those who are qualified for the position. Prospective employees need to know exactly what you are seeking before applying for the position. Fail to do this and you may be overwhelmed by ill qualified candidates. Anyone who has made the mistake of hiring one of these ill qualified candidates knows what a drain on time and valuable resources this can be.
2. Scan resumes for measurable results.
Past performance can be a reliable indicator of future performance. In my personal opinion it is important to get specifics on ones past track record. A business acquaintance of mine owns a company that helps company owners and operators make improvements to the profitability of their facilities. He also helps develop staffing strategies and assists in the vetting of new hires. One of the most important
aspects of performance he looks out for are quantifiable results and statistics. Things like “increased department profitability by 30%” and “Managed 100 million in buildings” is what we are talking about here. For me personally as an executive recruiter if I don’t see quantifiable results on a resume I will ask the candidate questions to draw out their value in terms of results and make sure it is included in a
rewritten resume.
3. Take the time to hire the right person.
In most cases you should resist the urge to hire someone on the spot without interviewing all of the potential candidates. Spending quality time with each candidate is essential as well. I spoke with one hiring manager recently who told me he spends four hours interviewing each candidate. That may seem a little extreme for most people but the point is to be thorough and deliberate when it comes to
evaluating potential hires.
4. Check References.
References should be checked but also taken with a grain of salt. It can be hard to find a negative reference for a candidate. Sometimes company policy is a factor other times someone may be reluctant to say anything unkind. Try to read between the lines and be sure to ask follow up questions. I recently spoke with someone who was listed as a reference for a candidate of mine who told me he was dreading my
call. He declined to elaborate which told me all I needed to know. Also notice how
enthusiastic or apathetic a reference is.
5. Be aware of the candidate’s experience throughout the hiring process.
Make sure you are giving a good impression. The candidate is evaluating you as much as you are evaluating him or her. Be clear about what happens next in the process and when. Keep candidates updated and if you can, make the process enjoyable. If you don’t end up hiring this particular person they will still tell others in the industry what a great experience they had.
Conrad Martin is the Principal at OnPoint Search Group Inc. located in Dedham, Ma.
Contact info below:
www.onpointsearchgroup.com
Office – 781-326-5435
E:conrad@onpointsearchgroup.com