Hiring the right person
Author: Reda HADDOU
Date of Publication: 28/06/2022
Hiring the right person is a driver of success to your business. That is why entrepreneurs should have a formal hiring process in place when recruiting staff. In particular, by taking the time and effort to find the right people, you will increase your chances of hiring the most successful employees. Also, you might avoid costly and regrettable mistakes. Moreover, many entrepreneurs have an instinctive sense of whether a candidate is right for the job or not. However, you should not depend exclusively on your instinct. The recruitment process should be based on solid, objective factors.
Here are 7 points on how to avoid making bad hiring decisions.
1. Assess your company's culture
To recruit the best candidate, you need to know what your company needs. What is its mission? What are its values? What type of people are you comfortable with? What is your preferred mindset?
Look at potential candidates with these broader perspectives and see how they fare.
2. Write detailed job descriptions
If you can't get a clear picture of what employees are expected to do, you'll have trouble hiring the right person. Create a job description for each position in the company, reflecting the responsibilities, skills and experience required.
Make sure you clearly communicate the job requirements to candidates at the interview.
3. Plan well-structured interviews
Prepare an evaluation sheet that will allow you to score and compare the performance of candidates against a set of criteria. When it comes to interviews, consider having more than one meeting with serious candidates and involve others. For example, it could be an HR representative and the manager to whom the new employee will report.
Use behavioural interview techniques. For example, invite candidates to describe how they have handled particular challenges in previous positions. Future performance is broadly assessed based on past performance. You can also present them with a scenario of a difficult situation and ask them how they would handle it.
4. Put candidates to the test
Another important part of the hiring process is to require applicants to perform a task that involves the skills needed for the job. Why not ask a candidate to drive a truck if that is what they will be doing? Why not make a sales presentation if that is part of their job description?
5. Look beyond the resume.
On paper, the best qualified people are not always the best for the position. Inquire about the applicants' interests, objectives, and priorities. Here, candidates who aspire to work for a major corporation with a huge income may feel uncomfortable with a position in a small corporation.
6. Ask for references
It is always beneficial to possess references. Even though fewer organisations give references on former workers, it is still the strongest source of information about prospects. Consider doing a personal inquiry with persons who know the applicant or have previously worked with them.
7. Make them part of your team
Once you have recruited the best candidates, you need to encourage their full commitment. Research shows that a strong orientation program can increase the retention rate of new employees by up to 40%. While being patient during the training of the new employee, you may want to consider pairing them with an experienced employee. The goal being to mentor and coach them as they begin their work
Finally, keep in mind two simple principles: job relevance and consistency. Be sure to document every step of the process and provide solid, objective, evidence-based reasons for your decision to hire or not.