Who you hire is one of the most important business decisions you can make? Your workforce is essentially the public-facing image of your business and defines the experience your customers will have. As with any other business decision, hiring requires strategy and careful consideration. While it can be tempting to try to fill positions as quickly as possible to avoid any deviation from productivity, that approach can backfire if you find yourself with someone who is unqualified, unmotivated, or just a poor cultural fit.
Here, we break down some of the most important steps to take when hiring to find the right employees for your business to help you avoid that fate. Let’s dive in:
Screen Before Hiring
One of the biggest missteps companies make when hiring is not conducting a background check on their new hires. By screening employees, you will get a detailed report of their employment history which will help you verify that they do in fact have the experience they say they do and that they are who they say they are.
That said, you don’t want to screen every candidate you interview, that can get expensive and is a waste of resources. Instead, you want to run a pre-employment screening on candidates that you intend to hire. Keep in mind that you do need to get their consent before doing so.
Having your screening process figured out before you even start interviews is important so you can facilitate it as quickly as possible—taking too long could mean missing out on your top prospects to other offers.
Clearly Lay Out Requirements & Expectations
If you find that many of the responses you’re receiving seem to be way off base or a large number of unqualified individuals, the issue may be with your job listing. You already have enough on your plate without wasting your time reading through applications only to find they aren’t even qualified. So, to help significantly reduce these instances, you need to make sure your job listing is detailed and clearly defines the job requirements and expectations. At the very least, you should cover:
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General description of what the job entails
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A list of the job duties
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Education requirements
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Years of experience
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Required job skills (as well as preferred)
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Any special instructions for applying (sending in samples of their work, attaching a CV, etc.)
Other information you can include to narrow down your applicant pool is the starting salary range, benefits, whether there is a possibility for remote work, and information about company culture. You also want to be selective where you’re posting your available positions—more so if you’re hiring for a specialized position.
While it might take a little more of your time up front, it will save you a great deal of time (and headaches) throughout the rest of the hiring process.
Perform a Phone Interview Before Having Them Come in
Conducting phone interviews can significantly cut down on the hours you need to dedicate to in-office interviews. During phone interviews, you should ask strategic questions that will allow you to quickly eliminate applicants from the running. Think of this as a preliminary screening process. Common phone interview questions include:
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What are you looking for in a new job?
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Why do you want to leave your current job?
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What do you know about what we do?
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Why do you think you’re a good match for this position?
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Are you able to commute to the office every day? (if applicable—you want to make sure they have reliable transportation if in-office work is required)
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Are there specific benefits you’re not willing to compromise on?
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When would your earliest start date be?
Those who do pass the phone interview will then be scheduled for an in-person interview where you will drill down further into whether they’re a good fit. Make sure to take notes during phone interviews so you can have a reference for each candidate when they come in.
Prepare for the Interview
It’s not just candidates who need to prepare for interviews. If you are hiring your first round of employees, haven’t hired in a long time, or simply aren’t having luck with interviewees, it’s time to revamp your process. Here are some things to consider before starting interviews:
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Do you need a panel-style interview setup or multiple people to interview the candidates?
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Which questions will help you uncover the most pertinent information about the candidate?
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How long do you want to allot for each interview? (this is especially important if you have multi high-level employees involved in the process)
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Is there some kind of skill evaluation you can have interviewees complete to further gauge their capabilities?
Of course, not every hire will work out, even when you use tried and true methods, but these tips are a great way to lower your risk of turnover and find employees who fit will with your organization.
