Finding the right person to fill a vacant role within your company can be a time consuming process. You want to make sure that they are up to the task and will perform well and add value to your business.
There are a number of ways that you can focus your search and select the best possible talent. Read on for a few suggestions to get you started in your quest for the perfect candidate.
Advertise in the Right Places
Where you post your vacant positions will affect the types of people that you attract to the position. Select skilled job boards where qualified people are known to look for employment opportunities. Make sure that your job description is thorough and clear so you don’t get unqualified candidates applying too often.
You can also choose to post any new position that comes open internally first. This way you give your existing employees the opportunity to move up in your organization. The benefits from hiring within your company mean that they are already familiar with the general work and how the company is run.
Look for candidates in unexpect places. If you are conducting any research, you can turn an information gathering session into focus groups interviews. Listen to the feedback and engagement of the participants and use the session as a type of pre-screening process. You can then extend an offer to apply for employment to those that you connect with and that demonstate a good understanding and excitement for your company.
Conduct Multiple Interviews
Getting to know someone through group and virtual interviews can be hard. You don’t get as clear of a sense of who they are during a single session of this type. You can still determine how they interact with others and handle answering questions under pressure, and a sense of their communication style, but a series of interviews will give you a better overview of their suitability.
You can choose to start out with a group interview to narrow down your options. After this, a virtual interview with each individual candidate will be helpful. This gives you a better chance to gage their professionalism and preparedness. Ask challenging and creative questions to see how they think on their feet and are able to problem solve.
Set Small Tasks
Along with the interviews, whether virtual or in person, set a few small knowledge-based tasks with your interviewees such as career quiz, personality test or aptitude test. This will let you test their ability to perform the tasks of the job. It’s also a great way to gage their time management skills and how they handle working under pressure.
Research Candidate’s Background
Once you have a good candidate in mind, do a thorough background check. If your organization works with sensitive information or specialty knowledge, then check into criminal history and verify that all licenses and clearances are valid and current.
Look into their experience by contacting their references and past employers. This will give you a sense of how they truly work with others and perform their job responsibilities.
Another good area to check is social media. Look into their accounts and view the things that they post. Are they professional and serious? Do they have an established brand and past experiences that will be helpful for your company?
Go To Lunch
The interview and background process of hiring a new employee is important, but you shouldn’t stop there. You can get a much better impression of how someone will be to work with on a personal level by taking them out to lunch. This is a good opportunity to further discuss all the aspects of the job, benefits, and all responsibilities.
Notice the types of questions that they ask and if they are thoughtful and show a desire to learn and do well. Sharing a meal will help you to see if you can get along well, if the candidate can carry on a conversation, and how polite they are to you and others.
Tour the Office
If someone shows true promise, then invite them to the office for a final interview and tour of the facilities. See how they respond to the environment and if it seems like they would do well there. Pay attention to their level of interest and curiosity in how the office is run and the available amentities, features, and office setup.
An interested candidate will be engaged and excited. They will want to know more about their potential work space and be eager to fit in.
Offer a Trial Period
After you have selected someone to hire, consider a probationary period of work. This is a chance for both of you to make sure that you are a good fit and the appointment is a good choice. You will get to know their quality and level of work and how they handle the demands of the job. The employee will also benefit by feeling out the position and determining if they are comfortable with the tasks they will be doing and get along well with their coworkers.
Finding the right person for the job can be challenging, but with some effort you can select someone who will be a true assest and help your company thrive.
