Your most important asset is your people, no matter the size of your business. Finding and recruiting the right people will determine your success, but it can be a tedious and difficult task to find A players that fit. It can be tempting to take short-cuts to build your team in a bid to ease current pressures, but when you get it wrong it can cause painful, longterm side effects.
The key is to understand that hiring the right candidate does takes time, so you must be patient. Sit back, relax and develop a comprehensive recruitment plan that you can execute flawlessly.
- Remember, no hire is better than a bad one.
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Know what you are looking for
It may be tempting to cut down on the administration by using the same job description as the previous candidate. But, it's highly likely that the role has evolved and your expectations have changed. It's a great idea to take a look at the needs and the current dynamic of your team- what do you really need to fill the gaps and create a slick high performance engine? -
Discover their personality traits
Don't just look at the words on their CV, there is so much more to a person than their work experience. Many employers miss great opportunities when they hire based on the relative experience only. Take this your opportunity to look outside the box! -
Connect to the Applicant
Having a conversation with an applicant to establish a connection can be incredibly valuable to both parties. Not only does this give the recruiter a deeper sense of the person, it also allows the applicant to ask questions about your business therefore giving them an opportunity to discover if they are really suitable for the job. A short telephone conversation can really help to weed out the innapropriate applicants from the rest.
Whereas the formal interview gives you the opportunity to really delve into an applicants qualifications and experience. -
Use all your resources
Although you are ultimately responsible for who is hired within the organisation, it should never be a solo effort. You should use all of the tools at your disposal, for example in-house referrals. Referrals can be a highly successful way of hiring the right staff. Your staff understand your culture and understand the dynamic already, one would assume that they would only refer someone that they considered a good fit. -
Head Hunting is a Good Idea
High performers may have offers from multiple organisations. In order to show them why they should choose your organisation rather that a competitor you must show them your worth. Talk about the benefits of working with your company but also discuss why they are valuable to you, and don't forget to offer a compensation package in line with (or above) market rates.
Hiring the right candidate will take time, but getting it right will save you from a lot of pain in the long run.
Have you ever hired the wrong person? What steps have you taken to stop this from happening again? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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