Finding and hiring an employee to fill a job should be easy! People are looking for work; you have a job to fill. It’s just a matter of finding the best person, interviewing them, offering a salary and they’re on board!
Hiring a new employee can seem so deceptively simple on the surface that many businesses fall into the same cycle of hiring employees who aren’t as experienced or dedicated as they thought they might be when the candidate was interviewed for the job.
You can avoid making “bad” hires by following a few basic best hiring practices:
Prepare a job description or job summary prior to searching for candidates: Take a few minutes to make a list of the tasks that will be performed in the job, and the work experience, skills and education that your new employee will need in order to be successful. Don’t neglect the “soft skills” such as “initiative” “follow through”, or “the ability to work independently”.
Ask Meaningful Interview Questions: Develop the types of questions that will allow you to fully assess the candidate’s experience. Ask the candidate to provide work related examples that support any statements that they share with you during the interview relative to their skills and experience, (this type of questioning is called Behavioral Interview Questioning).
Avoid asking questions that allow the candidate to respond by saying yes or no unless a yes or no answer will suffice.
Check References: You should always check an applicant’s references before hiring. This is a good opportunity for you verify statements made by the applicant specific to their work experience as well as obtain more information on the candidate’s overall job performance. Don’t forget to ask if there were any performance issues, or if there are areas where the employee needs to grow or improve relative to their experience.
Orient Your New Employee: Once hired, it’s important to make sure that the employee understands what is expected of him or her. Take the time to review the job, layout your job expectations, and introduce them to other members of the team.
A little time spent preparing for the process of finding and hiring your employees can save you time, money and needless frustration.
Dianne Shaddock is the Founder of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips. Through the Employee Hiring and Managing Tips podcast, blog, and weekly ‘quick tips’ e-newsletters, Dianne offers expert advice on how to make better hiring decisions, manage difficult employees, develop employee policies, motivate staff, and so much more. No stuffy, corporate HR policy lingo; but straight forward, easy to understand and implement advice for businesses just like yours. Stay ahead of the curve and go to Easy Small Business HR for more tips on how to hire and manage your staff effectively.
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