Hiring is a tough business.  It takes patience, proper screening and careful analysis.  With so many talented people out of work right now, it’s going to take some time to find the one who really fits the bill.  However when you hire the wrong person it will be a great drain on your resources to either keep or fire them.  You’ll likely find yourself looking for ways to reassign the employee or working tirelessly to fit him or her into the business in some way. Rather than simply letting the employee go, you’ll owe it to him or her to spend time and money on training and ongoing performance review.

Eventually, he or she may become an adequate employee for your business, but there’s also a chance that he or she won’t work out.  Either way, they’ll cost you time, money and energy.

In this article  Karen L. Paiyo explore ten ways to ensure that you hire right and prevent headaches for the business in the future. Let us have your view on this.

By Karen L. Paiyo

 

One of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients is that it is difficult to hire the right person for the job.  If you get it wrong the impacts on a small business can be disastrous, so it certainly pays to do your homework and to take your time to hire right.  Let’s take a look at what you can do to make your next hire a successful one.

  1. Align Your Hire to Your Strategic Plan

Make sure you have a strategic organisational structure in mind when preparing to make your first hire.  And look to hire the position which will bring you closer to achieving your strategic intent as outlined in your business plan.  This ensures your hire is aligned to your strategic intent.

  1. Be Clear About the Role

Ensure you have a clear job description for the role, a list of roles and responsibilities the person who fills this position will be responsible for.  The job description should outline the job, the purpose of the job, key responsibilities, duties, skills, limits of authority, number of direct reports and to whom the position reports to.

  1. The Ideal Candidate

Review the job description and start to create a picture of the ideal candidate.  This should include educational requirements, professional qualifications, skills, motivation, etc. This will give you an idea as to the ‘perfect’ candidate, which isn’t likely to exist, but will provide an ideal to work towards.

  1. Prepare to Compare

Create a standard evaluation form so you can assess the responses from each of the candidates.  For each question you can assess each candidates on their credentials, experience, skills, and behaviour and will provide a standard reference for reviewing each of the candidates after the interview.

  1. Interview Preparation

Prepare a series of interview questions which should be designed to collect as much information as possible on each the key areas as possible.  One tip is to ask open-ended questions, these provide an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate how their skills and experience are a fit for the role.

  1. Search for Candidates

Carefully word your recruitment advertising or prepare a brief for an employment agency designed to attract candidates which closely match your requirements.  Select the top 5 to 10 who look to be a good fit with your requirements and organise to interview each of them.  Advise unsuccessful candidates and thank them for their interest.

  1. Conduct First Round of Interviews

Conduct your first round of interviews, using your prepared interview questions and your standard evaluation form to compare each candidates performances.  Advise unsuccessful candidates and thank them for their interest.

  1. Short List Interviews

Organise to interview the top three candidates.  Ask someone to sit on the interview with you to provide a second perspective, but don’t abdicate the decision to that person.

  1. Review all Data

At the completion of the final interviews, review each of the candidates performances and assess their suitability.  Make a decision as to your chosen candidate, and verify qualifications and carefully vet the candidate by conducting a thorough reference check. Talk to former bosses, peers and subordinates, where possible.

  1. Make a decision

If everything checks out make a decision as to who is the best candidate for the role and make an offer.  Confirm with the candidate the package on offer and follow-up in writing within 24 hours.  Advise unsuccessful candidates and thank them for their interest.

An equally valid outcome, though disappointing, is to decide not to offer the role to any of the candidates, or you may choose to make an offer to another candidate for another role in your business.

Follow these useful tips, and you will be on target for hiring the right person for your next job.

Karen L. Paiyo is an Australian Small Business Counsellor, supporting and nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Asia Pacific Region.  Karen empowers small business owners by transferring to them the skills and expertise needed to help them take their business ideas from creative concept to profitable reality, faster and with less risk.  For more small business articles, news, tips and business advice, check out her website at http://www.karenpaiyo.com