5 Hiring Lessons Learned the Hard Way

 

If you want your company to thrive, then hiring the right people needs to be a priority. A single bad hire can derail productivity, hinder morale, and harm the bottom line. Plus, replacing an employee can take a significant amount of time, leaving you shorthanded for a period and further damaging operations.

Learning how to hire is not always easy. However, you can learn from those who have stood in your shoes before, giving you the knowledge to help you avoid certain missteps. If you want to make sure your hiring is on-target, here are five hiring lessons that many learn the hard way.

1. Set Clear Job Requirements

Knowing precisely what you need is critical if you want to find the right candidates for the role. Some managers focus more on the job seeker themselves, potentially blinded by amazing credentials, instead of how the person’s abilities align with the position’s requirements.

However, if you hire a professional whose skills don’t match your needs, there will be fallout. Make sure finding strong matches is always a priority, focusing on the skills that are more crucial for the role first and foremost.

2. Look for Drive

Most top performers are incredibly driven. They don’t just want to meet expectations. Instead, they want to shatter them. Plus, they tend to be strategic by nature, giving them an innate ability to align their actions with the larger company mission, highly innovative thinkers, and team players.

When you meet with candidates, ask them to describe how they achieved results, particularly when faced with a daunting challenge. This allows you to gain insight into how they think and act, giving you a better gauge on their drive.

3. Find Passion for Your Mission

When an employee is passionate about the company’s mission, they are more likely to excel. This is because they feel a personal connection to the organization’s vision, giving them intrinsic motivation to exceed expectations.

During an interview, ask each job seeker to describe what they think your company is about and the products or services offered. Their level of enthusiasm (and accuracy) will provide you with valuable information about their level of passion for the mission.

4. Check Professionals References

A good reference check is essential if you want to make sound hiring decisions. Even if candidates list people who will likely speak well of them, you can discover tidbits about their personalities, accomplishments, and approach that you may miss otherwise.

Plus, a reference check allows you to fact-check during the hiring process. That way, if a job seeker was being deceitful, you have a better chance of finding out.

5. Don’t Assume They Will Say “Yes”

Today, it’s a job seeker’s market. Even if the interview, reference check, and other phases of the hiring process went well, that doesn’t mean your top contender is going to accept a job offer just because you lob it out there.

In order to increase your odds of success, assume the candidate will say “no” unless you put in additional effort. Make sure you present the offer personally and are enthusiastic when you do. If they do accept verbally, follow up with a formal letter quickly and consider engaging them in the onboarding process early by introducing them to their future team members and providing them with more information about any benefits and perks. That way, everyone remains excited, increasing the odds your top choice will become your newest hire.

If you would like to find out more about hiring best practices, the team at The Advance Group can help. Contact us to speak with a member of our skilled staff today and see how our hiring expertise can benefit you.

 

 

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