Human capital is a company’s greatest resource. This means that failing to choose the right employees can be very costly – turnover can cost a company from 16% to a whopping 213% of the lost employee’s salary. The more skilled an employee is, the higher the costs are. Still, as The Harvard Business Review points out, 80% of employee turnover is a result of bad hiring decisions.
Selecting the right person to hire can be challenging. There are so many things you should take into consideration including
- Candidate skills
- Character and temperament and,
- Whether they’ll fit into your company’s culture.
Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of your recruiting process.
Look Closely
According to LinkedIn Report, 48% of quality hires come from employee referrals.
Your current employees can be a great source for identifying potential candidates. They will often have their own networks and can recognise a person who is a good fit for the position, both culturally and professionally.
Another way to get word of mouth going is by posting news about your job opening on social and professional media channels. This will probably reach hundreds of qualified candidates within a couple of hours.
It’s also a good idea to establish your own talent pool. Try and have a few already qualified candidates ready for each position before it even opens.
Prescreen Your Candidates
Once you’ve gathered resumes, start your selection by eliminating those who do not match the job description and requirements for this specific position. Then, carefully analyse the rest, going through the list of qualifications, traits, skills, and experience relevant for the position.
Pay attention to those who seem to stand out from the others in a positive way, either by their uniquely valuable experience in working on similar projects or by having worked for respectable companies in your niche.
If your list of candidates for this position is still long, you can narrow it down a bit more.
Try having a brief but straightforward online or phone discussion with those you’re having doubts about, and see how they’ll manage.
A successful way to shortlist your applicants is by considering their salary expectations. Do they correspond with what you can offer?
During a pre-screening call, a good HR specialist will also be capable of identifying candidates who are not the right match for your organisational culture.
Ask the Right Questions
Make sure you have a set of questions ready before you start a meeting with your candidate. All your interviewers must ask all candidates the same basic set of questions so that the reports you get are easy to compare.
Make some of your questions behaviourally-based, to find out how a candidate handled certain challenging situations in the past, to learn more about their skills, personal traits, and abilities.
Here are a few of the behaviorally-based questions to give you an idea of what to ask:
- Have you ever made a mistake? How did you deal with it?
- Have you ever made a risky decision and why?
- How do you choose your priorities when you are working on multiple projects at the same time?
- How do you handle difficult situations with your co-workers?
Such questions will make it easier for you to assess your candidates and identify who’s cut from the right cloth.
Make Sure They Fit Into Your Workplace Culture
During your interview, try to determine the candidates who will be able to adapt to your organisational culture. It’s important to acquaint potential new hires with your company’s core values, vision, and mission.
No matter how good the resume is, or how skillfully they manage the interview, some candidates will never be able to fit in with your company culture.
The sooner you recognise them, the better.
Here are some of the interview questions you can try out in order to assess organisational fit too:
- What do you think of having close relationships with your co-workers?
- Do you prefer to work alone or in a team? Why?
- What are the three things you like about our company?
- What are you passionate about?
Still, this doesn’t mean you need to create your staff in your own image, as you need a diverse workforce for your company to grow. Make it your company’s policy as inclusive as you can.
many positions would make a good fit for people with disabilities and others who are at risk of unemployment because of some limitation.
Do a Background Check
Before making a final decision, be sure to do a background check on your candidates. Check their references and educational credentials, as well as their previous working experience and potential criminal history.
Get in touch with their previous employers and supervisors, and obtain some first-hand information on their performance. Still, don’t forget that this type of data can be biased too, so try to keep an open mind and remain objective.
Don’t simply write them off if you hear something bad – give them the benefit of the doubt and ask for some clarification.
By following these tips you’ll be able to determine whether your candidate is the right professional and organisational match for your company, and land yourself the best hire.
Leave a Reply