If you are in charge of recruitment for a company, then it stands to reason you are going to want to get thee decision right. Often recruiting for a vacancy is quite costly so it’s not an experience you’ll want to repeat more often than is needed. By making sure you take steps to hire the best person for the job, you can make sure that the whole process is as efficient as possible.
So when you’re hiring someone, what should you be looking for?
Knowing Who You Want
You really need to have a solid idea of the type of employee you need for the job and who is going to be the best fit. Try to carry out a job analysis so that you know the skills and experience they need to carry out the job role properly. This gives you an idea of what to look for and who, on paper at least is going to be the best fit for the job at hand.
Pre Screening
If someone matches what you want on paper, then why not pre-screen them over the phone? Holding phone interviews takes up much less time than actual interviews and are a good way of cutting down your shortlist. If you try to interview everyone you are interested in this will take up too much time and end up costing you even more money. Instead phone interviews allow you to talk to the person, see their social skills and interaction style so you can make sure that they are going to be a good fit for your job role. You want someone that comes across friendly, bold and confident but also eager to learn with plenty of questions to ask.
What Experience Do They Have?
It is easy to concentrate on their qualifications and what they have learnt in a class room setting but that doesn’t always mean that they are the best candidate. It is important to think outside of the box and look at what else they do. Taking a look at their industry relevant experience is a great indicator of what they can bring to the table. Also, if they have a number of years’ experience in a similar role then this indicates that they like the job they do and therefore are likely to be able to offer you and your company long term commitment.
What Else Can They Offer
Skills that they have outside of a work place environment are also worth looking at. If they have volunteered somewhere or have a hobby then think about what skills this could have taught them and the dedication it shows.
What is important to remember is that the person who is best on paper might not be best if your work place. You need to consider what they can bring to the table outside of just good exam results and of course how you think they are going to fit in amongst the workers you already have – match their personality with your company ethos
