Learning how to hire effectively is critical to successful hiring. Most of us think that running an ad for a job opening is the easiest part of the process but I have found that taking the time to create the path from Step One to hiring is critical. Step One starts with creating a vision of your ideal candidate.
Employing the best staff is the most crucial element of building a successful business. The right people encourage your business’ future growth, becoming an asset to the company and the culture within. Taking the time to create a vision of your ideal candidate will save you time and money. There are easy ways to save time throughout the hiring process by eliminating many of the applicants who are not serious before you even read their resumes. Hiring correctly will save tens of thousands of dollars as statistics show that the cost of replacing employees is high. I help my clients find the best candidates possible using these tools.
So how do you make a good hire?
The first step is envisioning your ideal candidate. This is the foundation of an effective and efficient process.
Consider their personality when envisioning the ideal candidate. For example, imagine the answer to some of these sample questions:
- What are the key characteristics of the ideal employee? Are you looking for attention to detail, for an outgoing personality, for consistency?
- What appeals to them about the position? For example, we created an ad for a client who was looking for a data scientist. We realized that the best employees loved to take things apart as kids so the ad specifically mentioned that as a valuable trait.
- Will they fit in with other staff members? It will help to define the characteristics of the other team members.
- How will they handle clients and vendors? This is particularly important with client facing positions.
One’s personality is the driver of how they act and interact.
Consider these five factors of personality when doing this exercise:
- Openness to New Experiences
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion/Introversion
- Agreeableness
- Emotional Stability.
We Empower Leaders LLC can help build a skill set for specific employment opportunities, but a skill set should take a backseat to personality when hiring.
Create the ad –
Once you have your vision of the ideal candidate, it’s time to create an ad that appeals to that person. Show them that the position you are offering is more than just monetary compensation for their time and skills. You are presenting an opportunity with value and want to welcome them into a culture of trust.
Recently, we worked with a growing company making their first hire for an office manager. They wanted to make sure the applicant understood that the position will include the building of company processes and responsibilities may change over the course of time. Their ad emphasized that they were looking for an innovator who is independent, a person who can go with the flow and be able to adjust to change. This helped eliminate applicants who were veterans of the job title but were also set in their ways and just looking for stability in a job. We attracted and found candidates who wanted the challenge of creating new systems and were looking for growth opportunities. the ad.
Ask for a cover letter –
We advise asking for a cover letter, particularly addressing why they feel they are a great fit with your company. This screening step will save you time by not having to review resumes that are splashed across the internet in hopes of just being hired.
This investment of the applicant’s time is the first step to showing they pay attention to detail and that they are seriously interested in the position.
Create an Online Application –
If you find you still have an overwhelming selection of applicants, the next step would be to ask each one to complete an online application. By doing so, you continue to narrow the selection of candidates in a natural way. Serious applicants will take the time to read your ad thoroughly and complete your required steps.
Conduct a Pre-Screening Phone Call
The next step before bringing candidates in for face to face interviews is the pre-screening phone call. For our clients, we’ve created customized applications for each position that narrows the field down to the fewest pre-screening calls needed. Taking the time to do a 20 to 30 call reveals yet another narrowing aspect of the candidate’s viability. For example, recently we were hiring for a logistics position. A key element of this job was making sure the shipments were executed correctly, which required being on call as needed, sometimes into the evening. When asked what his ideal job was, one of the candidates stated it would be a job that ended at 5:00. This was an easy elimination question!
These first steps of the hiring process will ensure you are hiring by design, not by default.
From helping companies to envision their “perfect”job candidate, to creating a skill set, writing and ad and interviewing candidates, We Empower Leaders LLC can assist you in learning how to hire and in all of these tasks and more.
Our next blog will be Step 2 – How To Conduct an Effective Interview. In the interim, if you have a need, do not hesitate to contact us!
