CEOs of top companies will tell you that hiring the best employees is one of the most important parts of succeeding in business. Hire the right employees, who are the right fit for your company culture and have the right skills to do the job well, and you can see your profits soar and your business grow.
Hiring the best employees takes seven steps.
1. Know What You Want
To hire the best employees, you need to know what you want first: the type of person you’re looking for, what skills and experience are necessary and optional, and what salary range, bonuses, or benefits are appropriate. Know what duties the employee will be performing. Do not rush this step or you could end up hiring the wrong candidates.
2. Create the Job Description
It’s a lot easier to create a job description once you’ve completed the first step. Your job description should detail what necessary and optional skills, experience, and education are required, what functions the hire will be performing and what responsibilities he’ll have and who he’ll report to. Define the hours of work and the outcomes that are expected. Add any perks, like work-from-home days, pizza lunches, or quarterly bonuses to reel in top talent. Use a tone that is in line with your company culture.
3. Choose Your Interviewers
Who in your company would be the best interviewers for this position? The people you choose to coordinate the interviews, talk to candidates, and create the list of interview questions and test activities will have a big impact on who you ultimately hire.
4. Decide on an Internal or External Hire
You may have a lot of qualified individuals right in your company. Look at your internal staff first, and distribute an email notifying them about the open position. If no internal employees are qualified, look externally. Where you place your job ad will affect the type of candidates you get—find out where your ideal candidates are—like social media, specific niche job boards, or job fairs. You could also engage a professional recruiter or staffing agency to find you the best candidates.
5. Screen Your Candidates
If you decide to work with a staffing agency, it will handle the screening process for you. If not, ensure that you’re screening resumes against your list of mandatory qualifications arrange telephone interviews with the candidates you’ve selected as the first step. In these phone interviews, tell the candidates what interview timelines they can expect, and what the interview process will be like. Have them fill out job application forms. If you are both still interested, schedule face-to-face interviews.
6. Interview
You already know what your candidates’ skills and work experience are. The interview is your chance to see how well they would fit within your company culture, if they’d clash with your current staff, how well they could follow directives, and if their personalities are right for the job. Use a structured approach and rate each candidate. The highest rated candidates should be brought in for a second interview with higher management.
7. Hiring Your New Employee
Once you have checked references and verified certificates, work experience, and background checks, it’s time to make a decision. Once you’ve made your decision, prepare a written offer, agree on a compensation package that is suitable, and schedule a start date once you’ve received written acceptance. However, if no candidates were found appropriate, start the process again. Don’t settle on the best of the worst.
