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As
a consumer, we have all been the victim of a business’s bad hiring
decision. Whether it has been the surly nurse in a busy emergency room, the
uninterested adolescent at the electronics outlet or the hostile customer
support technician at the wrong end of a help line, we have experienced what
can happen when businesses do not take their hiring practices
seriously.
More
importantly, we have made critical purchasing decisions as a result of our
bad experiences. Don’t let your company fall prey to poor or lackadaisical
hiring decisions.
Recruiting,
hiring and retaining the people who are going to make your business succeed
is just as important as producing a great product or service.
Successful
hiring processes require just as much thought, strategy and dedication as
developing your business plan, mission and vision. You cannot afford to
think of employees as mere seat-fillers or just leave your hiring strategy
to random classified ads and careless interviews.
We
have outlined some topics to consider when taking your hiring and team
development strategies seriously. Consider these:
Do
you really need to hire a full-time employee at the moment?
Is there enough work to warrant a long-term, full-time position or
could the job best be done using an independent contractor, part-time person
or someone from a temp agency? Also consider setting up an internship
program whereby college students gain valuable business experience and
college credit, often instead of any pay.
What
exactly is this person going to do?
Clearly communicating your expectations, the duties of the position
and performance expectations will save you a lot of headaches in the
future.
While
many small businesses accustomed to hiring family members and acquaintances
use informal hiring practices, taking a somewhat more formal approach can
prevent major legal battles, employee dissatisfaction and overall confusion
about who is responsible for what.
Do
you know your legal responsibilities, obligations and liabilities?
These can change all the time. Having a two- or three-person team can put
you in a different legal category than a company with 20 employees. There
are labor and tax laws to consider, as well as disability and discrimination
laws. Undocumented hiring policies, procedures and practices can leave you
at a real disadvantage in any kind of legal suit.
What’s
the best way to attract the right people to your organization?
It’s not enough to just find a body to fill a position. Think about the
kinds of characteristics your ideal team member will have (optimism,
team-orientation, dedication, etc.). Where are you likely to find people
that have those qualities?
Does
your position description convey the qualities your looking for?
Have you defined the amount and type of experience you expect a candidate to
have? Have you adequately conveyed why a person would want to work for your
company? Answering these questions will help you find the right
candidate.
What
information do you want to gather from candidates to best make a decision?
There is no reason to simply limit yourself to an application or resume. Be
imaginative. In your ad you can leave the phone number to a voicemail. When
candidates call, the message instructs them to leave a message about why
s/he is the right candidate for the job, or what s/he looks for in an
employer or three strengths. People who are caught off guard can hang up and
call back after they have had time to think of their answer. This can be an
initial way of weeding out candidates who are not enthusiastic, energetic or
dedicated.
How
will you conduct your interview?
Remember candidates who know what they have to offer will be assessing you
as much as you are assessing them. It’s important to come to an interview
prepared and knowing what you want to ask them. This is another opportunity
to be creative with your hiring strategy. You may ask them to prepare a
brief presentation before an interview, run through an exercise or relate a
story that reflects their greatest strengths.
What
and how will you check out a candidate’s background?
This is as much about finding the right candidate as well as avoiding
lawsuits. You may not want to limit yourself to educational credentials and
references. If you are hiring someone to work with children, you will want
to do a criminal background check. Likewise, if you are hiring someone to
operate a vehicle, you would want to check his/her driving record.
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