Most business owners have had the experience of hiring someone they think will be just right for a job—only to have a host of problems crop up down the line. Because you as a business owner can’t be in all places, employees are essential for making your business run well.
(Pixabay / Jo_Johnston)
While there’s no magic formula for hiring the right person for the job, the following are tips to take some of the guesswork out of the hiring process:
- Look for commitment – Look for a person who seems genuinely interested in the job as well as your company as a whole. If an applicant seems overly fixated on pay or shows a history of jumping companies, they may not be the best choice. You may find them jumping ship as soon as a better job offer comes along.
- Gauge skills – Consider offering a test or challenge to assess a candidate’s skills ad knowledge. This can be a helpful litmus test beyond just relying on a person’s resume.
- Consider compatibility – Take note of the candidate’s social skills and personality. They may have all of the skills in the world, but if they aren’t a team player, it could be a rocky road ahead. Assess whether or not the applicant will fit in with the culture of the company and get along with current managers and employees.
- Don’t leave out the interns – Instead of looking for employees to hire from the outside, consider hiring people who have done internships with the company. You will have already observed how they work and how they deal with other employees.
- Improve the hiring process – Nobody has the perfect hiring system, but by continuing to read up on the subject, you’ll be able to fine tune your processes. Perhaps you would benefit from having another person sit in on the interviews. Maybe you could do a better job of defining job responsibilities. More knowledge can lead to more effective hiring.
