Making a great hire can do wonderful things for your organization. It can move your company in the right direction, help with growth and improve performance in that given department or area. Making a bad hire can do just the opposite; and have far more lasting effects than if you made a great hire.
Hiring is a big step for some companies. While a great hire is an investment in your future growth, a bad hire can cost you an untold amount of resources.
We’ve talked about this topic on our blog before but here are a few more tips on making a great hire:
Start with a job description. This might be a little too basic for some but you’d be surprised at how many companies do not have adequate job descriptions for certain positions. A job description lays out exactly what you desire in a candidate. If it’s a new position, start fresh with a new job description. If it’s an existing position you are filling, it’s always a great idea to take a look and freshen that job description up before you search for a new candidate.
Be opened minded. You may in the course of your search, find a candidate that you feel is a great fit for your company. However, they may lack certain skill sets that you require. In past blogs we have discussed the importance of a candidate having the proper skills and that’s true. A candidate does need core skills to even apply for a position. But if there are skills that you feel an enthusiastic candidate can pick up along the way, and they can contribute to your organization, it is worth weighing your options.
Let the candidate talk. As a hiring manager, if you’re the one doing all the talking, then you’re bound to make a bad hire. You are interviewing a candidate for a reason; to hear their answers and find out if they are a good fit. You can’t do that by being the only one talking. Ask the questions and let them talk. They will either impress you or cause you to keep searching.
Improve your odds. Engaging the services of a recruiter can improve your odds greatly. An experienced recruiter will have a network of qualified candidates they can present to you. They will be prescreened according to your criteria and ready to interview with you. It will speed up the process if you need someone fast and it will actually save you resources by allowing that recruiter to do some of the upfront work ahead of time.
We have even more tips on hiring on a past blog post from our team.
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