Wouldn’t it be great if there was some sort of formula that guaranteed you were making the perfect hire for your company? Unfortunately, there isn’t, and no matter what we do during the hiring process, there is always that chance of a bad match. That is just the way the cookie crumbles. But, while you can’t always guarantee a perfect hire every time, there are several ways you can tilt the odds in your favor.
Clearly Define the Job
This may sound a bit obvious, but many companies do not define the job clearly enough, and this leads to interviewing people who are really not a good fit. You may have figured out the broad strokes of what you need in an employee for this particular position, but you need to go a bit deeper. Go beyond the main duties. In hiring this person, what do you hope to achieve? What is the ideal work style? What specific training, skills and traits are necessary? Think about employees you already have that are doing a good job, what makes them good at it?
Cast a Wide Net
While you want to narrow down your ideal employee as closely as you can, you want to cast as wide a net as possible to find this great candidate. Make sure you are posting on all the major job sites, as well as any that deal with your region in particular. Consider working with an employment agency, which automatically pre-screens, and may deliver some promising candidates.
Have More than One Interviewer
While the ultimate decision to hire is usually left up to one person, including several people in the interview process can increase the chances of hiring success. Interviewing a candidate in a group may bring out a different aspect of the person you might not see with a one-on-one scenario. You will gain greater insights as one person may ask questions you would not have thought of, noticed things about the candidate that you didn’t, or picked up on a key piece of information you missed. It will allow you to see how the candidate interacts with your employees, and how she works in a group setting.
If you bring in multiple interviewers, make sure you devise a ‘game plan’ beforehand to determine what questions will be asked, who will be asking them.
Don’t Discount Chemistry
While professional experience and knowledge is crucial to hiring the best person for the job, don’t discount chemistry. The most successful person will not only have the skills, she will have a personality that gels well with your company culture. With that being said, it is also important though, not to get too carried away with personality and overlook experience. While people can certainly be trained, and much knowledge is acquired once you start the job regardless, you have to consider if this is a true possibility.
While skills and experience are critical, personality fit is equally important. An outstanding resume won’t change the fact that an applicant is not likely to positively contribute to the company culture. If your business requires that employees assist in the company’s social networking efforts, for instance, but the applicant expresses resistance at the notion, it’s probably best to move on to the next candidate. Never underestimate how important culture is to hiring and retaining employees.