With today’s economy, employers can find candidates for virtually any position without wasting any time. Although the process appears to be a simple one, it isn’t.
The odds of hiring the best candidate are however much lower as compared to hiring the wrong person. That said, the possibility of hiring the wrong person cannot be overlooked.
Hiring the wrong person means you have to deal with the consequences that come with the same. The cost of hiring an unqualified, unmotivated, and lazy employees is far too costly for any company to bear, which is the reason many will be careful during the hiring process.
Even if you were to retain the unqualified person, you would have to invest lots of time and energy training them. Only a small percentage of such make good employees, meaning you’d have to look for another candidate to fit in. All these costs the company valuable time and resources.
The key to finding the best candidate isn’t completely dependent on their qualifications and extensive experience in the field. Irene McConnell from Arielle Executive shares her expertise.
Employee recruitment takes more than simply qualifications and experience. Outlined below are some of the key things/factors to consider when looking for the right/best candidate for the job.
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Career-oriented
Always look out for candidates who are committed and career-oriented. Such candidates will be looking for a way to not only develop their career but also grow professionally. These, however, aren’t easy to find since most candidates today are looking to juggle between several jobs. Most of these candidates are yet to discover themselves, hence might jump ship just when they were settling in. Unless one has a valid reason for switching between careers, focus only on career-oriented candidates.
Look for candidates/employees who will be loyal to the company, and those that see it as a chance to advance their career. Such will become an asset to the company over time. Be wary of candidates whose employment history is inconsistent.
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Practical Experience
While it is advisable to hire someone with the right qualifications and experience in the specific niche, finding such a candidate can take some time. For this reason, you need to look for candidates with practical experience in what you are looking for might land you just the right candidate. Such candidates adapt quite easily since they already have an idea of what needs to be done.
In addition to adapting to their position fast, such candidates save you on time and money you would otherwise have spent training them. If a candidate doesn’t have a clue or experience on the job, he/she might take days, or even weeks, before that can learn the ropes. While every employee should be given time to adjust to the new environment, candidates with practical experience improve much faster.
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Test Each Candidate
The candidate’s resume shouldn’t be all you look into when looking for the right candidate. You need to assess their analytical skills and learning abilities among other factors. Some candidates may have an impressive resume only to fail miserably when it comes to executing. For this reason, testing the candidates should help confirm what is written on their resume and other qualification papers.
Another reason why you need to test the potential employees is that some of the candidates might not have been entirely truthful in their resume. Testing their skills should help you confirm all these, as well as get an insight into how resourceful they can be when tasked with a challenge.
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Determine the Key Qualifications
Almost every position/job can become monotonous or stressful. For this reason, you need to identify candidates who will be able to overcome any hurdles they come across in their positions. A good example of this is an IT company looking for candidates capable of meeting strict deadlines. In addition to having the desired qualifications, the ideal candidate needs to be able to be mentally and psychologically fit for the job, and capable of delivering even on complex client demands, deadlines, and cope well with pressure.
Some jobs are naturally repetitive. While they may seem simple at first, it’s easy for an employee to become bored or lose focus. Even the best fits for the job might not be ideal for the position. You need to look for a candidate who won’t lose focus and remain motivated even under stress.
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Ability to Fit and Adapt to Company Culture
Look for candidates with matured social skills. He/she should be able to adapt and even fit perfectly well with the company culture without disrupting the existing atmosphere. The candidate should be able to mingle with other employees freely, as well as communicate with clients fluently. Strong interpersonal skills are therefore mandatory when looking for the right candidate for certain positions.
During the interview process, check to see how well the candidate responds to questions as well as their work history. While no one will list out any conflicts they might have had with their previous employer/job, body language and checking with references provides should help you out. Take some time to see how well the candidate fares with former bosses and colleagues.
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Make the Necessary Tweaks and Improvements
The recruitment process too needs to evolve with time. As much as you need to focus on the candidates, working on the hiring process to ensure it gives you the best candidates can make the process much easier. One way to improve your hiring process is by including questionnaires for candidates to fill out when applying for the position. The questions should be designed to test the candidate’s analytical skills among other aspects.
Work out a way to ensure the job requirements are easy to understand and have the candidates provide relevant information about their qualifications. Some of the things you need to find out about candidates even before meeting them for an interview include experience, qualifications, knowledgeability, interpersonal skills, and the ability to learn.
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Consider an Intern
Hiring an intern provides an even better way to know a candidate. The intern gets to prove their worth during that period. You can monitor everything they do to ascertain their skill, intelligence, social skills, ability to work under pressure, as well as their weaknesses. Unqualified candidates often break even before the internship is over.
Treat every intern like any other employee. Have them handle real tasks, run errands, and even take responsibility for their actions. A good intern will learn the ropes fast and might even surprise you. Most of them will learn, cope with pressure, and also make the perfect candidate for the position. In addition to this, a good intern will merely transition into a full-time employee after passing the test – that is if you choose to keep them.
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Run Background Checks
Every potential candidate will have a clean resume outlining their positives and capabilities. None will expose their negative sides. Asking personal questions might make them uncomfortable or even feel discriminated. Nonetheless, running a background check on every candidate can help you get to know them even better.
With the wake of social networking platforms, you can visit their Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts to learn more about their personal lives. Their LinkedIn profile may also provide some insight into their experiences and skills. LinkedIn is another platform you could use to find potential candidates for the job.
Finding the right candidate is not only time-consuming but tiring as well. Taking the extra step to learn about the candidate, interviewing them, and running background checks is however worth every second. It takes time and effort to find the right candidate from the crowds.
