Hiring new people is an inevitable part of being a business leader, and arguably one of the most important responsibilities to hold at a company. However, interviewing for the right employee isn’t always given the dedicated time and energy it deserves. Some hiring managers treat the process like a chore, or a waste of time. Some aren’t against interviewing but treat it more like a casual conversation. And some walk into interviews with no game plan whatsoever.
Hiring the right employee should be a strategic process that ensures you’re investing your money in the right people. If your company doesn’t have a hiring process just yet, here are 3 easy things you can do right now to improve your chances of hiring the right person:
#1: Write Better Job Descriptions
It’s not unusual for a company to have a bank of generic job descriptions with long lists of responsibilities and requirements. Spend some time truly defining the needs for your specific role, both hard and soft skills, and choose the most important 5-7 requirements. Studies have shown generic job descriptions with long lists of requirements actually alienate the people qualified for the job.
In addition, put yourself in the job seekers shoes and focus the job description on what your company can do for the potential employee. You’ll attract candidates motivated to contribute, and most likely be a better fit for your needs.
#2: Be Efficient and Move as Quickly as Possible
Similar to the real estate market, it’s been said that the best candidates are often off the market in 10 days. It’s important to keep your interview process efficient, especially when you are interested in a specific candidate. If in-person scheduling becomes a barrier, try a video interview or an initial phone screen to weed out unqualified candidates. If there are other factors holding up the decision process, be sure to continue following up with the candidate often, so they know you are still interested and involved with the process.
#3: Lean on a Staffing Firm Specific to Your Industry
Staffing firms are extremely valuable when it comes to hiring the right candidates; it’s something they do every day! Leveraging a third party to take on the initial hiring burden can be extremely time effective. A firm that specializes in your industry will understand your business needs, can bring you people with the right skillset, and will even perform the initial interview screening.
It may seem like putting extra thought in before an interview takes place is creating more work, but it’s just the opposite. When you use strategic intentions with your hiring process you are more likely to find the right candidate from the start and alleviate work down the line.