10 Tips for Successful Hiring
- Effectively Present the Opportunity! Interviewing is a two-way street. You’re looking for the best fit for your position and your company, but remember, the candidate is interviewing you as well. The candidate’s experience when they walk in your door should be the same as a prospective client. The candidate should walk away with a positive impression of your organization and a clear understanding of how the position will further their career goals. Can you honestly answer why a top candidate should join your team? Make a list of the positive aspects of the position, things people like about the company, the department and examples of career successes.
- Use turnover as an opportunity to do a department “check-up” by analyzing each staff member’s contribution to department success. Then redirect resources and/or redefine the open position, before you begin interviews.
- Before reviewing resumes for any position, be sure to write a complete job description, defining the responsibilities and skills needed for success. Have this in front of you as you review resumes.
- Ask interviewees about how they do their job at their current position, rather than what they did.
- Use the 80/20 rule with interviews: 20% of the time, you should be asking questions, and 80% of the time you should be listening.
- Don’t overlook reference checks or employment verification simply because the candidate was referred by someone you know! Resume fraud is more common than you think.
- Consider conducting criminal background checks on all new hires, but make sure you understand background check limitations and the legal compliance associated with pre-employment background.
- Software experience isn’t everything. You can easily train people on new systems, but training someone to have intelligence, values and character is a different matter!
- Save time on resume review. Take a blank page and draw a line down the center. On the left side, list the most important parts of the position, one beneath the other. Make copies and use the right side to list a candidate’s relevant experience as you review resumes.
- Ask someone outside your department to interview your top candidates.