Guest Author:
The old adage ‘people are a business’ best asset’ continues to ring true today. Getting the right person in the right role is essential for your bottom line; morale, productivity and ultimately profitability depend on it. It can be difficult to tell how someone will truly perform in a role from their résumé and selection criteria screening and interviewing alone. Below are five tips to make sure your next recruitment efforts work for you.
1. Don’t wait for a Vacancy to Look for Candidates
Be proactive in your recruitment. Don’t just send a canned response about keeping their details on file when someone submits their resume – take the time to read it and perhaps even invite the person in for a discussion. Even if you don’t have a role for them right now (or budget to create one), you never know what the future may hold for both of you and you can save a lot of time down the track if you have some qualified potential candidates you can canvass first when an opening does come up.
2. Ask Quirky Interview Questions
You’re trying to build rapport and understand their personality as much as you’re trying to ascertain their ability to perform a role, so use the interview to your advantage. Make the people you’re interviewing have to think about their answers before they respond. If you throw a couple of left field questions in there, it will give an opportunity to see how they think on their feet and react to difficult or uncomfortable situations as well as a chance to get to know them better. One of my personal favorites is, “How many jellybeans can fit into a car?“
3. Consider Psychometric Testing
Leading human resources companies like Chandler Macleod can give you access to cutting edge, industry best practice digital psychology testing applications. A psychometric assessment will give you a better understanding of who the person you’re considering is and how they work. When you combine psychometric testing with interviewing and reference checking you will find that you see an improvement in the long term performance and overall retention of the staff you’re employing.
4. Be Known As an Employer of Choice
Make people want to work for you and you will find you start attracting a higher standard of candidate. While there are formal awards and recognition programs you can follow, improving your reputation as an employer can be as simple as incorporating some ‘people’ and human resources angles in your overall marketing and communications strategies.
5. Make It About The Person Not The Role
If you find a candidate who is a great fit for your business and comes highly recommended but probably isn’t quite right for the role you advertised, don’t lose them just because you have reservations about their suitability for the position. Job descriptions and responsibilities can be tweaked. This is an important thing to keep in mind for your current employees too; don’t risk losing great people if there’s a way you can make the role more suitable to their strengths and career goals.
What advice would you give to employers to make sure they’re hiring the right person?
