Hiring can be a complicated and time-consuming activity, but there are ways to both increase the efficiency of the process and the odds of finding the right candidate. Our human resources professionals offer the following tips.

Be Clear about What You Want

In order to find the right person for a job, you must be clear about what the job is. Develop a detailed job description that includes the primary and secondary accountabilities of the position. Include any must-haves in terms of skills, experience and education, and state them in job postings.

Use this description as your measuring stick when doing a first pass of applicants. You can then quickly eliminate applications that don’t measure up.

Be Transparent

Put together information to share with candidates you are especially interested in. This will allow them to more easily make the decision to accept the job if you offer it. The information doesn’t have to be all inclusive, but can include general information about training, key policies, time off, benefits, salary range, advancement opportunities and expectations.

For example, if telecommuting is not an option, it’s better to say so up front than to waste time with a candidate who wants to work part time from home. Likewise, if the candidate is driven and seeking a position with opportunities for advancement, and you have none, you will likely be repeating the hiring process again soon. Making a position seem like something it’s not benefits no one.

Look for Red Flags

There are no hard and fast rules, but in general there can be signals that today’s applicants may become tomorrow’s problem employees.

For instance, someone who changes jobs every year or two may not work well with others. An applicant who is late for an interview may have issues with punctuality. If you are looking for someone with a great eye for detail, but they spell your company name wrong in their cover letter, they might not be the best candidate. There can be genuine reasons for some of these things but be sure to dig a little deeper.

Remember, most people try to put their best foot forward during the hiring process. If you see red flags that soon, there may be bigger problems below the surface. 

Put Your Best Foot Forward, Too

Don’t risk scaring away solid candidates because you aren’t prepared. Your website, especially your career page, is often the front door to your business. Applicants should be able to easily learn about your company and apply online.

The same holds true for the interview process. Job applicants may be taking time away from a current job to find another one. Be mindful of this by being on time and letting them know in advance what the process will be, including who they will meet with and how long it will take.

If your hiring process is not quite up to shape, contact us today to learn how our human resources consultants can help.