So you are ready to hire an employee … simple, right? Put together an ad and choose from the resumes that come in – what could be simpler? Think again. If you have your own business or are in charge of hiring for an organization, the steps you take to hire a great employee will determine the success of your business going forward.
Make sure that you have a job description so that you know exactly the type of person you want to hire and the specific skills that are required for the position. This can take some thinking but it will be well worth it in determining your candidate’s suitability. Oftentimes we base hiring decisions on our gut feelings – which are definitely important – but we forget that in order for the business and the new hire to be successful there may be more than a “good fit” required.
Take the time to write a great advertisement – this is true whether you are posting solely on free online job boards or spending money on advertising. Your post should not only provide information about the position you are hiring for but also a short description about your business. Never miss an opportunity to publish some positive words about your organization – job postings can be a great advertising tool because you have a captive audience.
Once the resumes come rolling in, be sure to look past the fancy font, flowery language and unnecessary information. If you aren’t sure about details or want to learn more about certain applicants, conduct a short telephone interview – in 10 minutes you will easily determine if they are worth spending more time on. Select your top three candidates and schedule them for a face-to-face interview.
Your interview should include questions about your candidate’s skills and experience on the job, as well as questions about how they interact with others in the workplace. Examples include “Tell me about a time when you had an unhappy customer and what you did to resolve the issue” or “Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker, how you dealt with the situation and what would you do differently in the future.” This information will be useful when you begin checking references as you will be able to refer back to the details and verify that your candidate has given an accurate account of their behaviour and attitude at work.
Reference checking is vital to making an informed decision. A well-practiced interviewee can sometimes fool even the most seasoned hiring professional so verifying employment details as well as personality details will ensure that you don’t end up in the unfortunate situation of realizing that your instincts aren’t so great.
Choosing your ideal employee for the position may be difficult but if you have more than one suitable applicant – consider yourself lucky. It can sometimes be nearly impossible to find one good candidate, so it’s a good problem to have. Determine your best candidate and then offer them a job.
Training and orientation can put a strain on you and other workers so the more prepared you are to handle the onboarding process, the smoother the transition will be. Identifying task lists, standard operating procedures and workplace policies may seem like an onerous task but it will save you time in the long run, especially if you expect to hire multiple people.
No matter the size of your organization, you should always have a new hire sign an employment agreement before they start working for you – always. This will save you down the road as any potentially contentious issues will be dealt with up front. The most important issue to address is termination. The courts can (and have) awarded severance well above the mandated minimums to terminated employees without a signed employment agreement. You may wish to consult an expert to make sure that you are compliant with the labour laws that apply to your business.
For more information about the team at HRG Human Resources Group and how we can help your business navigate human resource issues, please visit our website.
Malena Tutte, CHRP
HRG Human Resources Group (a division of MPC Consulting Ltd.)
2075 Henry Avenue West, Unit #23
Sidney, BC V8L 1T2
Email Malena
250-655-0474 x.231
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