There is a war on and everyone is fighting to get the best talent – here’s how you can win.
You might laugh or think I’m mad – but I’m talking about always hiring the best and brightest for your business – and this isn’t easy. Think about this for starters:
- You were never taught how to interview (and I mean actual training).
- You talk more than listen during an interview.
- You’re not sure what questions you can and can’t ask.
- You’re not sure how to find that perfect hire.
If you don’t know what you want or cannot articulate what it will be like to work in your business, you will not attract the best candidates.
Here is what you need:
- A position description (or documented view of what skills the perfect candidate needs to have)
- A clear view of your business culture both current and for the future
- An ad that will both attract the perfect candidate and deter those unsuitable
And to nail the recruitment process you really should:
- Complete a basic Telephone Screen first, with prepared questions – this can save you wasting both your and the candidate’s time.
- Review their CV in detail and scribble notes where there are gaps or where you want to find out more.
- Prepare the same questions to ask all your candidates so that you can accurately compare.
- Use a combination of technical and behavioural questions and probe – “Tell me about a really difficult technical problem that you faced. What happened and what did you do?” Then follow up with “What did you do then, what did you say, what did you feel, what did you think? Or can you give me an example?”
- Take detailed notes during and immediately after the interview – you will not be able to recall all the details otherwise. You should be listening 80% of the time – let them talk!
- Ask them what they know about your business and why they want to work for you.
- Remember good people know good people – ask people you admire to see if they know anyone.
- Complete at least two reference checks.
After you have completed the interview, review your position description and all your notes and compare the candidates. Once you have made your decision, ring to make a verbal offer subject to reference checks – don’t leave this too long or they may have found something else. Get an employment contract out to them as soon as possible – this makes it real for most people. Make yourself available to answer any questions. Also completing two or even three interviews is much better than one. Remember, you are letting someone enter your business and an hour’s conversation to base a decision on, in my view, is not enough.
Your next battle is retaining them!
