Dear Gearing up for Growth, 

I always say that employees are the most important asset in a company. Obviously, you want to make sure that you have the right people on your team. 

From advertising, recruiting, assessments, and eventually giving an offer, the hiring process can be long and tedious. Trust me, this is literally what I do for a living. 

Here are some steps to guide you on how to make your next hire the right hire:

Don’t be afraid to take your time.

They say good things take time! Well similarly, being eager to hire may lead you to overlook some red flags and make you susceptible to hiring the wrong person. Make the most out of engaging with potential hires. Ask enough questions to learn everything you need to know before finally making a decision. 

Get to understand if a candidate’s aspirations fit in with the job.

Another way to know that someone is a great fit for a position is to see if their own goals are in line with the role. When a person is in a position that aligns with their career goals for the next 3-5 years, their work will reflect that. Plus, they’ll probably be more likely to stick around for a little while, instead of leaving because they don’t feel like they’re fulfilled. This question is a simple one: “Where do you see your career going in the next [3, 5, 10] years?” or “What’s your dream role?”

Find out whether they fit into the company’s culture.

As a hiring manager, you ought to have a good understanding of your company’s culture. And this is really important because culture is a big stinking deal. I even wrote a blog about keeping it alive. Ask culture-specific questions and identify certain traits in each candidate to discover if they’ll be happy with the company’s work culture. Try something like, “Describe the management style that will bring forth your best work and efforts,” or “Describe the work environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy.”

Go beyond the ordinary interview process and try different evaluation strategies.

To get the right hire, you may need to spice up your evaluating techniques. Some basic ones include written assessments, personality tests, or a skills-based questionnaire. You may also want to get creative! Ask some wild-card questions to get truly un-rehearsed answers. Most candidates practice answering questions about their experience or strengths/weaknesses. But they probably aren’t thinking that you’ll ask what their favorite animal is and why. You’d be surprised at how much insight you could get into a person from asking an out-of-the-box question! 

A change of environment would be a good idea.

The goal is to get a candidate comfortable so they can show you their best. Sitting in a dim conference room is not always the best environment for this. Try sharing a meal or doing a tour with the candidate around the company as you engage them. An interview really is just a conversation, so treat it like that. Plus, we are all tired of phone calls and zoom meetings. Break up the noise, and stand out to the candidates by conducting a memorable and – dare I say – fun interview. 

So there you go. These tips can revolutionize your hiring process and see that your next hire is the right one. It does begin from the moment you post that job description. Getting it right from there and adding the steps above could be the determining factor in you acquiring top talent.

Sincerely,
Jenny