Bringing someone new into your organization can be not only a time-consuming task, but a stressful and scary one too. What if they aren’t good at their job? What if they don’t get along with the other employees? What if our customers don’t like them? While I wouldn’t call Godshall a fortune teller, being in the business for 50 years has provided us the experience needed to learn the necessary steps your company should take to make the best hire possible.

1. Define the Role Before Starting the Search – If you don’t know what you need, how are you going to know what to look for? Defining the role will help you define the duties, responsibilities, and skills needed for the job. Are there any technical or software skills needed? What about soft skills? Will they be on the phone a lot and need a professional and personable attitude?
2. Utilize Behavioral Interviewing Techniques – Behavioral questions are the best in helping you determine real-life work experiences. Have the candidate describe an actual work situation. Have them describe the situation, their role, and the result. How did they feel about their supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates during the process? Were they a hindrance or a help in solving the problem?
3. Understanding Interviewing Is Only One Step of The Screening Process – Many companies these days, including Godshall, are using skills tests, profile assessments, and other resources in their hiring process. These tests allow the hiring managers to receive insight into a candidate’s natural strengths, and help your business leaders make more informed and objective decisions on hiring.
4. The Past Typically Predicts the Future – It sounds cliché, but reference checks are so important in the hiring process. Understanding how your potential candidate has performed in the past, where he/she was most successful, how they got along with others, and their reasons for leaving are crucial! If your candidate left for more money every year, chances are they’re going to leave you in a year for more money. Don’t be afraid to ask the references real life questions ie- How do they deal with conflict?  How do they make tough decisions?  What type of work environment do they need to succeed?  What advice would you give their new supervisor? Ask whatever you need to know (and legally allowed 😊) to help make the best hire.
5. Consider Checking Out Social Media Profiles – Social media provides a different perspective on the candidate and helps give you an idea of their character and lifestyle. Many profiles are private these days, but it doesn’t hurt to double check. LinkedIn is a great account to check out for several reasons. It allows you to make sure their history on their profile matches up with their resume. It can also give you an idea of their network especially if they are going into a high sales driven/networking role. As a hiring manager, you must be careful from what you learn on social media and what could steer your hiring decision from that. We hope all of you are non-discriminatory give consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, status as a parent or protected veteran status.
6. Have Current Employees Meet with Potential Candidates – You as the hiring manager can only provide one perspective of the company. It can be very beneficial for potential hires to meet their future coworkers. It gives you a better idea of if they will be a good cultural fit. It will also allow the candidates to ask some questions they may not have felt comfortable asking you (Is there a good work/life balance, is there flexibility when it comes to parents with young kids, is it a very sales driven/numbers oriented management style, how are the managers there, etc.)
7. Share benefits and any company incentives before the offer is made. Discuss their expectations of benefits early in the process (what it will cost them? what is offered?) and paid time off (what have they had at previous companies and are they willing to live with what you are offering?) Too often this is not discussed until after the job has been accepted.
8. Communication is Vital! If you only read one sentence in this article, let it be this one. Stay in constant communication with your potential hires! Communicating with them helps keep them engaged and interested in the role. I feel like a broken record saying this, but I’ll say it again in hopes it sticks. The job market is hot right now for candidates and they are seeing multiple job offers left and right. Keeping them interested is probably going to be one of the hardest steps, but necessary if you don’t want to lose them. Consistently communicating with them will help establish a relationship even before they are hired.  It will also help them feel they are heard for what they are looking for and show you’re excited for the possibility of working with them!

Now get to hiring!

P.S. If you need assistance in your employment needs, Godshall is one call away! 😉

Written by: Shawn Kinard, Recruiting and Branding Specialist with Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing