Learn the Hiring Game: Expert Tips for Finding Your Ideal Employees

As a business owner or leader, you carry the dream, mission, vision, and ambitions of that business. That’s why you’re the best person to vet and hire employees, people who help you achieve the company’s vision and goals. The success or failure of your business rests upon your ability to create a well-rounded and oiled team. 

 

Unfortunately, the hiring process isn’t straightforward. Many business owners and leaders have tried and failed at this hiring game. But you’re in luck. This guide offers expert insights and valuable tips to assist business owners and hiring managers in navigating the hiring process. We will explore a range of strategies and best practices around six critical steps to finding and attracting top-tier talent. 

• Crafting compelling job descriptions 

Tips for writing a good job description:

 

• Use targeted job titles to define each role instead of using general, vague titles. The title should summarize what the job entails. For example, the title “Senior Accounting Officer” would be clearer and more defined compared to “Accounting Officer IV.”
• Be specific on all the duties and responsibilities that come with each position in line with the company's mission and values. Specify the daily job routines for each position.
• Write consciously and comprehensively all the education, technical & soft skills, and experiences that a candidate must have. 
• Specify the mannerisms that a candidate must portray in line with the company values and culture. For example, the dress code that candidates must adhere to. 
• Clearly outline measures for curbing discrimination during the hiring process, especially based on age, race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. 
• Avoid making promises in the job description that you’re not certain the company can keep. For example, don’t mention promotion or salary increment structures that the company may struggle to implement.
• Describe your company's unique selling points. What in your company's culture would potential employees be attracted to?  
• Be clear about how each employee fits in the bigger picture. To whom does each employee report? From whom does each employee get orders from?
• Be clear about salaries and benefits for each position. For example, be clear about how flexible your company’s “flexible hours” are. 

 

Note: A job description isn’t the same thing as a job posting. A job description is meant for the employer’s use. It’s an internal document that highlights the duties and responsibilities of an open job position. It defines the employee profiles a company needs to hire. A job posting, on the other hand, is a public document that advertises job openings in a company to potential candidates. Just like a job description, a job posting also defines the employee profile a company needs for open positions. The biggest difference is that a job posting gives details on how, when, and where to apply for the open position, but a job description does not. 

• Research interview candidates

Research shows that only about 3 out of 10 job applicants are entirely honest when writing their resumes. The skills, job history, volunteer work, and most profiles on the resumes on your desk are most likely falsified. That’s why it’s important to assess the competencies of individuals before calling them for interviews. There are several ways you can research interview candidates without contravening data protection laws:

 

• Research death master files for all potential employees to confirm the validity of their social security numbers (SSNs). It’s not uncommon for identity thieves to falsify SSNs to obtain employment fraudulently. 
• Conduct qualification checks by contacting each candidate’s alma mater (e.g. university or college) directly. You may require the candidate’s consent for this, but this won’t be an issue because genuine candidates will gladly give consent.
• Dive deep into candidates’ social media profiles to get a feel of their social lives. It’s particularly important to check each candidate’s LinkedIn to explore their professional side.

• Conducting effective interviews 

Your comprehensive job description helped you define the profiles your company needs. Your candidate research helped you identify and eliminate falsified resumes beforehand. Now is the time to call qualified candidates for interviews. How do you conduct a professional, successful interview process? 

 

• Be guided by the job description at every stage of the interview process, right from the questions you ask to the conclusions you make. 
• Start with virtual interviews to eliminate outrightly unsuitable candidates off the bat. It can be unfair to call in someone for face-to-face interviews before confirming their face-value suitability. During the virtual interview, ask questions that help you understand the attitude, relevant experience, and personality of each candidate.  Test if a candidate will be a ‘cultural fit’ for your office. 
• Prepare comprehensive questions. You should have questions about candidates’ competencies, character, professionalism, personality, and experience in the context of the advertised role. Ask open-ended questions to give candidates enough room to express themselves and their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. 
• Make the interview room comfortable enough for the interview. Comfortable interviewees can answer questions and express themselves more confidently. The comfort levels in the interview room also contribute greatly to the interviewees’ first impression of your company. 
• Give each interviewee a chance to ask questions about your company culture, job expectations, etc. Make it an enjoyable and insightful conversation as opposed to an oral exam. 
• Listen more. Let the interviewee talk 80% of the time as you listen actively and take notes. 
• Check your unconscious bias. It helps to have representatives of minority groups in the interview panel to help call your unconscious brain to order in case your biases get the better of you. 
• Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.
• Be honest with the candidates about their chances. If you’ve decided against hiring a candidate, it’s best to let them know without taking them around in circles. 
• Take time to review your interviewees’ performance. Don’t be in a rush to make final decisions. Whenever possible, call interviewees with follow-up questions just to ensure you end up with the most qualified candidate.
• Offer constructive feedback in case an interview asks for it.

• Evaluating candidates

 

What do you look for in candidates to determine their suitability?

 

• Soft skills, e.g. ability to communicate effectively: These are the skills that enable an individual to perform optimally within the wider workplace society. These skills determine how well an individual interacts with colleagues, customers, clients, and managers. 
• Education background: This covers the technical skills and specialized training that a candidate brings to the new role. It’s important to consider a candidate’s test scores, grades, and GPAs‌, but you should not overlook non-formal and formal educational experiences that a candidate may have. 
• Response to hypothetical scenarios: How comprehensive or practical were a candidate’s answers to your open-ended questions? Do you think they’re prepared for the challenges that come with the job based on how they interpreted and responded to hypothetical problems/events during the interview? 
• Experience: What are their previous career accomplishments? Which life experiences can they bring to their new role and enhance the workplace culture? What’s the impact of their life experiences on their interpersonal relationships?
• Work ethic and expertise.
• Salary expectations: Can the business afford a given candidate? Is the candidate willing to negotiate the salary expectations downwards? 
• Feedback from references: Contact the references a candidate provides just to confirm their legitimacy and authenticity. 
• Non-verbal communication skills: Was the candidate confident, anxious, nervous, disinterested, humble, self-assured, etc?

• Onboarding Employees

 

After evaluating candidates and settling for the best fit, you now move on to onboard them into your company. The onboarding process determines how well new employees get integrated into your organization. It involves giving recruits the training, resources, and information they need to succeed in their new role. To do this effectively: 

 

• Start with a pre-boarding process where you call recruits and get them mentally ready for their first day in their new office. Have the HR or the hiring manager maintain a constant line of communication with the recruits before the official reporting day. This gives the new employees a chance to ask questions and get comprehensive answers early enough. 
• Assign a mentor/buddy to each recruit as soon as they report for the first day. The mentor will help the new member learn the ropes in the new office, build relationships with coworkers, learn the company culture, and find their place in the team. 
• Have a welcome party for them where they get to meet and interact with their new colleagues in an interactive, fun, warm, and welcoming forum. 
• Give the new workers all the resources they need to perform optimally in their new role.
• Communicate clear goals or expectations. Have as many follow-ups and check-in meetings with them to provide useful feedback and support. 
• Be intentional about employee training. Ensure that the training is relevant, adequate, and customized to help each new member to develop company-specific skills. The training should be sufficient to broaden their skillsets and set them up for both personal and professional success.

 

Final word

 

Having a foolproof strategy for researching, interviewing, evaluating, and onboarding new employees is crucial for all employers. It allows you to find the best fit for your company and later give new hires a headstart as they get acclimated with the company. That enhances their productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction.