6 Tips for Finding the Right Employees for Your Business

When you manage a business or work in an HR capacity, hiring is one of your most important responsibilities. Finding the right employees is a crucial step in building a team that works, both in terms of professional duties and interpersonal relationships. With the right people, you can skyrocket your company’s productivity, reduce turnover, and create a positive working environment.

  1. Choose the Right Channels

One of the most important things you can do to find the right employees is to place your job advertisement in the right place. General-use websites attract a broad range of applicants, which can be overwhelming to the HR team. A better solution is to find a more specialized listing service that pre-screens candidates. It might come with a fee, but you’re guaranteed to get a pool of applicants that more closely matches what you need. This is particularly important for jobs with a specialized focus, such as engineering or graphic design.

  1. Consider a Team Interview

Are you hiring someone who will work closely with the other employees in your company? It can be helpful to add a team interview to the hiring process. Include the supervisor and the people who will be directly communicating with the new hire. This gives the team a chance to ask questions — and more importantly, it gives them a chance to see if the person is a good fit. If one or more of the employees has a negative reaction, it’s a good sign that the applicant may struggle to collaborate effectively.

  1. Use Personality Tests

When you’re building a team, it’s helpful to have a blend of personality types. That’s where personality tests can come in handy. If you’re hiring for a customer-facing position, for example, you might use testing to find the candidates with strongly-expressed empathy and extroversion; for jobs that involve prolonged exposure to stress or high-stakes situations, look for traits like resilience and emotional stability. The trick is to find the personality test that assesses the factors that are important to your company. The most popular personality tests are the Hogan assessment, Leadership Assessment, and Situational Judgement Test. You can learn more about them here: https://www.prepterminal.com.

  1. Write a Specific Job Description

When candidates are looking at open jobs, the job description is usually the deciding factor in whether or not to apply. If you want to attract the right employees, it pays to invest time in your description. Give a specific and comprehensive overview of what the job entails; that way, applicants know exactly what they’re signing up for. Be clear about required skills and education — this allows job-seekers to eliminate themselves early and reduce your workload. It’s always a good idea to ask the current team members to review the description; they may be able to give a clearer picture of the reality of the position.

  1. Call References

If you’re like many employers, you trust applicants to be truthful on their resume. To make sure their credentials are accurate, it’s a good idea to check top candidates’ references and verify the other claims on their resume. Run this reference check early — at a minimum, you should complete it before an offer, though it’s probably better to do so before the final round of interviews. This step ensures that your top choices are all qualified and ready to do the job.

  1. Reach Out to Universities

Are you willing to train your new employees? If so, a university can be a great resource. Recent graduates make great entry-level workers; they’re also eager and willing to learn. Depending on the size of your business and your capabilities, you can exhibit at university job fairs or talk to the Career Services office about sending out a job posting. You can also reach out to professors or leaders in specific departments; since they know students on a personal level, they can often provide individual names.

The right mix of employees is essential to a productive business. With these tips, you can streamline the hiring process and start building your high-performing team today.

Alex
 

Alex is a small business blogger with a focus on entrepreneurship and growth. With over 5 years of experience covering the startup and small business landscape, Alex has a reputation for being a knowledgeable, approachable and entrepreneurial-minded blogger. He has a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners, and is able to provide actionable advice and strategies for success. Alex has interviewed successful entrepreneurs, and covered major small business events such as the Small Business Expo and the Inc. 500|5000 conference. He is also a successful entrepreneur himself, having started and grown several small businesses in different industries.