Identifying the Best Employees for Your Business

Imagine this.

After hours spent attracting candidates, you finally have a stack of resumes to work through and it looks like you’re ready to move on to the next stage of selecting your new employee.

It’s exciting, right?

Before you continue, there’s something you need to remember… don’t rush the process.

Time and time again, business owners have become so desperate to fill a gap in their company that they don’t take the time to truly get to know their candidates.

As a result, they make a bad hiring decision.

The Consequences of Bad Hires

When you select an incorrect candidate for a job, you could be losing up to £50,000 in onboarding and recruitment costs.

Therefore, it’s in your best interest to select a new employee that:

1. Sees long-term success with you.
2. Likes your work culture.
3. Will be an excellent addition to your team.
4. Shares your values.

How to Identify the Best Employees for Your Business

However, these “diamonds in the rough” aren’t easy to find. There’s some work to do.

Step 1. Review Resumes

A successful recruitment strategy would incorporate technology (like data-fuelled Applicant Tracking Systems) as well as human interaction.

Why? Because algorithms aren’t perfect. You don’t want to miss out on a qualified and experienced employee just because their resume isn’t “up-to-scratch.”

Step 2. Research Applicants

So, once you’ve taken the time to identify applicants that seem to have the most potential, you should:

1. Look at their job history.
2. Contact references.
3. Review their digital presence.

Remember, this person will become a representative of your brand. The more you know about them before extending a job offer… the better.

Step 3. Check Your Bias

Then, before eliminating any applications from consideration, make sure your decision is free of bias.

Question everything.

For example, if you’re considering rejecting a recent graduate who has all the right skills and qualifications simply because of their age… why?

Step 4. Consider Your Priorities

A candidate that seems perfect on paper won’t necessarily be the right person for your business.

Your hiring decision and recruitment processes need to align with:

1. Your business goals.
2. Your team dynamics.
3. Your work culture.

This way, you can ensure you select someone who is likely to stay in their job long-term.

Step 5. Conduct Interviews

Very few people excel at summarising themselves and their life story into a single-sided A4 sheet of paper.

That’s why detailed and extensive interviews (both in-person and video ) have become so important.

It gives you the chance to truly understand your candidate, painting a clear picture of their personality and motivations.

Ask them:

1. What are your strengths?
2. Which skills do you use the most?
3. What is your experience?
4. What have you learnt about this industry?
5. How can I facilitate your success?
6. Do you have a career plan?
7. What would your ideal job be?
8. Which working environment do you thrive in?

These questions are perfect for narrowing down which applicants have the most potential for driving your business success.

Step 6. Facilitate Trial Work

You might have already seen a portfolio of evidence that a candidate is everything you’re looking for, but there’s still more you can do.

Before you extend the offer for a full-time contract, consider hosting trial shifts to measure team dynamics and let your employees weigh in on your decision.

These should always be compensated. Remember, the last thing you want to do is damage your reputation and the relationship you have with a candidate by asking for free work.

Step 7. Work with Specialist Recruiters

If you find that recruitment is causing you issues time and time again, it might be best to onboard specialists like Ross Clifford & Associates.

We serve the creative, marketing, technology, and digital environments. Our expertise in each industry helps us identify prime candidates for your business.

Let’s find the perfect fit. Contact us today.