Hiring the right person when you have a job advertised is a serious business. Not only do you want the right fit professionally, you need the right fit personally if you wish to your hire to work out. People are complicated: they’re more than their resume, and it’s something that you have to remember when you go in with your hiring team to vet the candidates for the job that you have on offer.
You could have the most experienced candidate on the pile of applications on your desk and realize that this person is dull as ditchwater and wouldn’t fit the team. You could also have charming and charismatic candidates who haven’t got a qualification between them. Finding the balance is hard, and when you do think you’ve narrowed it down, you need to find someone without skeletons in their closet that could tarnish your business reputation.
So, how do you ensure you’ve hired the right person the first time around?
Vet, Vet, and Vet Again
You can call for references, you can check out their job history on their resume, and you can even go through some letters of recommendation from friends, but it’s a background and ID check that you need to identify whether you have the right person in front of you for the job. The vetting process is not one that you should skip in any sense of the word as, without it, you have the potential to make a mistake with your hire.
Meet And Greet
Those star candidates you have in mind? You need to know if they play well with others. Part of hiring the right person is in the personality fit, and if you bring someone into the team to put out the feelers, they should give the team good vibes. Plus, you clearly trust the people that you already have on board, so their opinion will be invaluable to you.
It Should Be A Conversation
When you’re sitting behind the table in the chair that’s a little higher than the person you’re interviewing, don’t forget that they’re interviewing you, too. This is someone who may be coming to your business to learn more and grow their career; they’ll be vetting you as much as you will be them. This shouldn’t be a firing round of questions; you should be having a two-way conversation, instead. Listen out for insightful questions and learn about the person in front of you.
Try Before You Buy
Okay, you’re not buying the person, but you will be paying for their skills. Offer a paid trial for a week – paid because they still have to eat – and you can see whether their method of working matches yours. You need to be sure you’re bringing on the person that you can get on with during the working hours.
These tips can help you to ensure that you sign the contract with the right person for your organization – don’t mess it up!