Recruitment is a hard enough process as is, but when you factor in the dire labor shortage, an already-tough exercise can seem insurmountable. Employers everywhere are scrambling to fill vacancies and many are discovering that there's also a scarcity of appropriately-qualified applicants.
Some business leaders find that they've hired a new employee who isn't experienced or capable enough to do their job. The human resources department now has a tough decision to make: Do they dismiss the employee and leave the position open once again? Or do they attempt to train the new hire?
Both of these options cost valuable time and resources and leave organizations between a rock and a hard place. The solution seems obvious — hire the right people to begin with. But the most obvious answer isn't always the easiest one, and there are a considerable amount of factors to take into account when recruiting.
So, how do you ensure that every single new worker who you welcome on board is fit for the job? We've compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you guarantee that you make the best possible choices:
Know your organization's mission
Without a clear understanding of the values your company aims to espouse and the goals it expects to achieve, you can't possibly hire someone who will be aligned with your business. As the Bank for Canadian Entrepreneurs explains, you should be intimately familiar with your company's overarching objectives and principles so that you can find someone who will share and appreciate them.
Create a thorough job description
It's essential that your job listing is accurate and comprehensive. Workbright notes that you need to be sure to cover every single role and responsibility that the employee-to-be will be expected to assume, and communicate them accordingly. This way, you can verify during the interview that the applicant can meet your expectations. This also helps prevent new hires from resigning once they realize that they've unwittingly bitten off more than they can chew.
Conduct a skills assessment
You can list all the capabilities you require of an applicant, but there's no guarantee that a job candidate actually has the skills they profess to have. You can avoid encountering this conundrum by having potential hires complete a skills-based test before or during the interview. If you opt for the former, make sure the test is short enough that the candidate doesn't feel their time was wasted if they don't qualify for an interview.
Contact the candidate's references
Many businesses require applicants to list several references (both personal and professional) so this isn't reinventing the wheel. However, many employers don't actually make the effort of getting in touch with these previous employers or friends and family, which amounts to a waste of a potentially invaluable resource. Speaking to a potential employee's former boss or manager can help you understand how a person performs and interacts in the workplace. Armed with that information, you'll be able to make the right choice.