How to Ensure that You Hire the Right Candidate

As your small business grows, it may become time to hire a new employee.

If it’s your first employee, or if you are unsure about how you can make sure that you hire an appropriate candidate, then this can be a difficult process.

However, the right hire is more than worth the effort. Here are some tips to ensure that you find the right person for the job.

Define Your Needs

The first step to adding someone to your team is to determine exactly what you need. First of all, do you need an employee or a self-employed contractor? A contractor will usually do a task for you and can be hired for as long or as short a time as you need.

If you just need a task completed, then a freelance contractor may be ideal. For example, freelance content writers can fulfill all of your high-quality content needs. But other roles may benefit from an employee who works directly for you.

Determine the role that you need to be filled, then figure out your expectations for whoever will fill it. Work out what qualifications and skills are necessary and how much you’re willing to pay an employee.

Once you have the role defined in this way, you can put together a concise and detailed job description. Put the relevant information in the job description. This will ensure that you mainly get applicants who are appropriate for the role, saving you time sorting through the candidates.

Narrowing Down Candidates

Some jobs attract hundreds or thousands of candidates, which means that an employer needs to narrow them down as much as possible. First, cut out any who are immediately disqualified. This may be because the candidate can’t legally work in your country or your industry. It may also be because they’re grossly under-qualified or have no relevant experience or skills.

Eventually, you should whittle down the potential candidates to a more manageable number. When narrowing down applicants, look for applications that impress you. Perhaps the candidate has a qualification that isn’t required, but that may be helpful in their role.

Or perhaps a candidate isn’t perfect for the role you envisioned, but they may be able to fill a different position in your business.

Interview Stage

Finally, it’s time to interview your candidates. Traditional interviews can be a nerve-wracking affair for everyone involved and, unfortunately, aren’t always useful. Rather than asking generic questions, focus on specific and challenging questions that help you to get a picture of how a candidate can solve problems.

Take them on a tour of the building and watch them interact with others. As well as qualifications, you’re looking for someone who can work well with other people and who can function in a team. Are they respectful and curious? Are they genuinely interested in their work?

Finally, depending on the role, it may be necessary for the candidate to undergo drug and alcohol testing or other tests. This is because some careers are dangerous, meaning that someone under the influence may be a hazard to themselves or others.