Hire Education

No doubt you remember your days as a job candidate—especially the much-dreaded job interview. Butterflies in your stomach, you hoped to answer the questions put forth well enough to be asked back for a second interview. Yet the bizarre responses and even stranger behavior exhibited by some prospective hires has created many an entertaining news bite in publications as exalted as the Wall Street Journal. So it’s understandable that you might be a tad reluctant to sit on the hiring side of the desk now.

Hiring well is an art, but you needn’t be skilled with a paintbrush to master it. What it takes is systematic thinking about your company, the position, and a vision of how new individuals might fit into the grand scheme of things.

Here are some key pointers to find the right person to fill your needs, every time.

1. Put it in writing. What will the position entail? Is someone currently fulfilling these duties or is it a new position? Write down exactly what the new employee will be asked to do on a day-to-day basis. While you can modify the job description later on (and likely will, as both your company and the employee’s role evolve), having a clear idea of required tasks at the outset will help you pinpoint the skills necessary to perform the job.

2. Put the word out. There are myriad resources for finding qualified candidates, from newspaper ads, colleges, and recruiters to online job sites and bulletin boards—and, of course, networking. The more avenues you use, the broader your potential applicant pool and the greater your chances of finding a strong candidate who meets your job profile.

3. Focus your questions. Develop a list of probing questions you’ll ask all those you decide to interview. You’ll be able to tell, from the content of the responses, who’s truly qualified for the position and who just talks well.

4. Narrow the field. Once you’ve collected resumes and eliminated those who are inappropriate, you’ll still have an array of candidates from which to choose. A screening interview, by phone or in writing (depending on your timeframe), will help you narrow the field to the handful you definitely want to interview in person.

5. Meet face to face. There’s no substitute for sitting down with candidates. If a prospective employee lives far away and flying in is not an option, conduct a thorough phone interview. Then, if you’re still impressed, do a follow-up interview as a conference call with one or two other managers to get their impressions—or have the candidate speak with another manager privately, then ask for the latter’s input.

6. Put them to the test. If you’re looking for someone with experience, evaluate candidates by posing “real world” scenarios and asking them to demonstrate their level of expertise. One candidate professed “expert” capability using Excel, but when it came time to use spreadsheets, she needed a training class before she could use the program at a functional level. A more complicated position merits a more complex and detailed evaluation.

7. Check for personality “fit.” A candidate may be perfect for the job in every way—except they’re extroverted, and this position calls for someone to spend 90% of their time working solo. Or they grasp the details of the business beautifully, but seem less cognizant of the larger vision, which is what you really need. The right temperament and personality are as important as skill particulars.

8. Choose qualified over kin. It can be tempting to give your cousin, who really needs a job, a break. But unless he has the qualifications you’ve determined you need, you’re asking for trouble. The same goes for hiring friends. If they’re truly qualified, great. Otherwise, stick to your job description and seek someone who meets the criteria.

9. Check them out! After you’ve selected the best candidate for the post, be sure to check references and background. Hearing that this person performed admirably at their last job, which required skills similar to what you need now, is reassurance that you’ve made the right choice.

Adapted from Costly Hiring Mistakes to Avoid by Alvah Parker