Hiring -- Are You Using The Best Approach?

When talking to employers and human resource professionals, I find it quite interesting how many different ways hiring is handled. Of course, you need to be thorough and be sure of the skills, experience, and personal traits needed for each position. First, be SURE of the job description! This is SO IMPORTANT! Once this is confirmed, step back and confirm how the job candidate affects those around him/her.

If the job is being part of a "team", there should be extra consideration given to the candidate's personality, strengths and weaknesses in order that the team works well together.

But how many company representatives need to be involved in the interview process? Initially, one person should be able to screen for skill capabilities, background checks, and reference checks. Next, before calling the candidate to come in for an interview, consider the use of assessments. There are some good assessment tools that recognize good personality interaction when working closely with others. There are also assessment tools to identify what position and work would be a good fit for a candidate. These can help to eliminate a lot of unnecessary and multiple interviews.

If the job candidate possess the skills and experience needed, has a compatible personality for the team or department, and has been cleared of any legal or criminal issues, the interview process can possibly be reduced in length.

A good person to interview the candidate initially (once screening and assessments are done) would be the person directly supervising this position. As a professional supervisor, he/she should be equipped to identify good traits, skills, and personality characteristics that would make the candidate effective for that job. Team interviewing and multiple exchanges seldom benefit this hiring process.

There are NO guarantees for any new hire, however, an important point to remember is if the candidate or new employee demonstrates concerns or an inability to do the job within a reasonable amount of time, DO NOT prolong the decision to release that person. You will be doing a disservice to the candidate and yourself. Use a "focused and strategic hiring process" for best results. One fact is that the candidate and his/her supervisor need to "click" and be compatible! They doesn't mean that they should have the same type of personality, BUT instead, complement each other.

Robyn Crigger, CEO