Hiring? – Think High Level

by | July 19, 2012

This weeks guest blog comes from Laura Doehle, Director of Client Services, Resourceful HR

When it comes to hiring new employees there are many things to cross off your ‘to do’ list, especially when it comes to compliance and operations – writing accurate job descriptions, correctly classifying roles as exempt or non-exempt, ensuring interview questions are legal, requesting input from the appropriate decision makers, documenting the process in the event there is a legal dispute, ensuring the right paper work is in place such as I-9s, administering benefits – the list is endless.

Before you create your tactical hiring checklist though, we encourage you to think strategically about the big picture as it will help minimize your to do list and most importantly, ensure you are hiring the right person for the position and for your organization. Spending the time up front on hiring decreases the risk of hiring the wrong person, and avoids wasted time and resources after the hire.

That is why we promote taking a step back to define the objectives you are looking to accomplish by hiring a new employee. Here are some key questions to consider:

–       What skills or tasks need completion that our team is not capable of doing?

–       What skill sets will help you be more competitive in the marketplace?

–       Is there someone already in the organization that could provide this skill set or develop it?

–       Where will you find the right people with the right skill set for your company? Should you consider looking within the organization?

–       What features of the organization (benefits, environment or culture) would be important to the people you are looking to join your organization?

Once you have answered these questions, you will want to make sure you are creating the right environment for the type of employees you are looking to move up or recruit  – an environment where employees want to stay, engage and contribute.

In other words, why would someone want to work for you? While it is true that money makes the world go round, most employees are not working for you for just a paycheck. They are seeking something more gratifying such as the opportunity to learn and work with cutting edge technology, have an impact on customers’ lives, take on new and challenging responsibilities. During the hiring process, it is important to ask a candidate what motivates them and then determine if their answer fits in with the culture you offer. Check out the Resourceful HR blog for more information about how to engage your workforce and employee appreciation ideas.

Every new hire is a big commitment and can be costly investment if it doesn’t work out. During our presentation we will explore more hiring best practices as well as the flip side of a good hire, but in the meantime we encourage you to answer these big picture questions up front so that you source, entice and hire the right person for the job in the first place.