Hiring is a crucial aspect of any organization, as the people you bring on board will ultimately determine the success or failure of the business. Hiring the right individuals with the right skills and experience can help to create a productive and positive workplace environment while hiring the wrong people can lead to wasted time, resources, and ultimately a negative impact on the bottom line. 

STOP!!!  The above line came from an AI generator! How boring and basic can you get??

Yes, hiring is crucial!

Yes, your people will make the difference between success and failure…duh!

But hiring is ANYTHING but basic.  Hiring is HARD.  Making the RIGHT hire is even harder.  Retaining that “right” talent is really really really hard!  (I don’t see AI saying anything about that 😉)

Now, just for grins, I asked AI to answer the question “Is hiring hard” but with humor.  I love their response…

Well, I'm just a machine learning model, so I don't have the capacity for humor in the same way that humans do. But, I'll give it a try:

Hiring can be as easy as pie or as tough as a two-dollar steak, depending on a bunch of factors like the job market, the skills needed, and the location. It's like finding a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is full of candidates, and the needle is the perfect one for the job. But don't worry, with a little luck and a lot of patience, you'll find your diamond in the rough. Or at least, someone who knows how to make a good cup of coffee.

Now seriously, let’s talk about the critical elements of hiring:

You must Plan to Hire

Before beginning the hiring process, it is important to have a plan in place to ensure that the hiring process is efficient and effective. You must truly understand the real hiring needs of the organization. What do you need them to do…when do you need them by…what are the qualifications…who will be involved in the process.

Once the hiring needs have been identified, it is important to create a job description for each position. This should include the job title, duties and responsibilities, required qualifications and experience, and any other relevant information. A well-written job description will help to attract the right candidates and ensure that both your team (the employer) and the candidate have a clear understanding of the job requirements.  And, while I completely understand the importance of having all variable requirement in mind in the formal job description, make sure you don’t have so many that you screen out every possible candidates.

Sourcing Candidates

Once the job description has been created, the next step is to source candidates, right?  

WRONG!

Before you start sourcing, it is imperative to decide on the interiewing/hiring process.  Who will be involved and why?  How many steps will be involved and why? When do you need them by?  If your process makes it virtually impossible to get your candidate interviewed, with an accepted offer, allowing for a professional resignation period and started by the “need by” date, then it is time to re-evaluate your interviewing process.

Okay, now Sourcing Candidates

Once you have a clearly defined process, now you should begin your sourcing efforts.  There are several methods for sourcing candidates, including job boards, social media, employee referrals, and recruitment firms (hi there, that’s someone like myself and my team).

Job boards such as LinkedIn and Indeed are popular places for potential candidates to search for open positions. Employers can post their job openings on these sites and search through resumes and profiles to find potential candidates.  While the job boards can be effective, they can become very expensive very quickly.  Make sure you are controlling the budget on them.

You can also look at Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can also be used to source candidates. Many organizations post job openings on their social media accounts and encourage their followers to share the job posting with their networks. Social media can also be used to search for potential candidates by using hashtags and keywords related to the job opening.

Employee referrals are another effective way to source candidates. Your current employees can refer their former colleagues or professional friends to the organization, and employers often incentivize employees to refer candidates by offering a referral bonus.

Recruitment firms can also be used to source candidates. These firms specialize in finding and screening candidates for specific industries and job roles. They can save employers time and resources by handling the entire hiring process, from sourcing candidates to screening and interviewing.  As an owner of a recruiting firm, I completely understand that we are rarely the first line of hiring, except for truly critical positions or confidential replacements.  But, when these other sources don’t surface the right candidate, we are great at what we do.  Okay, enough about us…

Screening and Interviewing Candidates

Remember that well defined hiring process you created just a bit ago?  Now is the time to unleash it!  Once potential candidates have been sourced, you need to effectively and objectively screen and interview them. This means reviewing resumes and applications to determine if the candidate meets the qualifications and experience required for the job. Make sure to look for reasons why you should interview someone rather than trying to screen out every possible candidate.

The Interview is the most critical part of the hiring process as it provides an opportunity to assess the candidate's experience and determine fit for the job both skillset wise and culturally. There are several types of interviews that can be used, including phone interviews, video interviews, and in-person interviews.

The lowest level of an interview is a phone interview that are often used as an initial screening tool to determine if the candidate meets the basic requirements for the job. Video interviews have become even more popular as they provide a more personal interaction with the candidate and can be done remotely. Covid brought video interviews from a fringe process to more of the norm.  Of course, In-person interviews are typically conducted for candidates who have passed the initial screening and/or phone or video interviews.

During the interview process, make sure to ask relevant questions to assess the candidate's skills, experience, and fit for the job and organization. Questions should be tailored to the specific job and should be designed to determine if the candidate has the necessary skills and experience to perform the job duties and if they will be a good fit for the company culture.

It is important to remember that hiring is not just about finding someone with the right skills and experience, but also someone who is a good fit for the organization's culture and values. By focusing on both technical and soft skills, you can create a team that is not only skilled and experienced but also works well together and supports the organization's goals and objectives.

Making Job the Offer

Once the evaluation/screening and interview process is complete, the second to last step is to make a job offer. The job offer should include details such as the job title, salary, benefits, start date, and any other relevant information. It is important to provide a clear and concise job offer that outlines the terms of employment and any conditions or requirements.

It is also important to communicate with the candidate throughout the hiring process to keep them informed of their status and to answer any questions they may have. This can help to build a positive relationship with the candidate and ensure that they feel valued and respected throughout the process.

Did you notice I said “making the offer” was the second to last step?

I know you did because you are smart and are paying attention!  The final step is the period between the offer acceptance and them starting the position, all the way through their first month on the job.  

If you don’t have a clear and concise plan in place for this pre-boarding and on-boarding period, it will lead to new employees to become former employees.  We will cover this in a future article.

Hiring is a complex process that requires careful planning, sourcing, screening, and interviewing to ensure that the right candidates are hired for the job. In other words…it ain’t easy!

But, by following some of these basic principles, you can create a productive and effective hiring plan that can lead to successful hires.

Chris Heinz is President & Managing Director with Westport One.  With more than 25 years in the recruiting industry, he has become a thought leader in both recruiting and the healthcare industry. Chris is an avid endurance athlete, where he has turned that passion into good by raising thousands of dollars for several charities.