One of the many challenges you will face as a business owner is hiring new employees. Even if someone has a stellar resume, it can be hard to know they’re the right person for the job and the right for your company.
So, if you are just about to hire an employee for the first and you’re feeling a little daunted and overwhelmed, don’t worry. This post will give you some actionable hiring tips for small businesses to ensure you make the right decision.
Let’s get started.
#1 Understand what the role entails
Before starting the hiring process, you should clearly understand what the job entails. You can do this by breaking the role down into is parts to determine the hard and soft skills that an ideal candidate will require.
Apart from helping you understand the skills and abilities an ideal candidate requires. You can’t begin to advertise the role until you can accurately describe to potential candidates what it entails, which brings me to my next tip!
#2 Write a job description people want to read
A job description is an essential part of the hiring process. Not only does it help you to clarify the role you are hiring for, but it also allows candidates to understand if they are a good fit for the role.
When creating a job description, be sure to be clear about the expectations and requirements of the role. Be specific about the skills and experience you are looking for, and list out the duties and responsibilities of the position.
If you’re a startup or early-stage business, you need to make sure that every single person who comes into contact with your job posting is motivated and inspired to apply. This is especially true if you’re hiring for growth.
#3 Prescreen candidates
While it’s great to have a ton of resumes, many candidates won’t make the grade. Because of this, it’s a waste of time and energy to interview everyone who applies. Instead, put a prescreening system in place to remove the whey from the chaff.
For example, have candidates complete pre-interview tasks such as a personality test, questionnaire, or home assignment, before meeting with them in person. You can also do a pre-interview phone call, where you take 10 mins to talk with potential candidates before moving to an in-person interview.
#4 Ask open questions
When interviewing someone for a position, it’s crucial to ask open questions; avoid asking questions that the candidate can answer with a simple yes or no.
Asking open questions gives you a better idea of how a candidate thinks and responds under pressure. This will help you better determine if they are the right fit for the position and can succeed in the role.
Some typical open interview questions include:
- How did you handle this type of situation in the past?
- What kind of results did your efforts produce?
- What would success look like to you in this position?
- Tell me about a time you failed to hit targets?
#5 Perform reference checks
Ask candidates to provide references from past employers. In addition to employers, ask candidates to provide character references from notable people in their community, such as teachers, police officers, pastors, or imams.
When checking references, make sure the people you contact know what the job entails and ask specific questions about the candidate’s experience, character traits, and work ethic. Don’t overlook character and work ethic traits; even if a potential candidate is highly qualified, they might not have the right attitude and character.
#6 Build an onboarding plan
Onboarding refers to the learning and training activities that new employees go through when they first join a company. The purpose is to help the new hires hit the ground running and feel comfortable in their role as quickly as possible.
Onboarding usually includes training in systems and procedures, introductions to department/division’s goals, and knowledge transfers from team members.
Some businesses start the onboarding process before the new hire physically starts. But, in most cases, the process begins on the employee’s first day. There is no right or wrong way; it’s whatever works best for your business.
Explore this topic further
Interview questions & answers (Indeed.com)
25 Top questions to ask an interviewee (apollotechnical.com)
Closing interview questions (Workable.com)
Writing a job description (Builtin.com)
10 Tips for crafting effective job descriptions (CIO.com)
Best practices for writing job descriptions (MorganMcKinley)
