How to hire the right people

Advice for the most important business decision of all

To get the best results for your business, you need the best people possible. But hiring the wrong person for the wrong job is one of the most common – and disastrous – business mistakes today.

Here’s what you can do to avoid the most common hiring pitfalls.

1. Re-evaluate the nature and duties of the open position before you hire. If the previous employee failed, was there an institutional reason for their failure? What are the duties of the open position? Are you asking too much of one person, or giving them too little resources and authority? Are lines of reporting clear and efficient? Don’t set your new employee up for failure.

2. Write a complete job description of the new position and give it your HR department or hiring authority. Spell out everything in as much detail as possible and get all concerned to agree to it.

3. Write down the skills and experience needed to perform the job described. Do you really need an MBA who knows Photoshop? Conversely, are you hiring someone too junior for the position? You can’t put the right person in the right job until you align the skills needed with an accurate job description.

4. Now that you know who want and why, begin your candidate search. Don’t limit yourself to an ad in the newspaper. Consider outside recruiters if the job level justifies the expense. Use job boards like NEWonline’s own Job Bank – many are free. Finally, contact co-workers and industry colleagues. Some of the best job referrals are personal.

5. Narrow your candidates to the ten or so best qualified (you can’t interview everyone). Check resumes for work gaps and job-hopping. Look for tangible achievements and consistent career progress. How well does the resume communicate? While a clear-written resume doesn’t guarantee a clear-thinking employee, a sloppy resume is troubling sign.

6. Compare the applicant’s resume and job application before the interview. Note inconsistencies and ask about them. Write your interview questions in advance. The best predictor of future performance is past performance, so ask about previous accomplishments and how they were achieved. Take notes and listen; too many interviewers do all the talking. (You can find some great interview questions on The Ashley Group’s website. Finally, consider team interviews – many companies find they benefit from having several people interview the candidate, together or separately.

7. Keep your second round of interviewees small – and thank those who came in the first time. Probe those areas you’re still vague about. Again, most experts recommend behavior-based questions: “Tell us about a time you overcame obstacles to get the job done.” Or “Give us three examples when you improved your company’s sales.” Score points for the occasional “I don’t know” or “I’m sorry, nothing comes to mind.” It’s a better response than stretching the truth.

8. Picking the right candidate is one of the toughest decisions you’ll ever make, so don’t do it lightly. Compare notes with colleagues. Call the finalists in a third time if necessary. And make sure that you’re not only happy with the applicant, but that the applicant will be happy with the job.

9. Some employers and applicants part company during final negotiations. This shouldn’t happen. Applicants should be apprised of the job’s salary range and benefits during the first round of interviews, if not sooner. Applicants who hold out for more money or special considerations late in the game should not be hired. On the other hand, if they are worth more, and say so early, you may want to re-consider your offer.

10. Put your offer down in a formal offer letter and make sure the prospective employee acknowledges its receipt. This will start you and you new employee off on the right foot and save misunderstandings in the future.

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