Hiring has always been a bit of a gamble … after all, someone may sound great on paper and perform wonderfully at the interview, but when it comes down to job performance, they may fail.
As a result, it’s important to do as much homework as possible upfront when seeking out new employees.
If you’re having a hard time finding the right people for your business, consider the following:
Sneak on Social Media
While this might sound like a negative, it’s actually a positive: take a look at each candidate’s social media profiles, either by searching for the candidate’s name or email address.
As mentioned, a candidate might come across as amazing through a resume and interview, but you want to know who the candidate really is.
Remember, the Internet cuts both ways … for all of your research, the candidate is likely doing double. This means that he or she is doing research on you and your company more than you are searching for him or her.
Don’t ask candidates to provide usernames and passwords for their social media accounts, but do check out their profiles and eliminate candidates who obviously are not a fit for your company’s culture.
Streamline the Hiring Process
Nothing drags a business (or a candidate) down like failing to streamline the hiring process.
While some business owners believe that it’s best to “test” candidates by playing games, this approach is incredibly counter-productive. Your business needs to find the right person, but you won’t accomplish such a mission by jerking professionals around.
As the article, “Streamlining the Hiring Process“, points out, using real-world projects or even sharing a meal or drink with candidates is a better idea.
This places people not only at ease, but also within a normalized environment where you can get a better sense of who the candidate is as a person instead of who they are on paper.
Be Prepared to Answer Questions
When it comes to seeking out the right future employee, listening during the process is just important as talking.
It can be very easy to narrow your focus on qualities that your company is looking for when interviewing, but you also need to be able to accept questions from candidates.
The art of listening serves two purposes. First, it allows the candidate to see if your company is a good fit for him or her. Secondly, this provides you with additional insights into the candidate’s personality, background, skills, and desires.
For example, if you open the floor to questions from a candidate and the first thing he or she asks is about compensation, time off, vacation pay, etc., it’s a pretty good indicator that the candidate is only interested in money, not the position.
Likewise, if a candidate first asks about company culture and what it is that drives your business, you may have a candidate who is more engaged and interested in joining for his or her passion.
About the Author: Andrew Rusnak is an author who writes on topics that include business development and corporate recruiting.
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