A recent survey found that poor hiring costs small business
owners roughly $10,000 per wrong hire. We also learn that just under half of
all new hires fail within their first 18 months of the job. This happens so frequently because
flaws are often overlooked during the hiring process. Wondering how hiring managers can identify the qualities
that make happy and driven employees in order to avoid hiring mistakes? These
six tips are key to hire the right employee:
Assess the work ethic.
Ask your candidates to elaborate on their
work experience. Listen for
details and keep your ears open for signs of excitement and motivation. If you’re interviewing recent graduates
who may lack in the experience department, see what extra curricular activities
they took
part in.
Photo via: chrislema.com |
“Listen” to their resume.
Resumes are simply a story about their
author. Check for jobs and
activities that coincide – an indication of a strong work ethic and the ability
to commit multiple activities simultaneously. Look for patterns in previous positions such as length of
employment or job structures they gravitate towards. Make a note of gaps between jobs and have the candidate tell
you about them.
Determine integrity.
Ask the candidate about his or her biggest failure
or disappointment. Have them tell
you more and it and pay close attention to see if they took the right level of
responsibility for it. Were there
moral conflicts in their decision-making process? If so, how was it handled?
Evaluate maturity.
Have the candidate share where he or she
hopes to be in five or ten years to get an idea of their career drive. Also have them share one of their
biggest regrets. As they reflect
on their regret, listen for maturity about it instead of bitterness and
whining.
Throw them for a loop.
Instead of shaking hands and sending your
candidate off at the end of the interview, invite them to join you on a tour of
the building or in the cafeteria.
Watch how they act and converse in a more casual setting. The new setting will really illuminate
his or her personality traits and give you idea who they really are.
Heed your gut.
Candidates need to have strong examples of how
they handle situations. If they
give weak answers, make sure to ask targeted questions during their next
interview. If you have any doubts,
don’t ignore them. If your gut is
telling you something isn’t right, listen. You don’t want to hire someone who gives lots of “right” answers if you simply don’t
feel they’ll be a good hire.
Hiring the right employee is a challenging
process. Hiring the wrong one is
costly and time consuming. Take
the time to find a candidate who will mesh well with your team and you’ll reap
the benefits of a positive impact on your total work environment.