9 Ways to Improve Your Hiring Process and Find the Ideal Candidate

With an increasingly educated and overly-prepared employee pool, hiring a qualified candidate might seem easier than ever. But it’s not necessarily the case.

The hiring process can be long and exhausting, with many hours invested in searching, interviewing, and going through resumes. And while most of the time this effort gives good results, hiring the wrong person is a risk any company has to assume, no matter how prepared candidates may seem. This, unfortunately, can not only waste your time but cost your company money. Here are nine tips on how to minimize that risk and pick the right person for your team and your company:

1. Know everything and more about the position.

Being a good recruiter involves having a deep insight into the different roles that make the company work. What does a person need to accomplish to make your company succeed? What skills will help them make that happen? What other qualifications, beyond their work experience, are required for the specific position? Consider things such as the pressure, client demands, repetitiveness, and deadlines that the candidate will be facing and whether they can manage well under the specific circumstances.

2. Bet on curiosity.

A curious candidate will be looking to grow as a professional and as a person. Hire someone who knows plenty, but wants to learn more. The real experts are those who know they’ll never know everything and are interested in finding new and innovative solutions to your company’s problem. Especially when it comes to important company roles, their ability to lead and make decisions has to be matched by their willingness to listen and learn. 

3. Consider other evaluation strategies.

A solid resume and interview can only get you so far. In some cases, it might be enough, but considering other skill measurement tools together with interviews can increase the probability of hiring the right match. Personality tests or skills-based questionnaires, for example, can give you a better insight into a candidate’s learning abilities, analytical skills, even how resourceful they might be in certain situations. This way you’re also giving a chance to candidates who are a great fit, but may be nervous or not the best interviewees. 4. Know who you’re talking to beforehand. Don’t ask a candidate to walk you through their resume. Just like you would expect them to do their research about the company beforehand, make sure you have a good idea of their past experience, so you can focus on what matters: their potential. Instead, try questions that can help you see their problem-solving abilities with regards to specific problems related to your company.

5. Pay attention to their questions

Sometimes questions say more about a person than answers. Once again, what interviewees should focus on is also something you should consider. Their questions will tell you a lot about their interest, preparedness, and engagement. This is something crucial when interviewing different generations. Listening attentively to what they ask is a way to create a conversation and see if what they care about matches what your company is looking for.

6. Try work simulations and team bonding beforehand.

When hiring, many companies have taken to having candidates spend time with team members, over coffee or lunch, and even during work-day simulations, to see how they respond to the environment and other employees. You can even bring a potential hire to a brainstorming session to test how they operate. 

7. Take into account culture fit.

An important part of hiring a candidate is considering whether they fit into your company’s established culture. To do this you must have a clear vision of what defines your company and the kind of people who share that vision. Those answers can guide the questions you might ask a candidate to get a more complete picture of their values and skills, especially when it comes to interpersonal relations and teamwork.

8. Take your time.

Good things come to those who take the time to look for them. Rushing increases the probability of hiring the wrong person. Being selective is a way of caring about your company and your employees (current and future). Plus, in the long run, it pays off in both time and money.

9. Look to improve your hiring process.

This might be the most important part of hiring the right person for the job. Even when you think you’ve got a hiring system that works perfectly, you should always consider adapting to changes in the market, company growth, as well as different tools that serve to make your process more agile. Related content: Hiring Better Fitting Employees The Art of Hiring for Your Small Business Hiring? 9 Employment Contract Considerations