Bright Lights - Tips & Solutions

HR 101

For the next several months we are going to share some basic Human Resources tips and strategies…

Hiring Process

In this time of needing to do more with less, as it relates to employees, it is important to make sure you are hiring and investing in the right individual.

The United States has not seen unemployment rates around 10% in decades.  This should mean that there are plenty of qualified applicants, so why are companies still struggling with hiring and retaining great performers?  The answer may lie with the company and not the employee.

Often organizations do not take the time in assessing what skills, behaviors and knowledge are really needed in order to successfully meet the business objectives.  Behavior based interviewing has been around for decades and many if not all Human Resources professionals have had some exposure to the concept of hiring based on the demonstration of desired behaviors, so why are we still making poor choices?

Organizations need to take ample time to peel back the onion, to determine just what behaviors, skills, knowledge and attitude/values a person will need to be successful in the organization.  Good hiring makes the difference, make sure that you are well prepared before you ever post the job or place the ad. 

A few preparatory steps can help put your company and the new employee on the path to success:

First, take time to review the job description, if you don’t have one make sure you fully understand what the position requires!

Second, identify and prioritize the skills, behaviors, knowledge and attitudes/values based on the importance and frequency.

Third, develop questions that ask for specific examples that demonstrate the individual’s experience with the skills, behaviors, knowledge and attitude/values.

Fourth, understand what determines as a “good” answer.  An interviewer should know exactly what he or she is looking for in an answer.

Fifth, hire the candidate that most closely matches all of your criteria.