You might agree that hiring the right candidates to join your team is not an easy task.
As your business grows, the more evident it becomes that you can’t do everything on your own. In order to keep up with your business’ growth, make meaningful progress, and keep your sanity, you’re going to need a dependable team by your side.
A lot depends on this group of people and it could even make or break your business. So it’s important that you take your time and only hire when you are certain that you’ve found the perfect fit.
In this blog post, we’ll give you 5 valuable tips for hiring the right candidate and building a dependable team for your business.
1. Set some hiring guidelines
Hiring guidelines can help you clarify your objectives, expectations, and requirements.
When you’ve got a specific guide to help you, you know exactly what to look for in a candidate instead of just using the “I’ll know them when I see (or interview) them” technique.
Taking the time to set hiring guidelines can save you a lot of time and money down the line because you can sift through applicants with ease and not accidentally hire the people that only seemed to fit the role at first.
Here are a few guiding questions to help you out:
—– What position/s do you need in your team?
—– What kind of tasks or projects would this person be responsible for, when hired? (a.k.a. Why do you need them on your team?)
—– What kind of traits, skills, experiences, etc. would this person need to have in order to perform these tasks and fit into this role?
—– What kind of traits would this person need to have in order to work smoothly with the rest of your team?
—– Think of your company’s core values, mission & vision, and current goals. Would this person be able to uphold them and help you pursue them?
—– Like someone on a date, what are your green flags and red flags?
PSST! The Biz Spa’s resident internet slang translator person here! (Yep, that’s a real title!)
Green flags and red flags are usually used on social media in the context of dating or looking for a romantic partner, but can also apply to friendships, and yes, hiring!
Green flags are the positive signals, standards, and attributes you want to keep an eye out for while interacting with a person. On the other hand, red flags are the warning signs that tell you the other person is not aligned with your values and standards, and therefore, should not be entertained anymore.
See these educational memes for more context:
2. Interview your candidates more than once
To make sure you’re hiring the right candidate for your team, you have to make sure they’re truly who they say they are on their resume.
At the very least, 2 interviews can give you a sense of the person you want to hire. However, you want to make sure you’re asking the right questions and sometimes, even creative ones to get to know them as an employee, a team member, and as a person.
Here are a few interview ideas you can try out:
—– Invite your other team members to join in: After all, it’s not just you that’s going to work with them. However, you don’t want it to feel like an interrogation. Let things be slightly casual, so they’ll feel comfortable opening up.
—– Get creative with your questions: This is a great way to really get a peek into how a person thinks and how self-aware they are. In fact, the New York Times has some quirky questions that will reveal a lot about your potential candidate.
—– Set a pre-interview before a formal one: You can use your pre-interview to ask the standard questions, so you’ll have more time to get creative & insightful on your actual interview.
3. Use assessments and tests
Assessments are great, especially if the position you’re hiring requires a certain level of skill, such as writing, coding, or calculation.
However, you can use tools such as the DISC assessment to find out aspects of your candidate’s personality, how they would interact with other people, etc. After all, the right candidate for your team doesn’t only have to have the right skills & qualifications, but also the right attitude.
4. Set a trial work period with your team
Skills and experiences are great, but the right candidate for your team should be able to actually work well with your team. You need to learn how they fit in your work environment and how they respond to challenges.
And unfortunately, this can’t be determined by a resume or a great test score. You need to see how people interact and problem-solve together to find that out.
So set a trial work period for your candidates. This can be as long as a month or two or as short as a week or a few days. Make sure to involve your team in the process and give them plenty of time to interact.
5. Arrange an orientation period
Congrats! You’ve now found the right candidate to join your team! But hiring them is not the last step.
Make sure to properly welcome them and help them integrate into your team and work culture. Avoid the “Just follow this person around for a while” technique. That’s neither welcoming nor helpful.
Help them get acquainted with their tasks, how things work around the office, your company’s culture, routines, etc. That way, transitioning is easier and they can help out more effectively, instead of figuring things out themselves.
Hiring the right candidate for your team may not be easy, but following these tips can help you make sure you get the best and most worthwhile results.
At The Biz Spa, we love helping business owners like you to thrive and keep learning. We’ve got a library of helpful resources, such as worksheets, guides, checklists, and even templates to help you grow your business easily, thoughtfully, and beautifully.
Check out our Resource Library or book a free 30-minute call with one of our marketing experts.