Know How: Before You Hire
The trick to selecting the right people is doing the prep work
One of the biggest hiring mistakes employers make happens long before they even interview a candidate.
Put very simply, employers are often not sure what they want, need or can realistically get - they just know they have to have some help. Before you jump into making a kneejerk hiring decision, perform these five simple steps and you will save a lot of headaches, time and money.
1. Write a job description.
You have to be clear about what you need the person to do. This can be as simple as making a list. Just take the time to write down required tasks and how much time it will take to accomplish them, i.e. are these frequently recurring tasks, occasional tasks, or is it a one-time project?2. Write down the job requirements.
What skills are realistically needed to successfully accomplish these tasks? For example: don't require a certified professional accountant if what you really need is a good accounts payable clerk.3. Write down the job expectations.
What should the addition of this person help the organization accomplish? Is this a short-term project or are you looking for someone to stay with the organization and eventually take on more responsibilities?4. Write down a training outline.
No matter how skilled a person is, they will need some level of training and direction. If you don't have the time or patience to train someone then assign someone that does. Otherwise accept that you will have to schedule time to do this. Getting improper training or feeling like their boss does not care about their success is the number one reason for job dissatisfaction and for people leaving jobs.5. Write down a compensation plan.
Can you afford a salary that meets the job requirements? Again, be realistic. You can't ask for the moon and not expect to pay for it. However, if you are a small business, there is only so much you can afford. So ask yourself what value this position brings. Is it going to allow you more time to sell, more time to develop product, or is this person going to add value directly to your product or service? Don't forget the new Massachusetts health care laws. Understand prior to beginning your search if you are going to have to insure this person.Once you have completed these steps you may decide that the required tasks don't take a lot of time and it would be best to adjust a current employee's job responsibilities. If the task is a specific project or seasonal work, you might want to consider using a temporary staffing service.
These steps may seem tedious, but you should be able to complete them in under an hour. Compared to the consequences of an inappropriate hire, the time and effort will be worthwhile.
Nancy Trout is the owner/operator of HR Business Solutions in Worcester.
She can be reached at ntrout@ijpinc.com.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments