A Guide to an Effective Hiring Process

Over the years I have found  a key element that can drive the success of your business more than anything else is effective hiring. And according to a study by Harvard Business Review, as much as 80 percent of employee turnover stems from bad hiring decisions.

When it comes to hiring, it takes time and practice to learn how to streamline the process and find the right candidate for the job. It’s important to not only make sure your candidate is qualified but also is a great cultural fit who is bought into your vision.

I have made my fair share of hiring mistakes in the past, and I have used the lessons learned from those experiences to fine-tune the hiring process. The following steps will help lower your turnover by screening each candidate for the qualities that will be the best fit for your business.

1. 1. Do your homework. Clearly define what it is you are looking for in a candidate. A well-written job description will clearly explain the expectations for the job you are looking to fill. It should include the overall purpose of the job, duties, qualifications, and clear next steps for the interview process. Define the timeline, number of interviews, and who will be involved internally.
   2. Determine who will screen resumes and potential candidates. Create a clear list of what skills and experience a desired resume would include. According to Jobvite, one in six candidates who apply for a job will be invited to an interview. This step in narrowing down the pool of candidates is critical. If you don’t do it effectively you could be leaving top talent out of the interview process.
   3. Conduct the initial interview. This call will be the first impression you have of each candidate and will provide you better insight into whether they could be a fit for your team. In fact, 33 percent of recruiters say that they know whether they will hire someone within the first 90 seconds (Twin Employment & Training). To attract top talent, be sure to clearly outline the entire interview process: how long each step will take, when they will hear from you, and what they will need to do for each interview. Use this time on the initial call to explain the benefits you offer, the company culture, and vision of the team.
   4. Follow-up Interviews. Your top candidates will then need to be interviewed by the other internal employees you want to include in the process. This is a great time to get a clearer understanding of the character of potential hires, as they might answer more candidly to someone that they consider a peer. One tool that can be especially helpful at this stage in the process is personality or strengths assessment tests. These tests can help provide insight into the candidate: how they learn, respond to various situations, and engage with others.
   5. Complete the Final Interview. By this point in the process, the pool of candidates should be narrowed down considerably. I encourage you to use the final interview to test their skills. This will allow you to see the quality of the work they each could provide. Talk about various challenges that could arise in the position and how they would respond if they have the job. I also recommend that you bring up their references and ask how they believe their previous colleagues would review them. This will provide key context for past work and encourage more candid, honest answers about their experience.
   6. Negotiating the Job Offer. Once you have made your final selection, now is the time to make the job offer. When you make the offer, clearly review the benefits, the salary, title of the position, path for growth, and a deadline to hear back. As you negotiate, keep in mind that a bit of flexibility on your end could go a long way in hiring top talent who will be engaged and excited about the opportunity to work for you.

Using this process will help you find your ideal candidate. You can build a dedicated and energized team.