How to Hire Better People for Your Business

Hiring practices have changed significantly over the past several decades. Businesses have never hired quite as much as they are currently, and the cost of adding those people (or attempting to do so) has never been higher. Unfortunately, though, much of that money spent on hiring is completely wasted, as many new hires leave those same jobs within a year. What can you do to build a better job offer process for your company? How do you hire better people who won’t leave shortly after onboarding is complete? This quick guide can help you do just that. 

What Used to Be

For most of the last century, hiring people for almost any job followed a fairly predictable pattern. The HR department took a close look to decide what attributes a candidate should have for that particular job, then they decided on an appropriate pay scale. From there, they posted an ad, sorted through the applicants, did a few reference checks, performed lots of interviews, and finally chose a candidate. For most of the last century, many of those candidates came from within the organization. 

What Is

Things have shifted from that model, and not for the better. Many companies have shifted the entire responsibility of hiring candidates outside of their organization. The companies hired to find the right candidates spend time combing social media sites like LinkedIn to find appropriate hires, contact them to apply for a position that may not be open yet within an organization, then send those qualified individuals through the interview process. 

There are some companies that still handle the hiring process on their own, but it’s not really any better than it once was. Managers are trying to decide how to hire people using various forms of advertising, and once they get applications, they often let software or AI do the work to decide who might be the most qualified. Whether or not this process works, though, is left to be seen, as no one seems to be tracking involved costs or even the time it takes to hire someone.

What Should Be

It is possible to change the process. Learning how to hire better people is a top concern among management in nearly every vertical, and not connecting with the right talent is a massive threat to any business. These tips can help you create a better process. 

• Make Sure You Need to Hire: Do you actually need that new hire or are there tasks that could be divided up among current employees (with a pay bump, of course)? Sometimes employers open a job to fish for candidates, and it doesn’t do anyone any favors. Post only real positions and make sure you actually need to add to your team before you do so. 
• Start Inside Your Company: Every job search should start inside your company. Outside hiring is costly. One study found that an outside hire takes three years to perform as well as an internal hire might in the same job. Outside hiring means you’re sending a signal to employees that you don’t value who they are and what hidden skills they may bring to the table. If you need a new hire, start by posting it to those who currently work for you. 
• Look for Growth: If you’re hiring someone who is a few steps above an entry-level position, you’re going to want to look for some growth within their career to date. If you’re looking for a leader, for example, but the individual hasn’t really progressed beyond that entry-level point for a few years, they may not be qualified to add to your company.
• Rethink Skills Testing: Consider some skills assessments that help establish whether the individual will be able to do everything you’re asking of them. Imagine, for example, you’re looking to hire a web developer. Including a skills test that measures programming skills may help you establish whether this candidate could truly be a good fit for a role within your company. 
• But Consider All of Your Options: Skills testing can help establish whether you have the right candidate, but even if the position demands some key skills, keep in mind that if someone is missing a few of those skills, you should be open to hiring someone who is a great fit otherwise. Skills training is possible during the onboarding process, so nontraditional candidates can still be a great fit. Those who have the right attitude and passion for the work may grow into the candidate you truly want. 
• Design a New Interview Process: If you have enough basic data, the interview should be about something better. Consider asking behavioral-based interview questions. You want to know about a time when the individual has faced a problem they might actually see within your company and solved it. You want to know about their challenges, their wins, and what they might actually do when they’re inside your company. More than anything, though, be consistent with your questions across your candidate base. If you ask different questions of every candidate, you may not get a true measure of anyone’s skills. 
• Track the Data: Find out what you’re spending on every single hire. Keep track of those metrics so you can refine the process as you move forward.

No matter what kind of hiring process you design for your company, the key today is to hire as quickly as possible. People are looking for faster turnarounds than ever when it comes to the job market, and making quick offers is a great way to hire better people. Reach out to us today to see how we can help!