Hiring a new employee is not an easy task. Sure, it’s easy to fill your open position with a warm body. But that warm body will result in your business bleeding money if they aren’t the right person for the job. At least that’s what Renee West. SHRM-CP, PHR, says on this episode of unsuitable on Rea Radio.
West, Rea’s human resources manager and recruitment expert, joins Dave on part one of our miniseries on optimizing your hiring strategy and capitalizing on the strengths of your team, to talk about how to start the recruiting process on top right out of the gate. On this episode of our award-winning business podcast, Renee talks about recruiting best practices and how the firm uses Caliper Assessments to determine if somebody is an ideal fit within the company and the team. But before you start, keep the following points top of mind to make recruiting easier.
- Know the type of person you are looking for. Perform a pre-screening assessment by looking at the applicant’s job objectives, work history, education and non-industry related activities.
- Remember that there are a lot of questions you can’t ask. Essentially, you can’t ask any questions relating to the gender, age, nationality, sexual orientation or family plans an individual has. If you’re not sure if you should ask the question, don’t.
- In many industries, background checks are standard. Rea & Associates performs a background check through the state that looks at the driving record and verifies social security. Some employers, particularly in the financial industry, will also run credit checks. Drug tests also are common. The types of test vary by employer and industry.
- You’re always going to have turnover, so you should always be recruiting. The market is tight for talent, so it’s important to be active in your community and constantly networking.
“The key in doing any type of pre-screening, assessments or background checks is assuring that you are consistent in their administration.”
At Rea & Associates, we use Caliper Assessments to assess job candidates. It is a developmental tool, in addition to a pre-screening tool. Caliper Assessments are very helpful in identifying the success indicators for different roles. For example, if we are looking to fill an accountant position, then we have metrics in place that have already identified the key competencies that an individual needs to have to be successful in that role.
The Caliper Assessments assure that each individual we hire is being set up for success.
The workforce is aging and, when the recession hit, recruiting slowed down across most industries. This has left large gaps in the workforce.
Companies need to be hiring to fill those gaps, but they also need to be hiring to develop individuals internally. It’s important to be looking at talented individuals at all levels of the business to prepare for succession planning and inevitable turnover.
Even after an individual is employed, the recruitment doesn’t stop. Part of the employer’s responsibility is to provide ongoing support of individuals throughout their employment.
Social media plays an interesting role in recruiting.
- As an employer, you need to be able to make an informed decision using many different methods and facts… and that may include looking at things that an applicant does not wish to be seen, on their personal social media.
- LinkedIn, Facebook, Indeed.com and even your local Chamber of Commerce can provide employers with networks they can leverage for the recruiting process.
part two
This is part one of a two-part series about hiring and team building. Listen to part two now or click here for additional resources.