Hiring the best person for the job is the most important decision made by a manager. Consider how much is resting on it in terms of productivity, morale and value added to your organization. Building a team with the right mix of talent takes significant time and energy, but it’s all worth it when you make the right candidate/job match.
How do the best hiring managers do it?
Take Responsibility for the Hiring Decision
Managers with the best hiring track record take full responsibility for the results of every hiring decision they make.
- This means shouldering blame for costly failures. And those who take the high road share their success with their recruitment teams. Every successful, well-planned hire is a milestone for the manager and the company, and when the process falls short, it’s a costly lesson learned.
Modify the Job to Fit the Person
The best managers invest time and resources in interviewing talented people, regardless of whether or not they have a current opening.
- Be flexible and open minded. You may need to modify a job to attract and better meet the career needs of a strong candidate.
- If a candidate comes well recommended, talk to them – even if the timing isn’t exactly right. Build a rapport with an individual you’d like to hire. This way, when you are at a point where you can make such a move, the candidate will feel valued right off the bat.
Value Potential over Experience
While new hires certainly need to have the skillset for the job, upside potential is far more important to successful hiring managers than the laundry list of qualifications and experience listed on a job description.
- “Potential” means candidates have the talent to become superstars in the not-too-distant future. It doesn’t guarantee they will immediately make full use of their abilities. But it’s a calculated risk worth taking. Considering that 50 percent of U.S. companies struggle to find qualified candidates, using value-based recruiting to target high-potential individuals makes perfect sense.
- For software provider Fishbowl, hiring for potential paid off. Fishbowl found it was not easy to lure top performers away from established competitors. Instead, the company targeted candidates whose potential indicated they could be tomorrow’s superstars. While applying this strategy, Fishbowl grew by 70 percent in three years, during which time it won awards for project and management quality.
Your company’s growth is measured according to profits and losses – and the cost of an unnecessary or failed hire can be a huge detriment to your bottom line. So when it comes to hiring best practices, follow the leaders.
Contact the team at PrideStaff Modesto for additional resources on recruitment and workforce management strategies.
