As your business grows, you may find yourself looking for new staff members who will help to facilitate the goals and aspirations you have set out for your company. When you do this, you want to make sure you are hiring the right people, not only for the job, but for your company. You want staff who will be as committed to the needs of the business as you are. You can either choose to manage the hiring yourself, or you could consider using a specialized service from companies like http://www.eagleheadhunters.co.uk/. Whichever option you choose, you’re going to need to think carefully about what it is you are looking for with your new staff. Below are some of the key factors you should consider to ensure that you are hiring the best.
The best employees are already working
It’s an incontrovertible truth that those who are highly skilled with a good work ethic will already have a job. It is rare for the perfect member of staff to fall into your lap, especially if you are looking for a particular skill-set. So not only do you need to advertise your vacancy on job sites and in the local press, but you need to actively search for the right candidate. This job would normally fall to your in-house hiring team or HR manager (if you have one) as this can be quite a time-consuming process. You could use resources such as LinkedIn to reach out to potential candidates in your network or to advertise your vacancy. The key is to make sure that people who are not actively seeking a new job will hear about your vacancy. So-called ‘passive job seekers’ are open to new opportunities and could be looking for the challenge of helping a small business grow.
Know what makes you unique
Once you’ve advertised your vacancy to active and passive job seekers, you need to convince them that your company is where they want to be. Depending on which sector you operate in, or what skill set you are searching for, the power can be very much with the candidate. It is not uncommon for workers not interested in changing employers to have multiple calls, emails and messages each day offering them opportunities to work elsewhere. It is not enough to simply state that you have a relaxed working atmosphere and a fairly good salary and benefits package. Candidates want more, and your competitors are likely offering more.
What is it about your business that sets you apart from other employers? Offering flexible working hours, or the ability to work from home can be a great incentive, as can a clearly laid out career progression strategy. Think about what you would like to hear from an employer to make you consider working for them and then make sure that your candidates know it. It could even be something as simple as working within a small, closely-knit team. Individuals working for corporate companies can feel lost and unappreciated in the machinery of the business. Being able to rub shoulders with the owner of the company can go a long way to making staff feel valued.
Know what you want
Be clear about what you require your staff to do and what skills are essential for them to undertake the job. The less vague you are about responsibilities, the more likely you are to have the right people applying for the vacancy. Avoid needlessly overcomplicating the job specification. A simple solution is to encapsulate what the job involves in three bullet points. Then have three bullet points, skills or attributes that are needed. You can add more details later, but these six things will help you and the candidate know if he or she is a good fit.
Employing new staff can be a time-consuming process. However, if you carefully consider these three points, you will have greater success in employing the right people and making sure that they are more likely to stay with you for the long term.
