English
English
SpanishWhen you’re hiring, you want to do more than fill an empty seat. You want to choose the right-fit candidate for the role. This means getting behind the “candidate mask,” so to speak, and identifying their key strengths, along with personality traits that will make them successful as part of your team.
It’s a lot to consider – with so much at stake. After all, one bad hiring decision can cost your company in many ways, from a hit to morale, profits, productivity, and more.
To help you choose the best candidate, here are some tips to keep in mind:
How Can You Choose the Best Candidate?
Get to know the candidate.
Approach the interview like a conversation, not an interrogation. You’re trying to get to know the candidate on a more personal level, so you can make the right choice about them.
To do that, assess their hard skills and also ask behavior-based questions, so you can get specific answers about their track record and performance. Also, look for cultural fit. In other words, will this person get along with their boss, their co-workers, and be an asset to the company overall?
Take them to a more casual setting.
Rather than conducting your interviews in the office, take them to lunch or for coffee. It’s easier to relax and get to know each other in a more casual setting. This can also give you the valuable insight you need into how they interact with others in a less formal setting.
Give them a small assignment.
If you’re choosing between two equally strong candidates, give them both an assignment to complete. This can give you more clarity as to which is the best match. You’ll have a tangible piece of work you can assess for quality, insight, and other key factors. This can oftentimes be the tie-breaker you’re looking for.
Don’t skip steps.
Even if you need to hire in a hurry, don’t skip steps in the process. Make sure you conduct interviews, including panel interviews with other key players at the company. Also check references, perform skill and personality tests, and conduct background checks. These all will combine to paint a picture of the candidate that you can then rely on to make the best choice.
Look to the future.
What are the company’s objectives in the short-term and long-term? Oftentimes, when you look at a candidate through this lens, it’s clear which can best help you achieve those goals.
Trust your gut.
Even if the candidate is ideal on paper and performs well in interviews, there might be something holding you back from hiring them. Trust your instincts, especially if you have a lot of experience hiring, and try to get to the bottom of what’s bothering you.
Get hiring help from a staffing agency.
If you’d like to hire right, the first time, but don’t have the time or resources, OneSource Staffing Solutions can help. We can fill positions in a range of fields on a temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time basis, all so you get the top-performing new employee you need. Contact us today to learn more.
