How to Hire the Best Possible Candidate for the Job

Every business requires productive employees, and every business owner wants to ensure they are hiring top talent in their field. Sadly, it’s no simple task, even with millions of candidates out there. Some of them just don’t cut it.

Regardless of your company’s success, you will experience some turnover due to poor performance or unhappy individuals. Unfortunately, you can’t control when an employee decides to leave your company, but you can always try to hire the best candidates for your company.

Below are 10 tips to help you hire the best candidate for a position while minimizing turnover and maximizing employee satisfaction and productivity.

1. Have Clear Explanations for All Jobs

It is unproductive to provide ambiguous job descriptions that either lack detail or are over-laden with requirements. Rather, succinctly define open jobs and draw out expectations and requirements. Doing this will help you attract candidates who are more likely to have the suitable skillsets and experience for the job. It will also save you time as you won’t have to sort through many unqualified applications.

2. Create a Recruitment Strategy

You’ll want to know what steps you will take throughout the interviewing process and how to source candidates. First, meet with your HR or recruiting team to map out the qualifications, experience, and qualities you are looking for in a perfect candidate. Hiring managers can then develop a plan to locate the best talent.

3. Utilize all Available Resources

You should use all technological resources to help you identify strong, relevant candidates. LinkedIn is an excellent start, but many other tools can help. For example, consider purchasing innovative recruiting software customized to your company, and ensure your HR team is onboard. The more resources you utilize, the more likely you will find a wide range of suitable applicants.

4. Consider Hiring Internally

At times, the best person for the job may be sitting right before you. The ideal contender may be a valued employee with a broad range of experience and knowledge about the company and its systems. Of course, you’ll have to find a replacement for their current position, but they could be happier with the new job. Be sure to gauge any interest from existing employees at the start, as you could save time and money on recruiting outside of your business.

5. Prioritize Transparency

From the first communication, every candidate should have an accurate idea of what to expect throughout the interview. This will help candidates prepare better and ultimately help you find the best applicants. In addition, candidates with a transparent and pleasant experience — even if they don’t get hired — are more likely to view your company favorably and speak of you positively.

6. Consistently Check References

We want to believe candidates don’t lie when giving references, however it is imperative to check them. Unfortunately, some recruiters don’t check them, allowing people to pass through the interviewing system without a background check. Instead, it would be best if you took the time to reach out to each reference and double-check that the applicant is being honest about their past employment and the reason why they no longer work somewhere. Of course, this background check should also apply to any criminal past.

7. Work on Your Employer Branding

In today’s world, keeping a pristine reputation —with the public and current and former employees—is crucial. Previous employees saying negative things about a company will hurt your chances of recruiting the best talent. They will probably look past your job offer to more prestigious companies to fulfil their job wishes.

Ensure your employer branding is positive and that you focus on maintaining a high-quality, inclusive atmosphere for all employees. While recovering from a tarnished image may take some time, it is always worth salvaging.

8. Offer Competitive Pay and Benefits

If you lag competitors in pay and benefits, you are unlikely to recruit top talent in the industry. So, it should go without saying that you ought to provide decent salaries and benefits packages at least consistent with (if not higher than) the industry average.

9. Request References from Current Employees

If current employees are happy with their job, they are your best source of reference as nobody knows what it’s like to work for your business better than your current employees. In addition, they may happily reach out to former colleagues and friends who may be an excellent fit for your job openings.

10. Communicate Proactively

The most qualified candidates likely have other interviews lined up and could already have job offers. The best way to keep them curious about your job offer is to constantly communicate and let them express their questions and concerns at any time.

Remember, your company will be average if you have ordinary people on your team. Therefore, you need to hire the most talented and qualified people to be the best. If you get this right, you can create an extraordinary organization in the long term that allows you to reach your goal of success.

At ALIGN, we have the experience and processes to assist you with hiring perfect candidates for the job. Give us a call and we will be happy to assist you.