To hire the right person for the job is the single most important decision your business can make. What do you think is the cost of getting it wrong? Estimates vary, but it is generally accepted to be in the range of two to three times the total remuneration package of the role itself; some learned institutions even believe it is as high as five times!

Hiring Mistakes Are Painful

Irrespective of whether the cost to your business is three, four or even five times the role’s remuneration package, getting it wrong is brutally painful and hideously costly. And that’s not even to consider the benefits of getting it right, and how much easier everything seems to become when you have the right staff and managers. If you are like me, you’ll have had both experiences. Here’s how to get more of the good and eliminate the bad.Hiring the right person is not really rocket science. Like any other worthwhile activity, is a combination of planning, preparation, discipline and patience. When I look at my own record of staff recruitment, the biggest mistake I ever made in hiring was believing that I had to fill the position by a specific date. With the benefit of hindsight, it is perfectly clear that it is far better to take your time to get the right person, than to rush in and get the wrong one. Yes, being a staff member down may cause short term pain; but remember the old adage “marry in haste, repent in leisure”.



Is This You? How Hiring Usually Gets Done

The all too frequent scenario that we still see when it comes to recruitment looks like this:

• An employee gives notice of their intention to leave; or the company decides to dispense with their services.
• Then there is a hurried rush to find a replacement!
• The need to replace may initiate a call to a recruitment agent. The brief includes the role, its remuneration, required skills, qualifications and experience. All too frequently there is not much more information.
• Next, the recruitment agent searches their personal network and/or advertises the position (usually on www.seek.com)Ultimately he/she then selects and presents possible candidates.
• Since the company-provided requirements are limited and the recruitment agent is typically required to make a certain number of placements per month, the hiring company is likely to receive numerous resumes; most, if not all, will be wide of the mark and so precious time is wasted in reviewing and even interviewing candidates who simply don’t fit. So you have failed to hire the right person and you are back to square 1. You still need staff "urgently".




... And How To Hire Better

We recommend this proven process to enable you to hire the right person:

Step 1: Prepare Thoroughly

As alluded to above, the key to getting the right result is Proper Preparation (which, as we all know, Prevents Poor Performance). This should initially include a review of the requirements of the vacated role with respect to the company’s business strategy, current and future projects and responsibilities, succession plan and remuneration levels. Beware: In fact it is quite possible that the role was not working well in the first place! And it is not unusual for the review to uncover a possible suitable candidate within the business already. So in the end, the real need may be to hire for a completely different position.



Step 2: Write An Effective Position Description

Once the extent of the role is clear, define it properly (and I mean document it) in a clear Position Description. This is a very important document! Of course it must capture the associated remuneration, required skills, qualifications and experience. In addition it must list the required personality attributes and characteristics which need to align with the company culture and nature of the role. Contrary to our first instinct, it’s actually more important that any prospective candidate fits first with the company culture and personality requirements of the role. The fit with the technical requirements only comes second: You can always train for for extra technical skills!

Step 3: Conduct A Focused Assessment

For all roles, t
The interview itself needs to probe for cultural fit, technical competence and personal desire for the role. In the case of more senior roles, we advise to complement the interview with a rigorous personality or psychometric test. The purpose is to screen out those candidates able to deceptively exaggerate their capabilities at interviews. Any job interview should be a two-way process:

• The company must give an accurate and complete (warts and all) but positive impression of the company and role on offer;
• Of course it also need to identify the right candidate;
• On the other side, the interviewees need to satisfy themselves that the role meets their objectives too.
To do otherwise simply wastes everyone’s time and money.



Step 4: Do Final Checks And Act Accordingly

Finally, once the interview is complete, you MUST conduct reference checks before the successful candidate is offered the role. I also recommend checking out the candidate online through avenues such as a Google search, Facebook and LinkedIn or other social media platforms. That is because these often given another perspective on the prospective employee. Once decided, don’t delay – it is very easy for great candidates to get snapped up quickly! Finally, I also recommend ensuring that the unsuccessful candidates are swiftly notified so that they do not hang on unnecessarily. Contact Ian Ash directly or CLICK TO KNOW MORE .