7 Ways to Make Sure You Hire the Right Person For the Job

I frequently use the IKEA cartoon to demonstrate how quickly we need to get new hires up to speed. With today’s fast paced workplace leaders do not have the luxury of slow uptake with new hires.

In addition in today’s reality most leaders are hiring more often as the ‘time on job’ reality shifts from long term to shorter term. For example a Gen Y will stay on the job for a maximum of three years in today’s work environment.

So how do you as a leader ensure that you increase your hiring success?

Here are 7 ways to make sure you hire the right person for the job:

1. Just like the IKEA cartoon you need to use situational interviews when it comes to ensuring that the person has the skills that he or she says they do. For example if you are interviewing and ask if he or she is good at Excel they will likely say ‘yes’. Instead give them parameters for an Excel spreadsheet and have them complete one for you in the interview. You will quickly see his or her actual skill level.
2. Use personality profiles to help you identify the person’s strengths and to better determine the cultural alignment. Personality assessments have been used frequently as a tool to help ‘match make’ new hire to the company and to the job. If you don’t have a formal assessment use the DISC online system that has free online profiles available.
3. Discuss the career path opportunities within the company right up front at the interview stage. Research shows that all of the generations but especially Gen Y’s want to know what else is ‘out there’ and what are the possible learning and growth opportunities in the company.
4. Set the expectation of time on job that you would love to see him or her make a minimum one-year commitment and ask them what it would take for him or her to stay with an employer.
5. Be up front about the realities of the job- the key to aligning right person with the job is making sure there are ‘no surprises’ that were not communicated to the new hire in the interview process.
6. Use a coach approach to keep an eye on the new hires development if you want to keep him or her around- tell them in the interview that you will provide coaching and growth and that this approach is to help him or her succeed.
7. Better yet do all of the above with visual tools such as drawings on an IPad, a video about the job, a video testimonial from the previous job holder and provide resources for the potential new hire to find out more about the company prior to the next interview.

Doing the 7 things listed will increase the odds that you align right person with the job- typically hiring mistakes are made because a leader falls victim to the ‘hiring a warm body’ trap.

Taking the time to prepare and to ensure you are up front about the job and the culture will help you find the ‘right fit’.