Smart Staffing Practices: Don?t Confuse Activity with Results

Does your hiring process consist of proven practices or just a hodgepodge of activities that get into gear when someone says, "I need more people" or "Sally has left and we need someone to take her place NOW?"

Smart hiring is more than running ads, screening, interviewing and checking references. It is a series of specific procedures that can work well or create bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Here are eight steps to improve your hiring success rate.

Step 1: Begin With a Discussion Not a Job Description.

  • Find out what is really needed for today and tomorrow.
  • Identify the key roles and responsibilities of the position.
  • Understand how this position aligns with the goals of the organization.

Step 2: Know Your Product ? Do a Task Analysis.

  • Precisely identify the key components of the job ? skills, knowledge, attitudes.
  • Differentiate between the 'absolutes vs. the 'nice ?to-haves'.
  • Identify department milestones for the next 6-24 months.

Step 3: Identify Screening Tools.

  • Determine the best assessment tools - personality tests, in-basket exercises.
  • Develop real life examples of competency to use as a measuring rod.
  • Formulate the behavioral traits that are necessary to look for.

Step 4: Realistically Identify the Ideal Candidate.

  • Decide what constitutes "A"-level job performance.
  • Determine how important 'cultural fit' is for the position.
  • Use these standards to measure "fit" against potential candidates.

Step 5: Make the Interview Count.

  • Review the position requirements and the candidate's resume.
  • Develop and stick to an interviewing script with key questions.
  • Manage the interview; watch the clock; take notes.

Step 6: Select Based on Fact Not Just Gut Feel.

  • Create a simple rating system to analyze each candidate fairly.
  • Decide how to decide on the best candidate for the position.
  • Focus on the technical as well as the cultural fit.

Step 7: Develop Good Metrics.

  • Measure the ROI of various sourcing methods.
  • Calculate the direct and indirect costs of recruitment.
  • Flow-chart or diagram the hiring process to find glitches and inefficiencies.

Step 8: Practice the Golden Rule

  • Treat every candidate the way you'd like to be treated.
  • Be professional, objective and fair ? and stay out of legal 'hot water'.
  • Make a good impression ? you represent the organization.

The effectiveness of the recruitment process impacts the effectiveness of the organization. A new hire that does not fit the position will be difficult to develop, will perform poorly and more likely leave resulting in need to repeat the process. Only when recruitment is approached as a specific process with definable steps and measurable results can it be managed to ensure the hiring of quality people.

Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ­ to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ­ resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ­ fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

In The News:


Better Links Directory


The New Five Truths of Employee Motivation

Motivation is a term that is so widely used, yet... Read More

Are You At The Mercy Of Computer Geeks?

Many business owners are sabotaging their business without even realizing... Read More

Test Your Hiring IQ

The purpose of any selection process is to discriminate (albeit... Read More

Dividing The Loot

It is when the going gets better, that the going... Read More

Focus and Shoot

One of my earliest childhood memories is watching Lew Alcindor... Read More

When Politics Prevent Innovation - Or? Still Fighting Battles and Losing Wars

The objective is to beat the competition and make money.... Read More

Is Your Company in Need of Family Therapy?

How Companies Are Like FamiliesLike a family, a company is... Read More

When Being A Facilitator DOESNT Help

I talked with a group of internal consultants last week... Read More

Factoring Financing: How to Grow Your Business Without Debt or Loans

What is factoring?Accounts receivable financing, also known as factoring, is... Read More

Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System

How can I "know who knows" None of us can... Read More

The Power of the Contract in Performance Management

An essential step in managing the performance of salespeople is... Read More

Office Politics

Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More

Get Out Of The Stone Age: Give Leadership Talks

160 years ago, the newly invented electric telegraph carried the... Read More

Workplace Violence - People are Dying Going to Work

Workplace violence has become a tragic reality today. From minor... Read More

What to Do When Trust is Low

Trust is essential. You can't run a business without it.... Read More

Lessons From Innovative Companies

What do the companies 3M, Polaroid, and Walt Disney have... Read More

Employee Motivation: It?s More Than A Paycheck

Managers often ask, usually with exasperation, "How can I keep... Read More

Business Innovation ? Improvisation

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Making Your Workers Your Partners

There is an inherent conflict between owners and managers of... Read More

How to Reject a Job Applicant

A Nightmare That Really HappenedOver 10 years ago, when I... Read More

Rules for Running a Meeting

As an experienced manager, I can announce without a doubt... Read More

Getting to Consensus

The need to get people in an organization to pull... Read More

Basic Management Skills

Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More

Managers Who Spend PR $$ Wisely

If you are a department, division or subsidiary manager, your... Read More

Tales From the Corporate Frontlines:The Importance of a Competitive Wage and Benefit Package

This article relates to the Compensation and Benefits competency, commonly... Read More