When you’re hiring, you put a lot of effort into the recruitment process – not only are you doing your own day-to-day work, but you’re also screening resumes and going through the interview process before finally making a hiring decision.
If you’re lucky, the perfect candidate for the job requirements has shone through, and they’re the best talent for the role and company culture meaning all you have left to do is make them a job offer they can’t refuse. But more often than not, you’ll have a few fantastic candidates that will make the hiring process just that bit more difficult.
Whilst this can be incredibly frustrating, it’s actually a good thing because it means that your talent acquisition strategy is working well.
But the challenge remains – who is the top talent for the role? And how can you ensure you have made the best hire?
In order for you to stay focused, we’ve rounded up some top tips on how you can make better hires.
How much say does the hiring manager have?
Generally speaking, if you’re the hiring manager you have the final say on who you hire. After all, you will likely be responsible for managing your new employee so it only makes sense that you have the final say.
Of course, you aren’t the ultimate decision-maker. In fact, it’s useful for you to collaborate with your own manager and HR professionals to ensure that your new hire makes sense for the company and is a good cultural fit.
Depending on the hiring processes at your company, your own manager may also want to interview your potential new team member in order to help you make more informed hiring decisions.
In addition to having a collaborative mindset, below are our other top tips to help you make better hires.
Know exactly what it is you’re looking for
As the hiring manager, you likely already have a clear idea of what it is you’re looking for, but you may not know all the granular detail of the job role. For example, if you’re an architectural engineer hiring an intern then you are probably already well versed with their role, but if you are a product manager hiring for a product development role, you might not have the same understanding.
In this instance, you should consult the right person on your team or refer back to the job description to help you with the job candidates.
Throughout the hiring process it can be a great idea to ask yourself the following questions to help inform your decision:
- What are the main responsibilities of this role?
- What experience dos the ideal candidate needs to be successful in this position and at the company?
- What skills should the potential new hire possess?
- What does the ideal employee look like?
The answer to the last question will be important when making your final hiring decision as you will opt for the candidates that most fit your hiring criteria.
Give an accurate overview of the role
You can improve the quality of your hires immediately when you give a clear and accurate overview of the job role and company from the get-go.
By creating honest and engaging job listings on job boards, you will have a much better chance of attracting candidates that are a good fit for the company.
Assess potential new hires based on a set of predetermined skills
During the interview process, you should screen candidates based on a set of predetermined skills and qualifications that your team members agree on. Not only will this ensure that you are all on the same page when it comes to making a good hire, but it will also help to reduce potential biases throughout the whole process.
Additionally, just like you need to know exactly the type of candidate that you’re looking for, you and your team should also outline the key skills needed for the successful candidate. This will allow hiring managers to create competency questions that will measure each skill.
By focusing on a specific set of skills and qualifications, your team members can stay focused throughout the hiring process and it will keep inexperienced interviewers from being biased in their decision and help candidates receive a fair interview.
Organize a trial day for candidates
One great way of assessing whether or not a candidate is right for your business is by organizing a trial for them. Not only does it allow you the opportunity to see how candidates react to everyday situations but it also gives you the opportunity to see how they interact with their potential teammates.
A trial day also allows you to assess their current skillset and how they react to potential new situations on the job.
Trial days aren’t just an important exercise for you as a hiring manager, but they’re also incredibly important for candidates as they can get to grips with the company culture. It’s also a great opportunity for you to manage their expectations about how they’ll be working within the wider team and organisation too.
Make the final hiring decision
If you have taken all the steps outlined above in this article, then you’re in a good place to decide on the employees you are going to hire without worrying that you’re going to choose the wrong candidate.
Because you have outlined a predetermined set of criteria with your team, you are able to go through the hiring process in a structured way. Any one of the finalists will be a good fit for your job role.
If you are unsure, a trial day can be a great way to understand which one to hire.
GPC Finance is a leading Irish recruitment consultancy based in Dublin, specialising in accountancy and finance, banking and financial services, audit, tax and insurance for permanent appointments. Search our latest jobs here.