Checklist for Hiring the Best

A bad hire can unleash chaos onto even the most professional organizations and highly trained staff members. There is nothing worse than welcoming a disaster who seemingly deliberately or not, disrupts the tranquility of the working environment and development of existing and future company projects.

An organization's continued growth and success depends a whole lot on making smart choices and hiring the best there is in the market. Today's economy is exploding with talent- thousands and thousands of graduates in the job market- thus allowing one to be more selective about the staff one hires. Yet, despite all the numbers there is in the market, talent is an elusive element that seems the hardest to find.

Thus, for any given job category, an employer's hiring checklist should include:

Number 1

Constitute what makes a "Good Fit"

You must visualize the outcomes desired from the person who is going to fill in the position. The right talent for the right organization is someone who has the skills for the job, easily blends with the culture, interacts well with the team and strongly believes in the company's mission.

Number 2

Define the Job Specification

Develop a job description that clearly describes the responsibilities of the person you are going to hire.

Number 3

Write a Job Requirement Checklist

You need to have your candidate armed with the necessary skills for the job.

Number 4

Develop the largest pool of qualified candidates possible

You could search through professional associations, personal contacts, universities, search firms, and other creative sources if necessary.

Number 5

Pre-screen the Resumes

The first screening ought to disqualify candidates who do not fit in the set of requirements needed for the job at all.

Number 6

Prepare for the Interview

You need to devise a careful candidate selection process that includes culture match, testing of technical skills (if necessary) and behavioral interview questions.

Number 7

Set questions

This may need you to do some homework but you should have a strong list of questions ready before you begin interviewing a candidate; questions that will allow you to draw an early conclusion about the suitability of the candidate for the position you have to offer.

Number 8

Prepare for Second Interview

Conduct at least two interviews with a candidate before hiring him/ her, especially if the position is very important. A second interview also allows you to fine-filter or to distinguish your top picks for the job.

Number 9

Think about the Pay

You should have a fair idea of the range of the salary that you are willing to allocate for the candidate whom you plan to hire, just in case the candidate is in the form for negotiating his/her salary.

Number 10

Background Check

Perform appropriate background checks that include employment history, education, criminal records, credit history, drug testing and more. These tests are very important to certify or to back your candidate's overall performance.

Number 11

Make the Hiring Decision and Finalize an Offer Package

Once you have decided on your top choice for the job, you should make known your intension to hire the individual, and draw the line on the offer package that you are willing to give.

Number 12

Provide training, education and development to build a superior workforce

You should provide ongoing technical, developmental, managerial, safety, workplace organization training and education regularly. The type of training depends on the job. Some experts recommend forty hours or more of training a year per person.

Conclusion

Hiring the best there is for the job is one thing, but retaining the employee is another. Therefore, employers should also provide for an orientation that should give the new employee a complete understanding of the flow of the business, the nature of the work, benefits and the fit of his or her job within the organization.