Hiring Rockstars: Practical Tips for Hiring Long Term Associates

Hiring the employees a business needs is no simple task. Proper employee recruitment is one of the most stressful parts of any hiring manager's job as it require hours of organization and discussion to outline the job requirements, and then days or weeks of sifting through applications just to find a few that have potential. Proper recruitment means hiring for the needs of the company as a whole as well as for the individual department. However, while a serious and often stressful decision, there are ways to make the entire process easier.

Use Testing to Weed Out Candidates

Using different methods of verifying the skills of potential candidates is essential. Resumes are great but they can be filled with half-truths or straight lies. Testing based on basic mathematical skills, comprehension, and specific job functions is extremely successful at weeding out applicants who do not possess the necessary skills for the job classification.

Look for Previous Longevity

Simply put, applicants who do not have longevity in previous jobs are unlikely to be loyal to the position. Associate longevity is important in any business because it improves culture, builds a loyal customer base, and helps to keep training and hiring costs lower. Hiring managers should make notes of how many jobs the applicant has had, as well as how long they were at each one. An applicant who has several different positions within the last few years is a risk to hire. Look instead for applicants who have fewer jobs but a reputation for loyalty. Loyalty in a prospective employee is worth waiting for and something to be encouraged and rewarded once an applicant is hired.

Streamline Your Process and Search

One way to make the hiring process easier is to make use of a good HR document management system. Hiring can only be as successful as its practice. It is important to have all necessary documents such as jobs requirements, testing, tax forms and similar papers in one easy to find location. The same is true for an application process. Prospective employees who are knowledgeable will be wary and skeptical of working for a company that has no organizational skills. Avoid pitfalls and loss of prospective applicants by making sure that they can easily access the job posting and upload documents needed. No applicant wants to waste their time jumping through multiple hoops on multiple different sites to make application. The same holds true once an applicant is hired. Easy to access documentation on raises, evaluations, employee development is important. Employees who feel their time is respected and appreciated are much more likely to return that respect with longevity and brand loyalty.

Get Social

The importance of social media in the modern hiring process cannot be overstated. Employers with a positive social media presence attract potential rockstars because of their modern views. Conversely, social media also allows employers to have a broader applicant base than many basic job searches will allow. Employers should use social media to obtain a more clear picture of who applicants are by viewing pictures and previous posts for ideas or beliefs that may not align with the core values of the company. Various social media sites allow for a basic viewing of personal pages simply by doing a basic internet search. Employers should look for applicants whose social media pages match their resumes.

Hiring the right people is difficult and it cannot be done in a way that makes everyone happy. There are ways to mitigate the stress and find applicants who are successful and have the potential to be a benefit and an asset to the company. Using the techniques above, employers can help lower their stress load by streamlining their hiring processes as well as taking advantage of social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to help find the loyalty and skills needed in new employees.