Prepare Yourself for a Successful Q4 Through Strategic Hiring Decisions Now

By Jezabel Southard

Posted on August 26, 2014

Hiring strategically takes work. Doing the research, thinking through the company’s needs, and creating a proactive plan to address potential obstacles all requires effort, forethought, and planning. But when challenges arise or a key player suddenly announces a decision to quit, a strategic hiring plan can save the company far more time, effort, and money than it cost to create.

Your staffing firm can help. Staffing partners specialize in every aspect of the hiring process, including the planning. Contact your staffing firm and prepare for a productive planning session by keeping these tips in mind:

Know what the company needs.

Many hiring managers assume that if a position currently exists or has existed in the past, that employee’s responsibilities, required skills, and metrics for performance measurement are already in place – or if not, that they should be obvious. In fact, companies that don’t have a clear, organized idea of what each person should accomplish and how to measure accomplishment often find themselves floundering when an unexpected challenge taxes the skill sets of their existing staff.

Start by determining what each person’s core responsibilities are, what skills are needed to meet those responsibilities, and what success looks like. Write this down in plain language, avoiding empty buzzwords or clichéd phrases.

Have goals in mind.

Once you know what people you have, you’re in a better position to determine who you will need. Start by identifying the company’s short- and long-term goals as clearly as possible, following the model you used for employee job descriptions. What business problems will the company face in the next 90 days? Six months? In five years? When you make new hires during this time, what challenges will you want them to handle, and what will they need to do so? Who will they work with? What core products, services, or initiatives will affect them?

Identify the types of people who thrive in your company’s culture.

The right person for the job isn’t just technically proficient. He or she will also mesh well with your company’s current culture or way of doing business. Examine the approaches used by the top-performing staff you already have, and identify traits they share that allow them to thrive. Use this list, along with the list of needed technical skills, to describe to your staffing firm exactly who you’re going to need.

At TERRA Staffing, our experienced recruiters in the Pacific Northwest can help your company create a strategic hiring plan that maximizes success in the fourth quarter and into 2015. Contact us today for help planning your strategic staffing for the next quarter.

Categories: HR and Management Advice, Staffing Tips & Recruiting Trends

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