Due Diligence When Hiring: 5 Tips to Help You Simplify the Process

By Jezabel Southard

Posted on May 27, 2016

One of the toughest parts of hiring is vetting and evaluating new candidates. A good evaluation process can help you find the best possible candidate among the many who have knocked on your door – but a rushed, perfunctory, or incomplete vetting process can cause you to miss something vital.

Here are five tips and tricks for improving your process, without making it more difficult:

  1. Be consistent. A consistent hiring process will help you find better candidates more quickly, reducing the chances that they will slip through your fingers. It will also help you compare candidates more easily, since you’ll have a standard set of forms, questions and steps. Once hiring managers have the process memorized and understood, they’ll be able to implement it quickly and easily when it’s needed.
  2. Define your true needs. Which of the job’s many duties are essential? In other words, which things must be done every day to prevent the rest of the company from falling apart?  What skills and experience are required to accomplish those tasks?  Focus on these as you sort through candidates, so that you don’t become distracted with a long list of “love to have” candidates with none of the core skills.
  3. Double-check the details. When vetting candidates, get at least two versions of every story. Compare their resumes to their LinkedIn profiles to see whether dates, job titles, and core duties match up. Compare interview answers to resumes and cover letters, and be willing to call references back with specific questions after an interview – especially if you’re not convinced that a candidate really led that project or acquired those new customers singlehandedly.
  4. Test for skills. Any candidate can write on a resume they possess certain skills, but the only candidates who have value to your company are those who can implement those skills to get results. Use behavioral interview questions to find out how candidates have used their claimed skills successfully in the past, and consider implementing on-the-job “tests,” like job shadowing or presentations, to see candidates’ skills in action.
  5. Share the responsibility. Your staffing partner can help cover many of the responsibilities required, from performing background checks to touching base with candidate references. When you specify what your true needs are, your staffing partner can also help you find people who fit the bill – and who offers the cultural fit you need for maximum productivity.

By creating and following a comprehensive evaluation process you will position your company for the best hiring outcomes.

If you find yourself needing assistant with your recruiting and hiring, TERRA Staffing Group can help! Our expertise and hard work have earned us a place on the “Best of Staffing – Clients” list five years in a row. We’re always willing to go one step further to ensure you find the best talent available. 

Find one our branches today to learn more about our recruiting services.

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

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