Recruiting New Staff
Hiring Staff – it really can’t be that complicated can it?!
Surely, all you need to do is:
• Put an ad on Seek
• Wait for résumés to roll in
• Interview the likely candidates and
• Hire the one that you like the best
Well that is exactly what happens in all types of businesses around the world, but the reality is, this method of recruiting is a real gamble. Without taking the time to understand the job, and describing the person who would best suit the position, you may be in for a nasty surprise a few weeks down the track.
For instance, that great new hire may not be capable enough, may be too capable, may have severe personality conflicts with other staff, or may feel he or she was sold a job that is different from the reality. If you hire the wrong person, or the right person in the wrong way, you risk inflicting a managerial nightmare upon yourself. You can’t be effective in your job if the bulk of your time is spent trying to get the wrong people to perform in the right ways. You need the right person, in the right job, at the right time.
Recruitment needs an appropriate amount of time spent on planning and preparing in order to get it right – first time. After all, it’s far better to spend the time before hiring to ensure that you find the right candidate, rather than cleaning up the problems after.
Getting it Right First Time
There are many reasons why it’s important to get the recruitment decision right first time:
Productivity
There is a huge gap between a ‘highly productive’ employee and a ‘functioning’ employee. In fact a poorly performing employee may even be negatively productive if they require lots of assistance and/or supervision.
Training
Training is an essential component of hiring new staff but it is expensive, so the time it takes for a new employee to get up to speed really matters. Ideally you need someone who will reach maximum productivity in the minimum amount of time. Look for candidates who come with existing skills (but not bad habits) or who have a demonstrated aptitude to learn new skills.
Turnover
Losing staff not only costs money in replacement and new training, it also impacts on productivity and office moral. Taking the time to find an employee who fits in well with your business will save money in the long run.
Better Use of Time and Money
When you have to fight fires caused by one or two poor hiring decisions you have less time to do your own work. Finding and hiring the right people will make a huge difference to your bottom line, particularly when you consider the costs of recruitment, and the opportunities lost by not having the right people in the right job at the right time.
Here are 8 tips to help you plan your recruitment process:
1. Create Position Descriptions (define the job role and duties)
2. Decide on your method of recruitment (internet, seek, social media etc.)
3. Write the ad selling the benefits (what’s in it for them?)
4. Shortlist candidates (don’t say yes straight away)
5. Interviewing (create interactive techniques – use our skills analysis to test qualifications in real time
6. Create an offer and outline the probation period
7. Create an induction plan for training (use our video training)
8. Get your team involved (encourage the team to play nice)
Notes taken from the Property Management Institute of Training iBook “Recruiting New Staff”