Identifying the Right Talent to Hire

It is a situation too many companies have experienced: after conducting a lengthy talent search and hiring a candidate who seems like a good fit, they turn out to be a mistake and end up costing your company time and money. To ensure you hire the best professionals, you need to know how to identify the right talent for the positions you are hiring for. Below are five key steps to take during each candidate search that will prevent you and your company from making a hiring mistake again.

Define the Position First

After being in business for a few years, every company has a folder of job descriptions of all the positions you have hired for before. Instead of finding the listing that best fits the position you are currently searching for, take the time to write a new one. This will ensure you take the time to think about every responsibility this position has as well as all the specific skills that are needed to be successful.

Know Your “Wants” vs “Needs”

As you write the job description, it is also important to think about the “wants” various “needs” of the job. For example, a successful candidate might need to have experience with financial analysis, and it would be preferable if they also had investment management industry experience, but that isn’t necessary. Knowing the difference will ensure you focus on candidates who meet all your “needs” before assessing if they have your “wants”.

Ask Creative and Challenging Questions

Most interviews are comprised of the same standard questions that prompt the same generic and preplanned answers. Additionally, interviewers often focus too much on the candidate’s experience and not their knowledge or work style. To ensure the answers you receive allow you to properly assess each candidate, prepare questions that give you a glimpse into the candidate’s ingenuity as well as their problem-solving skills.

Test the Candidate’s Skills

While person-to-person interviews are a great tool for assessing candidates, they shouldn’t be the only tool you are using. Asking candidates to complete skills tests will allow you to get a true assessment of their technical abilities and how quickly and correctly they can complete certain tasks. Additionally, many of these tests allow you to compare the candidate’s results to other professionals in the field.

Don’t Forget About Culture Fit

Identifying a candidate with all the right experiences, knowledge, and skills is tough enough, but you also need to ensure they will be a good fit for your company’s culture. Determine what characteristics your most successful employees have as well as the traits their future supervisor values most and use them as a guide for what personality traits and values to look for. Furthermore, make sure to discuss with each candidate what kind of company culture they are looking for.