Recruiting dynamic leaders can be a difficult task. Therefore, I am sharing with you my 10 steps to successfully hire stellar executives. If followed appropriately, you can land great management staff almost every time!
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- Be organized and prepared to hire before posting the position!
- Review the organizational mission, vision, and values. Align the business strategy with your recruitment strategy
- Conduct a job analysis. Have a great understanding and knowledge of the position as it relates to the company need/requirements.
- Create job profiles that align to the above.
- Please note: Your confidence and ability to communicate the requirements of the position to the applicants, and new hire, will go a long way in landing and retaining great leaders.
- Be known as a great place to work and an employer of choice. Create a positive image of your organization, i.e.:
- Build brand loyalty.
- Be involved in the community.
- Join the Chamber of Commerce.
- Network on a regular basis.
- Keep in touch with associates and people you meet.
- Recognize, reward, and treat employees well, and fair, so that they will speak highly of the organization.
- Ensure management is trained regarding policies and basic employment laws, including the hiring process.
- Provide work-life options, such as: Flexible schedules, 10-hour shifts, split-shifts, work from home, etc. (if possible).
- Build brand loyalty.
- Create great job postings! Dynamic leaders search for eye-catching job postings. Make sure to:
- Introduce your organization and promote your company.
- Provide a clearly defined application process; include candidate requirements.
- Highlight benefits, competitive advantages, “perks,” flexible hours, career development, etc. (if applicable).
- Utilize social media, heavily, to promote the position! This may sound simple, however many employers do not use this free source. Social media can include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. It is a way to expand your personal network, watch conversations, and see who is talking about your organization and the position.
- Don’t forget to take advantage of employee referrals. This is a morale booster! Employees typically take pride in their jobs. Therefore, employees may consider their referred friends/associates as reflections of themselves. (Be very careful using this step as too many employee referrals may appear to block others from the opportunity to apply for positions at your organization; which could become a BIG problem).
- Screen applicants for success! Carefully review resumes and applications. Even though it may be a high-level position and/or you may know the person, there could still be “red flags,” such as: Gaps in employment, multiple terminations, inconsistent information, job hopping, bad grammar, questionable temperment, etc.
- Conduct appropriate, legal, interviews! Determine the interview panel in advance and ensure the panel is trained on illegal interview questions. Ensure the group stays focused on job requirements and company policy. Be consistent and do not discriminate towards disabled interviewees, or anyone. Be detailed and evaluate each candidate (I typically evaluate each candidate immediately after each interview to ensure non-bias).
- Hire candidates who can hit the ground running! It’s not a good idea to waste time thinking the candidate can learn the job. Employees who can hit the ground running will allow you to realize your return on investment, right away!
- Prepare job offer letters. Ensure to clearly define the terms and conditions of the position.
- Conduct stellar new hire orientation and provide an appropriate onboarding process. Orientation is the new hire’s first impression of the organization. Employers should take advantage of this opportunity to: Speak highly of the organization and the history; introduce management; give tours of the facility; introduce co-workers; etc. For onboarding, it’s a great idea to assign a “buddy” to the new hire to ensure accurate information is accessible and that the new hire will have assistance from someone to help them with questions and issues that may arise.
Lastly, monitor the new hire to ensure he or she has all the tools they need to get the job done.
Happy hiring!
