Recruiting, screening, and interviewing applicants are critical steps in hiring the right employees for your company. Having an organized process for hiring top qualified employees will help you fill positions efficiently and effectively.
Following a consistent interview process will not only help attract and retain the best employees for your company but will also reduce costly employee turnover. You may also use these documented processes as a defense if employment discrimination charges are filed against your company by an applicant that was turned down for employment.
ConnectedHR provides consulting services for select clients who may not yet have in-house HR or need to supplement their capacities with outside experts. We help businesses recruit and retain top talent for their companies. In this article, we take our experience and share seven key points in the hiring process.
- Document Everything: Keep documentation regarding your advertising and recruiting efforts for each job opening. Maintain completed applications for at least one year after filling the position. In your files, note the job title, dates that you opened and filled the position, and the name of the person you hired for that position.
- Stay Professional: Review resumes you receive in response to advertisements/postings. Set aside those that do not qualify for the position. If you write anything about why the applicant did not qualify, make sure it’s based on job-related reasons and not anything that could be perceived as discriminatory reasons.
- Be Accessible: Provide an employment application for any applicant who physically visits your company and requests one. Allow them to complete it onsite, mail it, or return it in person. Applications are not always necessary but can be useful.
- Have a Conversation: For applicants that meet the job qualifications, set aside time to conduct interviews. You can conduct a phone interview to help screen candidates and/or an onsite interview. Have a consistent interview protocol to follow.
- Plan Your Questions: Make sure you have a list of predetermined, carefully crafted, legally permissible questions to ask during an interview. This will make the interview flow easier and keep things on track from a legal and practical standpoint.
- Keep It Comfortable: Hold interviews in a location that is comfortable/accessible to any person with mobility impairments. Be ready to make necessary and reasonable accommodations to assist such a person during the entire interview process.
- Refer to the Job Description: Use a copy of the written and up-to-date job description to help you review the applications/resumes. You may also want to keep it handy when interviewing candidates, especially when discussing essential job functions.
Why Smart Hiring is Important
Read More: 8 Essential Tips for Smart Hiring
One or two negative personalities or ineffective workers can drag down an entire operation and send your top people fleeing for the exits. But many managers keep problem employees on the payroll for years, often because they simply do not like to fire people or they don’t want to put a person out of work. That’s human nature. But, putting off painful decisions and conversations tends to make matters worse. That’s why it’s essential to have an organized hiring process in place to ensure that you select the right candidates from the beginning.
