There’s a lot that goes into determining whether a company is successful or not, but few more important than the employees. Bring the right people on board, and you’ll have a team that can work together to push your company to the next level; get it wrong, and you could end up spending a lot of money just trying to clean up your initial hiring mistakes. That’s why when it comes to hiring, you should be leaving nothing to chance. Get it right the first time, every time.
The act of bringing a new person into your company should be a methodical process. You should already have established a hiring process that works for your company. As all businesses – and company cultures – are different, how exactly you operate will be up to you, but at least try to have a system in place that you can apply to all the people who apply for a job.
How you find your talent will depend on the type of industry you’re in and where you’re located. Some companies have a tendency to think too small when it comes to their hiring process. Instead, think of the very best type of employee you could hope for, and then if they’re not available, work your way down. If you find the right employee, but they’re from overseas, then immigration lawyers may be able to help you get the right visa for them. Or if a potential employee is based elsewhere in the country, offering a generous relocation might be the final push they need to agree to take the job.
During the initial telephone call and then the face to face interview, you’ll be able to determine relatively quickly whether a candidate will be able to do the job you’re hiring for. But don’t forget that their credentials and ability to the job are, while important, not everything you should be looking for. You should also be ascertained whether they have a personality that would fit in with your company culture, and also learn of their commitment to their career. If they’re not committed or not the right fit, you might find that you’ve spent a lot of money hiring only for them to leave shortly after being hired.
You can trust your gut feeling to an extent, but it should always be backed up by following up on the candidate’s background. A quick check with previous employers could save you a lot of time if you learn that they’ve failed to disclose something important about their background. Also, for obvious reasons some people neglect to mention any criminal background they may have, so this is also worthwhile checking.
You should never put yourself in a position where you need to hire a person immediately. Think ahead, and you’ll be in a much stronger position to hire the right person. If the right person doesn’t pop in your first round of searching, bide your time and wait until the right person does present themselves.
Black and Latinx Founders featured in 'Founding in Color'