Hiring people is a science and an art with a tad of luck thrown in. Good hires must fit with the culture and that is sometimes a real problem.
To ensure the right person has been hired, some businesses may first start with a culture assessment of the entire organization. These assessments can be a series of simple questions asked of all employees or more complex through an online assessment process. In either instance, anonymity must be guaranteed.
Another tactic to help verify the right person has been hired is to interview existing employees as well as have an exit interview process for any employee who leaves the small business. These interviews help to validate the right person has been hired for the right seat.
As stated in previous columns, the use of proven psychometric assessments is becoming more common place within the small business B2B marketplace. Proven means these assessments are statistically valid and reliable. Additionally, all assessments used by any employer here in the U.S. must meet U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines and policies.
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Probably one of the best strategies to hire the right people is to establish a hiring process. This process would start after the recruiting has been completed. The process would include:
*Who reviews the resumes after recruiting process is completed
*Number of interviews with prospective candidates
*Location of interviews such as in person on site, in person remotely, telephone, etc.
*Who would be in those interviews
*Types of interviews such as group or individual
*When psychometric assessments are issued
*Who makes the final recommendation again an individual or the group
*Who approves final decision including salary and benefits
*Who makes the offer to the finalist for the specific job
*Who is the contact person for the onboarding process
As time progresses, the hiring process would be continually refined and updated as positions change due to market or industry changes.
Hiring the right people is essential especially because bad hires are costly, very costly. The Harvard Business Review in one study suggested 80 percent of employee turnover is due to bad hiring decisions. Small businesses must hire right the first time before any damage can be done to their culture, their external customers and their bottom line.
Leanne Hoagland-Smith is an author, speaker and executive coach. Her weekly column explores issues that impact the bottom line of firms with fewer than 100 employees. She can be reached at 219-508-2859.