Adams & Garth Blog

As one of Central Virginia’s leading staffing agencies, we’ve heard plenty of hiring horror stories from employers over the years. It usually starts with a candidate that looks great on paper and ends with the employer being sorely disappointed. Worst-case scenarios can even wind up in the courtroom.

Some commonalities among these problem new hires include:

• Lack of a strong work ethic
• Wasting time on social networking sites
• Inadequate writing skills
• Inadequate math skills
• Inadequate communication skills
• Inability to handle constructive feedback
• Lack of critical thinking skills or creativity

To avoid these mistakes, and the ensuing horror stories, an effective hiring process is a must. Here are some ideas that can help you implement one:

Take a pro-active approach to recruiting.

Don’t just write and place an ad on a job board and then sit back and wait for the top candidates to apply. Be pro-active in your recruitment process. Reach out to your business network and let them know you’re looking. Advertise in trade journals and industry publications. And through sites liked LinkedIn, make a concerted effort to uncover hidden, passive candidates who may not necessarily be looking for a new job opportunity.

Ask the right questions.

Asking a candidate general questions about their strengths and weaknesses is perfectly acceptable. But also be sure to ask them for specific examples of their skills and personality. For instance:

“Give me an example of a goal you reached and how you achieved it”

Or:

“Tell me of an instance where you had to deal with a difficult customer and how you handled it.”

Test candidates.

During the hiring process, use aptitude testing and personality assessments in order to screen out those individuals who are not a good fit for the position and your company’s culture.

Develop job simulations.

Job simulations are certainly not necessary for every hiring decision you’ll make; but they’re a good option for testing out candidates for mission-critical positions because they can help you more accurately gauge specific job-related abilities and skills. While simulations can be costly to develop, making a hiring mistake could be far costlier in the long run.

Understand your audience.

When it comes effectively training a new hire, you need to understand your audience. For instance, younger employees aren’t going to respond to the same training methods as older workers. Therefore, be sure to employ a variety of training methods that include webinars and podcasts.

If you’re ready to hire – and would like some expert help – contact Adams & Garth. As one of Central Virginia’s leading staffing agencies, we manage all the details of the hiring process, so you can stay focused on running your business.

Our Direct Hire services include:

• Evaluating your job requirements and culture
• Developing a position description that best promotes your organization
• Sourcing the most qualified candidates through advertising, online job postings, and direct recruitment
• Screening, interviewing, and skills testing potential candidates
• Conducting reference, background, and DMV checks as well as drug testing
• Coordinating the interview process
• Acting as your liaison in negotiating the offer

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Hiring the wrong person can be an expensive waste of time. Yet, many companies seem to make the same mistakes over and over again when it comes time to recruit. So what can you do to hire proven winners? Here are some tips:

Create a profile.
Develop a profile that includes a list of the needs and expectations you have for the professional you are trying to hire. Next, create a list of personality traits and skills necessary to fulfill your expectations. For example, if you’re trying to hire an office manager, you’ll need someone who is highly organized and good with people.

Begin recruiting.
Don’t count only on the traditional avenues for recruiting, like placing a classified ad in the local paper. Be creative and think about other ways to target qualified talent, such as:

• Advertising in trade journals
• Working with a staffing firm
• Recruiting online via websites like LinkedIn
• Asking your current employees and colleagues for referrals

Evaluate resumes.
When you’re reviewing resumes, look for accomplishments and skills that are similar to your candidate profile. If you’re not sure about a particular candidate, give them the benefit of the doubt and put them in your pile for phone screens. The worst that can happen is you waste 15 minutes of your time

Perform phone screens.
A phone screen is basically like a short interview to see if you want a candidate to come in for a meeting face to face. During the phone screen, get as much information as possible to determine whether the individual is a good candidate for a second interview.

Invite candidates in for interviews.
How effective your interview is depends on the quality of your questions. Be sure to be specific in the questions you ask. For example, don’t just ask the candidate how they operate under pressure. Ask them to cite specific examples of times they successfully dealt with a difficult or stressful work situation.

Check references.
This is probably the one step that is most important, and yet, many employers seem to skip it. Don’t make that same mistake. Ask for at least three references and don’t make any offers until those references have been verified.

In order to hire the right person, you must spend the time and energy upfront to source, screen, evaluate, and verify. If you don’t have that kind of time, then consider working with an employment firm.

At Adams & Garth, it’s our job to recruit and evaluate high quality talent. We know how to find the people you need, without all the hassles that usually come with hiring. Contact us today to learn more.