Navigating the Hiring Process

Hiring the right people is critical to business success. According to research conducted by Career Builder, an online employment service, the average cost of hiring the wrong employee is $17,000 (poor quality of work, attendance problems, negative attitude, inability to get along with other employees, impact on workplace morale; additional cost of hiring and training replacement)!

If you’ve ever hired a “warm body” to fill a position (whether it’s a friend, family member or someone who walks in off the street) you know how much of your time and energy it can take to either get that employee on track or move them out the door.

In his bestseller Good to Great Jim Collins says, “If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great.” An HR professional has the expertise to help you hire the right people in the right seats for your business.

The first step in the hiring process is creating a job description. What do you need someone to do? What skills and experience are necessary? The job description also helps you hold the person accountable for job performance; if job duties are not clearly communicated in writing, employees can very quickly get off track and it is harder for you to manage job performance.

Step two is recruiting qualified applicants. Where do you look for people who have the skills and experience that you need? How do you know if they are telling the truth in their resume? Recent articles from CNBC.com and WorkItDaily.com report that 75-85% of resumes contain misrepresentations or outright lies about work history and educational background.

Step three is interviewing applicants to determine if they will be a good fit for your organization. What questions can you legally ask to help you figure out which person you should hire? Just as importantly, what questions should you NOT ask because they are illegal?

Step four, is conducting a background check to verify the information that the applicant provided. Do you have the time to contact previous employers and hope that they will tell you more than dates of employment and whether or not the applicant is eligible for rehire (what does that mean anyway?) or do you want to hire someone else to do it for you? What are the legal requirements for conducting a background check using a third-party provider?

Navigating the hiring process can take time away from all the other responsibilities that go along with running a successful and profitable business. An HR professional can help you with all of your human resources needs, from hiring the right employees, running background checks, creating employee handbooks that include anti-harassment policies and procedures, managing employee performance, staying legally compliant, automating employee records, and anything else you need to create an environment where employees can provide the services that you need to run your business.