7 Steps To Hiring The Perfect Employee Employee recruitment and retention is one of the primary challenges facing employers today. One common mistake small businesses make when recruiting new staff is not to follow a defined process. In doing so they are, in effect, ensuring their recruitment efforts are going to be haphazard at best. Hiring the wrong employee is expensive, disruptive to your existing employees, and time consuming. Hiring the right employee, on the other hand, pays you back in increased productivity, a successful employment relationship, and a positive impact on your total work environment. Effective recruitment results in an organization hiring employees who are skilled, experienced, and good fits with your corporate culture. This guide for hiring employees will help you systematize your process for hiring employees, whether it's your first employee or one of many employees you are hiring. By having a defined process, it is easier to track the progress of recruitment throughout its various stages. Preparation Define the need for a new employee (either a new position created or replacement of vacating staff). Decide on lead times for filling the position/s. Have a discussion with the section manager, key employees and (if you have this position) your HR representative. Develop and prioritize the key requirements needed for the position and the special qualifications, traits, characteristics, and experience you seek in a candidate. These will assist you in writing the classified ad, framing interview questions, and screening resultant resumes for potential candidate interviews. If it is a new position, research the market for a salary range that is appropriate. Add any benefits, bonuses, commissions, etc that may be applicable. These can be used as "sweeteners." Develop The Job Description Based on the defined business skills gap and functions you want performed, document the Job Description. This is an important document used both internally and when communicating with external recruitment agencies. What are the functions the new hire is going to perform? What skills will they require? What will be their responsibilities and to whom will they report? Define the hours they will work and the important tasks and outcomes expected of them. Agree upon the selection criteria to be satisfied. This will be critical when assessing applications and candidates. Choose The Interviewers Determine the interview panel or individuals who will be creating the candidate interview questions and test activities. There may be one or many people involved in the interview process. Clear communication of responsibilities for the coordination of the interview process for the business and the

candidates is critical. The interviewer you select will have a large impact on the quality and appropriateness of the candidates chosen for the position. Decide: Internal Or External Hire? Brainstorm potential ways to locate a well-qualified pool of candidates for each position. Work out whether this position is going to be filled by a qualified internal candidate. If so, distribute an email to notify staff that you are hiring employees. Otherwise, you can:

• Use word-of-mouth to spread the information about the position availability within your business and to each employee's network of friends and associates.

• Network and post jobs on online social media sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn. • Ask your employees to publicize the position through their online social media networks. • Place a classified advertisement in larger circulation newspapers. • Post the position on jobs- and newspaper-related Web sites - include the company Web site. • Post the position on professional association Web sites. • Contact several university career centers. • Get in touch with recruitment agencies.

Screen Candidates

• Screen resumes and/or applications against the prioritized qualifications and criteria established.

• Arrange a telephone interview as a first step for the candidates whose credentials look like a good fit with the position.

• Schedule qualified candidates for a first interview. • Tell the candidates the timeline you anticipate the interview process will take. • Ask the candidate to fill out your job application form. • Give the candidate a copy of the job description to review (if he or she hasn't already seen it).

Hold interviews Make sure each interviewer is clear about his or her role in the interview process. (Culture fit, technical qualifications, customer responsiveness and knowledge are several of the screening responsibilities you may allocate to individual interviewers.) Interviewers should follow a structured approach and fill out the Job Candidate Evaluation Form post interview. Conduct interviews during which the candidate is assessed and has the opportunity to learn about your organization and your needs.

• Fill out the Job Candidate Evaluation Form for each candidate interviewed. • The interview panel meets to determine which (if any) candidates to invite back for a second

interview. They compare their notes and the criteria checklist. • Determine the appropriate people to participate in the second round of interviews. This may

include potential co-workers or even customers. Only include people who will impact the hiring decision.

• Schedule the next round of interviews. • Candidates participate in any testing you may require for the position.

• Interviewers fill out the candidate rating form. Select The New Employee Reference and qualifications checks are conducted. It may be necessary to perform police checks (do they have a criminal record?). Through the entire interviewing process, stay in touch with the most qualified candidates via phone and email. Assess feedback notes from interviewers as well as criteria scores in selecting the most suitable candidate.

• If there aren't any suitable candidates, start the process again. • Agree upon a package to offer the candidate • Prepare a written position offer letter that offers the position, states the salary, reporting

relationship, and any other benefits the candidate has negotiated or upon which the company has agreed.

• Once the candidate signs the offer documentation to accept the job, schedule the start date. Brian Bijdeveldt - About the Author: Bijdeveldt is a Melbourne-based business coach and consultant specializing in marketing (both online and offline) for the small business entrepreneur. Using proven and practical strategies and techniques, Bijdeveldt empowers business owners to increase their sales, profits and cash. Visit Bijdeveldt's Melbourne Business Coaching site or his Business Blog for free business tools and downloads. Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/7-steps-to-hiring-the-perfect-employee-2000459.html#ixzz0sTrfjUVQ