Hiring the right employee

The recession has left many qualified people seeking employment and employers who are still hiring can afford to be more selective in the hiring process.

It is important to choose the right person for vacant positions to avoid repeating the process a few months later.{{more}} Employers dread hiring because they need to spend money to advertise the position and valuable production time is lost seeking and training candidates. There are not many managers that enjoy the expensive process of hiring new employees, especially since everyone’s eyes are on the bottom line. So how can a hiring manager succeed in filling positions?

Seek referrals: One of the best ways to find great employees is through referrals from current employees, colleagues and friends. Hiring managers feel comfortable with referrals because they are hiring someone with a known track record of performance. When considering referrals, bear in mind that the potential candidate still must meet the qualifications for the job regardless of who refers them. A referral is not a guarantee of a job; it only opens the door to be considered for the position.

Look online: There are candidates who list their resumes with online resume banks who would not mind traveling to the Caribbean and there are regional resume banks with Caribbean candidates. The borders that exist prior to the Internet are no longer a factor and job candidates will travel for the right job.

Examine resumes carefully: A resume is basically the potential employee on paper. If you are interviewing for a job that requires the candidate to be especially good with details, then pay very close attention to the resume. Is it written in proper English? Are there obvious grammatical errors? Is it clean? Although this may sound trivial, if your job requires a detail-oriented person, the resume is a good place to judge the candidates abilities. Look carefully at the responsibilities and positions the person held in previous jobs and how they directly relate to your needs.

Conduct in-depth interviews: When conducting interviews, be mindful of the candidate’s appearance, body language, arrival time and their ability to hold a sensible conversation. If the available position is in customer service, all the above are crucial as this person will represent the company to the public and first impressions last forever. Consider administering a personality test and ask situational questions to better understand the candidate and how they would respond if they were on the job.

Check References: Take the extra step and call the references that were provided. Ask questions specific to the position you are trying to fill and do not settle for empty answers like “John was a great worker when he was here.”

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on 7
Ways to Develop your Competitive Edge in the Workplace, send an email to
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