Part of good leadership requires skill in the hiring process. Good leaders know that retention of productive employees affects the bottom line as well as morale and growth.

Recruiting, training and then terminating someone is never desirable. There are many good candidates you could hire. However, even though they may have certain desirable skills, they may not be right for the job at hand. The key is not just to hire the right person, but to hire the right person for the right job.

Taking the time to make the correct hire in the first place is worth all of the effort it takes. The right person in the right job will be productive for years to come. The right person in the wrong job will cause problems, waste time, and expense and send you back to square one again.

Retention is directly related to the hiring process. Therefore, in order to minimize turnover and maximize retention and productivity it is vital to focus on these six steps:

1. Screening Interview

Quickly weed out those who immediately demonstrate they will not fit. Proceed with those who show a history of previous success and who will commit to becoming an employee candidate.

2. Psychological Profile

If your organization does not have a specific test for the type of job you need to fill, there are many different companies that provide tests for various types of jobs. Use the Internet to locate them. Try the search category “job psychological tests” as a starter. Research what’s available and then go with the test that you determine fits your situation best.

3. Reference Checking

This is exactly what it says. There are ethical and legal ways to find out about a candidate’s history. The most common ways are by talking to their previous employer, suppliers and past associates, to name just a few. Information is where you get it. Always be discreet about where and what you learned.

4. Comprehensive Interview

This interview should take from six to eight hours over a one to two week period. It should include, on average, two other interviewers of your choosing in order to form a consensus. Keep in mind that this is really a minimal time investment in the multi-year relationship you hope to build. Some interviewees may try to hide some of their true feelings initially, but most people will become “themselves” over a longer interview period.

This process gives you a truer window on the type of candidate that you really have. Another objective is to try to get to know the candidate as well as anyone in your organization. Many people applying for a job may not be prepared to make the effort required for an intense process such as this. The fact that they will stick it out tells you a lot about them.

This may seem time consuming, especially when added to your already extensive schedule. Always remember that you may be spending as much time with this candidate as you do with your family. Spending the required time now to get to know the person well enough to predict their success can pay huge dividends down the road for all parties.

5. Family Discussion

If they are married, get a little more insight into the candidate by also interviewing their spouse. This is also an opportunity to sell your company to the spouse to gain support. Then you can turn them into a proponent for the company and the job.

Everyone has those down days when they need a calming, supportive, encouraging influence at home.

6. Expectation Interview

After you determine that this is the candidate you want, it’s time to reverse the interview process and begin selling them on yourself and your organization. This is also when the first serious discussion of money occurs. In many cases, the candidate will already be employed and therefore is subject to a counter offer. It’s essential that you get a commitment and that you prepare the candidate for this eventuality. If you’ve done a good job thus far and are competitive and fair, this should not present a problem.

Summary

• Take the time to hire the best even if it takes six to eight hours over a two week time frame

• Go through a six step structured hiring process including:

o Screening Interview
o Psychological Profile
o Reference Checking
o Comprehensive Interview
o Family Discussion
o Expectation Interview

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