Hiring is a Challenge – Some Additional Thoughts

Despite the challenges you may be having in hiring people, don’t abandon your standards – keep the bar high.

As an example, if you require a cover letter from applicants, it probably makes sense to pass on anyone not following your instructions.

When you first quickly narrow those you “think” may qualify, do a preliminary screening based on the resume and cover letter submitted. Carefully look for the skill sets you need, and if you don’t see proof of past performance, it may make sense to pass on that person, at least initially.

With the remaining resumes that have made it to this point, you may want to create an internal screening form with specific parameters around key priorities. Set standards that can be scored and if you have a scale from 0-100, you may want to now pass on anyone not scoring 70 or higher. Those that make it should move on to the next phase, which E-MYTH calls the evaluation phase.

To create your own evaluation form, ask yourself:

• What specifically am I looking for?
• What are 5-7 standards that we can rank for, such as years of experience, an educational degree or culture fit?
• Did the candidate’s application show they’ve familiarized themselves with our company?

You may be thinking, this is great advice if I am getting lots of responses, but with today’s job market, that’s not the case. I understand that’s an issue, so be sure to post your recruitment ads in a place where the people you want to see your post will see it—and that’s not necessarily a free site.

For a digital or technology position, you may want to post on Dice. If your goal is to diversify your team, you need to make active shifts in your hiring process, one of which could be posting on sites like Diversity.com or PDN Recruits. Consider who you’re hiring and where they’re looking for jobs. Engage your marketing thought process to make sure your message is reaching the right people.

I have been successfully helping many of my clients with their recruitment issues and am open to share best practices and help you as part of a free session. Please reach out about this or any other aspect of your business.

Stephen

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels