Essential Checklists for Hiring Managers

Ready to fill that position you’ve been needing to fill oh so badly? Hiring can be overwhelming, and today the stakes are high. To alleviate some of this pressure, we’ve created a quick checklist for employers to follow in order to make the hiring process a much more smooth, less stressful operation, and to get you that candidate you’ve been dreaming about.

Before you start your search:

1.  Think about what it really takes for success. What skills, personal attributes and success factors are common in people who excel in this position? A great resource can be a current employee already familiar with the position you are looking to fill. You may even want to bring that employee into the interview to get their take on the candidate to see if they are a right fit for the role.

2. Write down your key needs to help you rank prospective candidates. A way to do this is by listing off three to five position “must haves,” “nice to haves,” and “deal-breakers.” This will help you know what is critical versus what is optional for the job.

3. Determine the appropriate compensation for the position and compare it with the company budget. If there is a financial discrepancy, your search criteria may need to change. For example, you might need to hire someone who has less experience, but potential to grow in the position.

Before the interview:

1. Do your research. Study the candidate’s resume, and list what they have put down that you would like to talk about in person with them. You can also find out useful information by simply looking the candidate up on LinkedIn. That way you can get a feel for how they present themselves and interact professionally online.

2. Get the facts. If this role is a pivotal hire within the company, you may want to administer a personality test. Personality tests are not a 100 percent tell-all, but they can be a good indicator of how the candidate thinks and operates professionally. It might also reveal how the candidate would interact with fellow co-workers in their environment.

3. Prepare a list of questions. Drawing up a list of effective interview questions to ask your candidate will quickly reveal if you’ve attracted a potential match or not. The right candidate will welcome these questions, and it will also give you a sense of their communication and critical thinking skills.

Gathering and drawing out the right information is an essential step toward getting the candidate your organization really needs. In-depth analysis can take a little time, but it will make for a much more effective hiring process in the end, and less disappointment down the line.