Hiring your first employee is a sign your company is headed in the right direction. But if you’ve never interviewed candidates before, where do you begin?
As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, Future Force knows the last thing your business needs is a bad hire, which can result in all sorts of problems. To help you, here are some basics to follow when you’re hiring your first employee:
Tip #1: Ask the Right Questions
The stakes are high when it comes to the questions you ask. The right ones can uncover great candidates; the wrong ones can mask a potential bad hire. So what kinds of questions should you ask?
First and foremost, it’s important to define your needs, goals, and expectations for the role you’re trying to fill. Once you do that, you’ll have a clearer sense of what you should be asking.
Also, be sure to ask open ended questions. You don’t want candidates giving you yes and no answers. It’s important to ask follow-up questions, as well, so you can further dig beneath the surface with each candidate. For instance, “tell me more,” “why do you think that is?,” and “how did you go about accomplishing that?”
And finally, realize that some questions are off limits. You can’t ask a candidate about marital status or whether they have kids – even if you’re just trying to make conversation. Other illegal interview questions include those pertaining to age, race, sexual orientation and religious affiliation.
Tip #2: Use Appropriate Assessment Tools
Depending on the position you’re hiring for, use assessment tools to help you screen out candidates that aren’t the right fit. There are many available, from personality and psychological testing to skills and capabilities testing. Such testing allows you to verify and confirm (or not!) what you learned during the interviewing process, giving you peace of mind when it comes to making a hiring decision.
Tip #3: Check References
Ask your top pick candidates for at least three references to check. One can be a colleague, but the other two should be past managers. When you call them, ask questions to not only confirm the basics like job title and employment dates, but also inquire directly about the candidate’s job responsibilities, performance, work ethic, and whether they would hire or want to work with this person again.
A final note: Don’t always trust your gut. Some business owners meet a candidate once, conduct a quick interview, and then make an offer – only to wind up with a major hiring headache. Instead, make sure you take it slow and thoroughly vet each candidate. It will take more time, but the end result will be well worth it.
If you’d like more help with the hiring process, call Future Force. As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, we can help by providing you with fact access to quality employees. Contact us today to learn more.