5 Simple Steps to Hire the Best People for Your Company

One of the very most-important things that you can do to grow a great business is learn how to hire and retain the best people for your company. And while most people hire for skills, what actually works best in certain positions and industries is to hire for fit. It’s far harder to teach your new hire cultural fit than it is to teach skills—when you hire the right person, he or she is going to be hungry to learn everything they can about their role and go further within your business.

The cost of hiring the wrong person can be high indeed. A survey conducted by CareerBuilder revealed that 27% of U.S. employers reported that a single bad hire cost their companies more than $50,000. When you consider the costs of training, lost productivity, and recruiting and training a replacement, the costs can climb even higher.

The good news is that by following these simple steps, you can improve your chances of hiring—and retaining—the best employees:

1. Have a clear foundation. Before you run off to recruit a new member for your team, make sure you know and are able to explain to others why your company exists (your Why), who you are (your values, mission, and brand foundation), and where your company is going in the future (your vision).
2. Write a detailed job description. Your goal is to get a handful of qualified candidates for your position, not hundreds or thousands of unqualified ones. If you write a job description that aligns with your company, then this will help ensure the right people apply, and not the wrong people. After all, you don’t want someone who’s never worked in creative agency applying to be your new lead art director!
3. Filter, filter, filter. Take time to review each resume and cover letter, and set aside the best candidates for further action. Before you bring anyone in for an interview, ask these candidates more questions about who they are, why they want to work for your company, and what their motivations are. Take lots of notes, and then narrow down your candidates to the handful that are the best fits.
4. Interview. Once you’ve narrowed down your candidates to the very best of the best, then bring each one in for an interview. Dig into their resume and past jobs and ask candid questions about their experience. Are they really who they say they are? Do they share the same values you do?
5. Make your pick. Review your interview notes and make your selection, taking into account the candidate who closest fits your values and brings the best set of qualifications and potential for growth to the table. It’s okay to trust your gut here as you’ve already done the heavy lifting.

Remember: the better you know your company, and the more specific you can be in communicating the kind of person you’re looking for, the quicker and easier—and better—the hiring process is going to be. You’ll hire the right people and retain them for longer for less money.

Want more tips on how to hire A-Players to your team? Use our comprehensive hiring checklist as a guide. 

This article was originally published on the Advantages blog.