Have you considered a trial start?

Have you interviewed or met someone this year you’ve been on the fence about bringing into your team and letting them pass you by? You’re instinct may have been right but what if it was wrong or you needed more time to evaluate them?

Think back to people you have met previously. Is there someone you were unsure about that you didn’t take on? Maybe you could have worked with them for a few days or a couple of weeks to try each other out. Is there a way you could have made that happen without further commitment from both parties? Perhaps it’s someone you can revisit right now?

It certainly can be worthwhile if they are available immediately; it is more challenging but not impossible if they are already in another role or engagement. So be creative to do some form of trial start which could be an extended on-the-job interview with a couple of days spent together. If they are happy to take some time off, this also shows the strength of commitment to this potential role.

Having a chance to try each other out has often worked in the favour of both parties to see if they can work together, fit in with the company's ways of working and add value. You can also see if they can do the role and how they operate and ask the right questions inside the organisation.

Recently we have had several clients come to us when looking for solutions where they needed contractors but weren’t sure of the exact need or fit. We had consultants available who could come in for a week or two for an extended trial. This is usually enough time to better assess the ability to perform the tasks, rather than just talk about how they would do it.

If you have a program or project coming up that needs support or a gap you need to fill in the short or longer term, get in touch with me and we would be happy to set up a call to see how we can help.