The key to finding top talent is to know precisely what you need and to be honest about what you can offer them.
The first step in finding your talent is to know what you need. Evaluate the gap you need to fill, build a job description, and identify where and how you’d like to source candidates. This may include job postings, career fairs, or partnering with local schools.
This seems simple. However, if you are like most companies you don’t have unlimited resources. Therefore, the evaluation of what you need should incorporate your future plans. Will the role change over time? Will the needs of the business change? If yes, your hunt is for someone capable of building into that future need, not merely filling for the present one.
Best Practices
- When backfilling a role, take the time to evaluate what your company truly needs. In some cases you may need an entirely new skill set!
- Review your job description prior to posting. The essential functions may have changed over time.
- Leverage behavioral based interview (BBI) questions to assess your candidates’ skills and alignment to company values.
Once you identify your top candidates, you’ll need an interview process capable of effectively and fairly screening for the knowledge, skills, and abilities you seek. If using multiple interviewers, it’s important to prepare in advance for who will ask which questions. Upon completion of the interview process, be prepared to debrief and evaluate candidates quickly.
Keep in mind this process is a two-way street. The candidates need to also determine if this is the right fit for them. It’s natural to want to avoid sharing the ‘downside’ with a candidate. However, if you are not honest with them about what the role, the team, and the work environment entails you will likely be seeking a replacement hire in a short period of time.
