Building Your Perfect Team

Hiring sounds simple, right? Wrong, there can be significant costs in hiring the wrong people! Bringing on new people is one of the most challenging but the most significant thing you can do for your business. Employees are the heartbeat of your company, the values, skills and experiences they bring are the apex to keeping your business relevant and your clients happy.

Here are some tips to finding and hiring the perfect candidate every time:

1. The importance of Job Descriptions

Creating detailed job descriptions and defining position expectations is crucial for hiring the right person for the job. The job description lays the foundation to ensure each of your team members knows what’s required for each position. When creating the job description, have in mind the role you’re wishing to fill, the growth of the position over time and the ideal candidate you want to hire. Keep in mind the job description should include benefits that your business can comfortably and confidently support. Take the time to clearly define each job description. A lack of clarity within team roles increases the time and energy wasted dealing with tasks that are of lower priority or don’t even fall under the position.

2. Embrace Social Media & Digital Job Boards

There are multiple platforms that allow you to publicize your company’s open positions. LinkedIn is a great tool when it comes to using social media to advertise jobs. Update your LinkedIn business page to let people know you’re hiring. Search LinkedIn for potential candidates with the right skills and in your location. Use other social media platforms to gain additional insight into candidates you’re considering. Add a career section to your website, even when you’re not hiring, so you’re always collecting resumes to reference for future needs. There is never a bad time to bring on an exceptional hire. Consider the different platforms as well as the ideal candidate, then utilize the platform that would best reach your target candidates.

3. Who to look for

When determining the right person, start by looking for someone who’s goal oriented, dedicated to further developing their skills and committed to advancing their career. These candidates will follow influencers, participate in networking groups and remain relevant with industry improvements. Analyse potential candidates’ skills and experiences and check their compatibility with your current team. Focus on the candidates who leave a strong first impression rather than candidates who just impress you.

4. Going beyond the standard interview

Interview more than one person and interview strong potential candidates more than once. It’s common to start the interview process with a phone interview to gain more insights into the potential hires and narrow your candidate selection. Second and even third round interviews are when you want to separate your business from the rest of the marketplace. Invite candidates into the office, prepare your questions, involve necessary team members and give them a tour of your office. Ask open-ended questions around the attributes you require, giving the candidates time to highlight themselves and their goals. Balance the interview between a formal and an informal process to gain a better understanding of their true personality.

5. Act Quickly and Efficiently

On average, strong candidates are on the market for less than two weeks. It’s imperative you follow up with job applications upon submission, research candidates efficiently and communicate promptly. If the hiring process takes longer than expected, be sure to follow up with your ideal candidates to let them know of the delay and assure them they’re still being considered.

If you have an urgent need it is tempting to recruit that talented person who doesn’t quite fit. Don’t do it! If someone doesn’t feel right keep looking until you find the perfect fit. A short-term solution at the expense of long-term objectives can do more harm than good. Commit to this process and your business will reap the benefits of having a high-performing team adding much value to your business.

You will know if you’ve managed to build a great team as their success will be evident, and you’ll enjoy working with them, and they with you.