Hiring a new employee represents a period of time in which your organization will be able to help define the future of the company. With the added human capital, what will your organization be able to achieve? Are you looking for a short-term solution, or a long-term employee investment?
1. What will the employee’s key responsibilities be?
Before even advertising the vacancy (both internally and externally), you need to define the key responsibilities of the role. Even if it’s an existing position, a fresh face is a perfect opportunity to adjust and refocus the role in a way that will empower your organization.
Having a clear understanding of their Areas of Responsibility (AoR) allows new employees to prioritize their learning and job objectives from day one. Transparently providing metrics associated with these AoR provides both employees and managers a structure to monitor employee performance.
2. How will your organization support the employee in their new role?
Keeping the new hire’s defined responsibilities in mind, your company needs to come together to insure the necessary resources for their role are available. Large companies have entire teams dedicated to employee orientation and on-boarding. Smaller organizations need to be able to provide resources and a vision of the existing company culture for new employees.
These resources should include:
• Comprehensive manuals and guides for easy reference.
• A defined mentor and supervisor to provide assistance.
• A company directory (a backup for your Outlook distribution lists).
• A tax, direct-deposit and benefits form that outlines the various options available to them.
• A comprehensive technology orientation that includes software and information security standards.
• Weekly meetings for the first six weeks with a senior manager that can provide guidance and a sounding board for employee concerns.
3. Internal vs. External Hire
Whenever a position opens up, it might be tempting to look outside of the organization first. Be careful though, as handling an external hire improperly can damage internal employee morale. According to Daniel Sonsino, Vice President of Talent Management at Polycom, “Hiring internally also increases engagement. And folks tend to refer others more frequently when their own career has grown within the organization.”
An external hire only makes sense when the pool of internal applicants are woefully inadequate for the role, or poaching talent from a competing company offers a strategic advantage. If you do choose to hire externally, make sure you advertise the position and hold interviews with internal candidates.
4. Long-term investment to retain quality employees?
Is your company focused on holding onto talented employees and empowering them to build a career with your organization? If so, you’ll want to study your market and find out you’re your job candidates value most. Then, assess how your compensation program stacks up against the competition.
A strong compensation package that’s built for career-minded job candidates will include:
• Strong retirement plans (i.e. company-matching 401(k))
• The opportunity to buy company stock at an employee price.
• Strong medical benefits, vacation days and sick days.
• An attractive work-life balance.
• Fringe benefits, like flextime or telecommuting for a portion of the employee’s productive time.
5. Killer Interview Questions
Many companies expect employees to treat their business as if it were their own. Fair Rate Funding, a business that provides legal funding to assist clients in legal disputes, advertises: “When we offer our help we are accepting responsibility and understanding your situation.” This sums up the gold standard of what we should expect from candidates seeking to become part of a winning team.
To better identify these golden candidates, here are a few of the top interview questions, courtesy of Monster.com:
• Tell me a little about a time in your most recent job where you went above and beyond the call of duty to solve a problem or complete a project?
• If I asked you to do something you disagreed with, and I was your supervisor, what would you do?
• What kinds of goals would you set for yourself if you got this job?
• What kind of work structure are you most comfortable with – structured or entrepreneurial?
• Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.
As an interviewer, you’re looking for candidates that have a clear idea of their personal goals and how to achieve them within your organization. The candidate should exhibit critical thinking skills and an effective communication style.