In electrical construction there are a lot of good reasons why people shouldn’t work in a hasty panic. Doing a job right means not taking any short cuts, not ignoring any steps and considering safety above all else, not a deadline. In many ways, hiring practices should act the same. Of course, with hiring, there’s a delicate balance between trying to find a body to fill a vacancy, and hiring the right person to do the right job at the right level of quality every time. There can be a struggle to satisfy these two criteria, but acting quickly and decisively on a potential hire doesn’t have to mean acting rashly. There are few things you can do to hire with urgency that get you the right people and not just another name to put on a form.
Plan Your Hire
Knowing exactly what you need in the person filling a role goes a long way towards separating the chaff from the wheat. The more detailed you are in your requirements, with everything from skills to what kind of a “company culture” you want the hire’s temperament to fill, you can quickly narrow down a list to people that do what you need, the way you want it done.
Get Those Interviews Done
In many ways, the job interview is the most crucial stage for both you and a potential hire, since it can crystalize many things that may have just been theory on paper. Don’t put off the interview. In fact, do it as quickly as you can, because the sooner you do your interviews, the sooner you can make a decision.
Remember What You Need, Not What You See
During the interview, it’s important to keep in mind that the person you are interviewing should be compared to what you need, not what you discover from other interviewees. For example, imagine you find someone that doesn’t do the job as well, but has a likable, easy going personality you hadn’t considered before that would be good with other staff members. Then you interview someone who is amazingly qualified, but isn’t as funny.
Some people, at this point, may think to themselves, “If only I could find someone as funny as the first person, but as technically qualified as the other person.” And then they would continue the interview process using these new criteria.
Don’t do this to yourself, or the people you are interviewing. It just complicates and significantly lengthens your process. Through comprehensive planning, and sticking to your goals, you’ll find that finding the right people doesn’t have to take forever.
