With a qualified, experienced, and available training pool, it would seem as if one can get the right candidate for a job quite simply.
However, hiring the right candidate is not as easy as it may seem. A candidate can shine during the interview, only turn out to be the wrong fit for the job. How can you ensure you hire the right candidate for the job?
We are going to share with you some tips on how to pick the right fit candidate for your company.
Prepare a list of what to look out for
Identify the essential elements required for the position you are hiring for.
List down those elements and use them as a point of reference. For example, if you are hiring an IT person, besides their qualifications, this person needs to have the necessary mental and psychological strength and resilience to deal with the pressures that come with the job. Listing these elements in advance helps you focus on what matters as you observe candidates and try to find out who is the best for the job.
Focus less on the resume and more on the person
A person may be great on paper but be the wrong cultural fit for your company.
By focusing on the person, their values, principles, and attitude, you can find out more about the person and evaluate if they are the right fit for your business. Considering the best cultural fit for your organization will help you hire individuals who will not disrupt the positive atmosphere in the office. You want to hire a person that will fit in and you do this by looking at who they are as individuals, not their qualifications.
Get away from the desk
You may not get enough information from a person by simply sitting across them and examining them.
Instead, put them in a work scenario and observe them at work. This will show you if the candidate is genuinely interested in the work, or how they treat others at the workplace. You may get the person to come in for a few days if need be and observe how they are at the workplace. It would be easy for someone to fake their character during an interview but not for a couple of days. Getting away from your interview desk helps view someone from a practical perspective.
Prescreen the candidates
A simple phone interview can help you weed out some unsuitable candidates before getting them for a sit-down.
Consider prescreening the candidates on the phone, email, video call, and even some tests before narrowing down the candidates to call for an interview. This kind of prescreening will help you weed out the less suitable candidates and dedicate your time and resources to candidates that are a better fit.
Throw in some questions not related to work
Candidates may be prepared with all the right interview questions and can easily fake through a whole interview.
However, if you are really trying to understand a person, their principles, and their view of the world, throw in some unrelated questions and see how they react to them.
For example:
What kind of animal would you be and why? – Such a question will help you see how they perceive themselves, and what they can do with power when it is granted to them.
What qualities of your parents do you like the most? – Such a question can help you understand what principles are most important to the candidate and depending on what you are looking for, it can help you with selection.
What is the biggest misconception people have about you? – A self-aware person is not only aware of their strengths and limitations but the perspective of others as well. This question will help you understand how self-aware the candidate is and also how honest they are.
Understand what motivates them
Different individuals are motivated by different things.
Understanding what motivates your candidates can help you evaluate if they are the right fit for the position. For example, a person motivated by power and position may not be the right person for a company that works to serve.
On the other hand, other organizations may be after seeking power and position and someone motivated by the service of others may not be the right fit. Ensure that what motivates them is the right fit for your organization before hiring the candidate.
Let the candidate spend some time with the team
You may not be working directly with the candidate when hired, and therefore your team is sometimes best suited to select the candidate for you.
Letting the candidate spend some time with the team can help you observe how they interact with others. You can easily pick out red flags from the candidate especially when it involves their people skills.
Conclusively, hiring the right candidate goes far beyond having the right education or experience. The right candidate should fit into your company culture, meet the work requirements, and contribute to propelling the organization in the right direction. Hiring the right candidate, therefore, involves getting the best possible person for this position.
The Destiny Team