Hiring the right person isn’t a perfect science, however, there are many factors to consider when looking to fill a position.

Here are a few tips to consider ensuring you get the right person in your next opening.

• Make the job description clear and detailed. The more upfront you are with a candidate about their responsibilities the more you will be able to identify areas of concern with an unqualified candidate.
• Match person to position AND match person to culture.
• Schedule a series of interviews with different individuals and perspectives.
• Check references. Investigate for accuracy in past experience.
• Ask tough questions. But don’t interrogate.
• Do a team interview. Have your team help with the hiring process.
• Assess personality needs of your team/company. Assess candidate’s personality traits.
• Know a person’s long-term goals.
• Inquire about their passions.
• Find out their expectations.
• Share your expectations.
• Ask what hiccups might occur in this position.
• Study their body language. People will say what they want you to hear, their body will speak volumes.

Hiring the right person, while it may take more time on the front end, will save your company money in employee turnover, increase morale and productivity, and will keep your team happy!

And remember, you can always enlist the support of a staffing firm or recruiter to help make the right choice.

Unfortunately it is common for companies to go through a period of time where they just cannot seem to find the right person again and again.

What goes wrong? Why does this happen and what can you do to change it?

Well we could tell you that your office has bad Feng Shui or that hiring your friend’s nephew because you were in a pinch was a bad move, but in reality it’s more than just those things. It boils down to one major thing – clarity.

Most employers rarely take the time to figure out what they DO want in a new hire, instead a lot of focus is on what they don’t want. For example, the past hire that didn’t work out had family problems, always called in sick, and was chronically late. Then the next hire who looks good on paper, ends up being single.  Whether through a conscious or unconscious choice this person is seemingly the opposite of the previous person – due to the focus of what you don’t want.

The correction to the hiring process comes in when you now shift your focus on what would be best for the position, the company, and the rest of the team – including personality type, skill set, capability, experience, etc. The new person is in no way replacing the old person’s bad habits with new and different habits, but rather the person is chosen solely on being a good fit for the position and the company without any regard to who was there before them.

Getting clear on what you want for the position and who is right for your company may take a little time and brainstorming, but really it’s about focusing on the positive and helping you to recognize those skills that add value to your company and not dismissing someone because they have a similarity to the old person who was previously in that position.

What can you do to change your hiring process and make it a priority?

Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford of 9 Lies That Are Holding Your Business Back state that hiring should be a priority at all times, even when all of your positions are filled. They say this does something incredible to company morale, since you have people waiting for positions to open up; your employees will be more productive and will be happier because they are working at a great place where many people want to come and work. Whatever you do, don’t go around telling your employees how hard it is to find good people.

To keep your potential employee pipeline filled work with a staffing company, recruiter, or other professionals who come across great talent. Whenever they have someone, even if you are not hiring, meet with them anyways. You never know, you just might find someone so incredible that it’s worth opening up a new spot in your company.

Top talent exists out there; you just need to do your part in consistently attracting them into your business