Your people are your business’s key asset. As such, when it’s time to get new people, either to replace someone, or because your business is expanding, you need to make sure that you’re getting the best. Below are some helpful hints and strategies to make sure that when you’re seeking out new talent, you find the people who have the most to offer!
1.Start at home: Not literally, of course, but you should start your recruiting in-house. Look at the people you already have. Are you making the most of their talents? If you start your search among your current employees, you’ll be more likely to discover hidden talent, plus they are already familiar with your business, culture, and clients. Also, by recruiting from within, you show all of your employees that you appreciate their individual talents, strengths, and accomplishments, boosting morale dramatically.
2. Involve your staff: Your staff knows the ins and outs of your business like no one else. Their ideas, input, and suggestions often come from a place of experience and knowledge. Take advantage of that when you’re recruiting. They can recommend candidates, help review resumes and qualifications, and even participate in the interview process. By involving them, you also help ensure that your new hire will get the support they need to be successful. If your employees help in the hiring process, they are just as invested in that new hire’s success as you are.
3. Use the right tools: You might look for new employees by putting an ad in the paper or posting on Craigslist, and you might get some replies, but if you’re not using sites like LinkedIn, you will be missing out. Professional networking sites are places where professionals gather to meet one another, talk about issues, and seek out opportunities. If you want to cast a wide net, with quality in mind, listing your opening on a site like this is key. Plus, you can very quickly look a potential candidate’s profile to get a sense of their experience, strengths, and interests.
4. Let go of “perfect”: The perfect candidate just doesn’t exist. That being said, if you want to find the best candidate for the job, you need to start by defining what exactly is important and why. For instance, if you require that a candidate must have a certain degree, ask yourself why exactly that is. Perhaps you are concerned about a specific skill set, or character trait like persistence. Recognizing what you really need in a candidate can open you up to people you may have never considered, ultimately helping you to find the candidate that can best mesh with the rest of your staff, and of course, do the job well.
If you keep these tips in mind the next time you find yourself in need of new talent, you’ll be surprised at not only the caliber of candidates you attract, but also the reception they receive from the rest of your staff.
Wishing you the best,
McFadyen & Sumner, CPAs PA
McFadyen & Sumner, CPAs PA 