Hiring The Right Candidate

By Author: Nate Rodney
Total Articles: 499
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Choosing the right candidate is like making sure you have the right ingredients to make a meal – without the proper additions the outcome may not be successful. However, the hiring process may not be as simple as following a recipe; a strategy and set of guidelines should be implemented and utilized to ensure the desired result. What are some tidbits of wisdom you can keep in mind while searching for the right people?

Don’t go cheap
Whether you’re a startup or a growing company it is important to maintain some flexibility in regards to your hiring budget. If you stick too rigidly to your pay scale you may miss the opportunity of finding the right fit for your company; in other words, being open will allow you to consider paying for the proper and/or unique talent when it comes your way.

Describe the position
Although this seems relatively obvious, it can also make or break you when choosing a candidate. You may be in a rush to find someone or it may be a description you don’t know how to articulate if it’s a job you’ve never hired for, but taking the time to make the position as well-defined ...
... as possible before you fill it can save you time in the long run (and money) by helping to avoid picking a bad fit.

Don’t rush
Time is of essence. It is, however, also valuable in the sense that taking extra time to find the right fit the first time, as mentioned above, can save you the hassle of repeating the process in the future. You may feel a sense of urgency to fill the position and move forward but if you rush with your decisions you might be wasting money on someone who will only last for three months.

Beware of ‘elite’ resumes
Impressive as they may be, resumes stocked with years of experience at many important places do not mean the individual carrying it is an appropriate candidate. Success at other companies does not equal success at yours, necessarily. You want someone who will be adaptable and perhaps capable of many jobs, so keep in mind that variety or even lack of experience could be assets.

Personality
It is wise to not only evaluate one’s qualifications, but also their personality type. You may have a tendency to gravitate towards someone who reminds you of yourself, someone with traits similar to your own that you can easily recognize and are compatible with. This may not be the best person to hire, however. Think broad – remember you are looking to form a cohesive group and therefore finding someone with different traits that are complementary instead of similar to your own might be the smarter choice.

You will create your masterpiece, eventually. If you take the time and use some pre-determined strategies you’ll find success in those you hire. Lastly, once you do hire, make sure you don’t forget about them right away – a sense of welcoming and support can go a long way when it comes to keeping them happy – which in turn will make you happy as they stick with you for years to come.

PeopleConnect staffing is a full service high tech executive search firm connecting outstanding candidates with wonderful clients. Startup recruiters from PeopleConnect staffing provide contingency search and contract recruitment solutions to clients. PeopleConnect San Francisco has been supporting San Francisco and Bay Area companies with a variety of expert recruiting services.