Finding the right employee is tough. You set the parameters with the job description and person specification, on which you base your interviewing short list.  

You interview, spending only a small portion of time with each candidate and yet, from this process, you have high expectations you will find the right person. There are times when this happens, and it all falls together. 

But there are times when it takes a little more effort to put all the jigsaw piece together.  

It is a critical task

It is after all, not just about time but money too. Recruitment costs are soaring, and thus, making a bad appointment only for it to turn sour within months, can mean that your budget and profit margins, already squeezed, are now faced with another pressure of performing the recruitment process all over again.  

Of course, finding out you have hired the wrong person may not necessarily mean that they leave the post; they may stay and thus you will need to spend time and money on training, providing as much as the taught skills as is possible. 

Some studies have shown that in some industries, poor recruitment decision can cost a company up to £30,000 a day, especially in the financial sector.  

Job descriptions are…

… all well and good and, along with personal specifications, can help you and potential candidates decide if the job on offer is the right one for them. Unfortunately, many companies base everything on these sheaves of paper but, with a little thought and discussion, there is a lot more that you need to be looking for. 

#1 Competency 

You may have asked for a specific set of skills and expertise, and this is something you should look for keenly. This is why it is top of the list!

Check with fine tooth comb is they have what you want on their application form. It may be that you get a good feeling about someone and yet, they lack some of the skill or ability you specifically. Only you can know if you have the time and money to train someone in a taught skill; does the company need a start from someone who already has everything you need?

#2 Capable 

Some tasks are easy but what about the more complex and complicated stuff? Does the person sit in front of you give the impression of being capable? Capability in terms of an employee is about seeing the potential of the person to expand and develop. Willingness to try new things and expand their skill set is important in so many cases.

#3 Fits in 

This can seem shallow but if you have an existing team, is this new person sat in front of you going to fit in? In some cases, you may think that they have the skills, so the team will have to adapt and mould but if you have a super-team that is not broken, why try to break it?

Fitting in is more than just getting on with people; it is also about them fitting in with the ethos and values of the company too.

#4 Long-term plans 

Essentially, you want as happy and stable a workforce as you possibly can, as this is the environment in which the best growth, development and productivity happens. How likely is the person to stay with the company? Is the jog ‘big enough’? What does their CV say – how long do they tend to stay in a job?

#5 Character 

This really is about ethos and values, as well as operating principles. You may be in the type of field where there will be times that the job needs doing – and it may mean working late. And on a Friday night too. Are they going to bid you goodbye as they waltz out the door, or can they see the bigger picture and throw their lot in?

#6 Expectations 

Every company has a culture, borne from a set of expectations, policies and procedures, as well as the values the company and the team has. From these come expectations and they can be incredibly high in some cases. This is an important consideration as someone with opposite values and so on, can be an incredibly disruptive and negative force within a team or business.

#7 Salary 

You really do need to offer the going market rate for the job and its responsibilities. Offering less will not get you the calibre of employee you are looking for, and neither will you get the performance, abilities and skills you need.

If budget is an issue, why not look at a benefits package instead, that would be appealing and attractive to the right people?

Of course, you won’t always get it right, but with time and consideration, you will get the right people!