The Ultimate Roadmap for Successful Hiring: Tips and Common Mistakes
Navigating the hiring process is tricky and extremely time-consuming. The impacts of a bad hire are felt throughout your team and reflected in your bottom line. If you’re ready to grow your team, intentionally moving through each phase of the hiring process will help take the guesswork out of hiring and increase your chances of finding your ideal match.
Many entrepreneurs think the hiring process begins when you post your job and ends when you make your hiring decision. But a successful hiring process is much more comprehensive. By understanding common mistakes and learning how to elevate your hiring process, you can ensure a smooth and effective experience. Let’s explore each phase to set you up for success.
Create your ideal candidate avatar
Common Mistakes: Many times, hiring managers sit down to write a job posting without really getting clear on who their ideal candidate really is. You are sabotaging your hiring process from the start without going into this process more intentionally.
Elevate Your Hiring Process: You must look beyond just the tasks and responsibilities and paint a clear picture of your ideal candidate. Create a candidate avatar by getting clear about who this person is energetically for you. What kind of personality do they have, what values do they share, and how will they show up for you in this role? I also recommend using the Kolbe Assessments to understand their strengths and how they take action.
Craft your job posting
Common Mistakes: Many job postings only include the tasks and responsibilities required in the role. The business is often described in a high level and generic way. This doesn’t allow your candidates to see themselves described in the job posting or connect with your company.
Elevate Your Hiring Process: Beyond the tasks and responsibilities required in the role, your goal is to paint a clear picture so your candidates can see themselves described in the job posting. I also recommend leading with a heart-felt introduction of you and your company. Share your mission, your vision, and your values. Speak from your heart and communicate your WHY in the job posting.
Screening Your Candidates
Common Mistakes: You share your job posting and the flood gates open (hopefully!). Many job openings recently are getting an overwhelming number of responses and now you are challenged with finding the needle in the haystack. This first phase of screening can be incredibly overwhelming and time consuming without the right tools and foresight.
Elevate Your Hiring Process: I love using questionnaires and rating questions to screen candidates. This is a required step in the hiring process and helps me get to know the candidates beyond their resume. I also ask specific questions to draw out their why, our shared values, and how they will fit in energetically with the company. This will help you narrow down your candidates to ensure you are interviewing the top candidates.
Interviewing Candidates
Common Mistakes: Many interviewers come to the table with a list of popular interview questions and they are looking to make sure the candidate can do the job. The conversations are often one sided and leave little room for conversation and questions from the candidates.
Elevate Your Hiring Process: Let’s make this simple. Your interview should be conversational and the candidate should have their own questions for you. During the interview, you are looking for three key things: 1. They have the skill set to do what needs to be done. This is often identified in their past experience. 2. They have the innate strengths to succeed in the role. I use Kolbe Assessments and simply take the guesswork out. 3. They are energetically aligned with you and your business. You truly enjoy your connection and they are excited and motivated about what you are up to. They likely share some of the same values you have in your business.
Getting a Strong Start
Common Mistakes: Your hiring process does not end when you make your hiring decision. In fact, the most challenging and critical part of the hiring process is onboarding a new team member. A great onboarding plan is much more than a training plan.
Elevate Your Hiring Process: Shared expectations are critical during the onboarding process. Make sure you are both clear on priorities, what success looks like in this role, how you can be a hero to each other, and co-create clear milestones during the first 30/60/90 days. During these first 90 days, consistent communication and connections are so important. Make sure the team member is supported to succeed at the tasks and responsibilities they are taking on, and also take time to check in and make sure things are working for both of you and address any challenges or roadblocks immediately as they come up – because they definitely will.
Ready to Hire?
Are you ready to hire, or thinking about bringing on your next (or first!) team member? Click here to schedule a Business Accelerator Call . I’ll share tips and resources to support you along your hiring journey or tell you more about my done-for-you hiring process if you want my support along the way.