What Does Your Staff Know, Anyway? Finding Your True Hiring Needs

Hiring the wrong person for the job is a mistake. A really big, expensive mistake.

One of the best ways to avoid making this costly mistake is by getting help in the hiring process – from your own team, that is!

Traditionally, HR and direct managers handle needs assessment, position description development, sourcing, interviewing and the like. But progressive companies like Google and Apple have demonstrated how important collaboration is to success – especially when it comes to critical business processes like hiring.

However, if your process is siloed or restrictive, you may be missing out on vital information that could help you hire more accurately – and land high performers who fit, perform and thrive long-term in your organization.

Here are two reasons you should bring employees and a variety of managers into the fold when hiring:

You may uncover hidden needs.
Employees who work in similar roles – and the managers who supervise them – have firsthand knowledge of what it really takes to “make it” in a position. Before charging ahead with a hiring requisition, consult with members of the department to determine:

• Potential gaps between the requisition and actual hiring needs. Ask for their help in reviewing the proposed job posting, to make sure the position described truly matches the work that needs to be done.
• Soft skills required for success. Get employees’ and managers’ input on the intangibles needed for a new hire to really mesh with the existing team.
• Red flags to avoid. Given their unique perspective, employees and managers may be able to provide you with valuable information about why a former employee failed in the role – so you can create a better match this time around.
• Targeted interview questions. Use the team’s input to create specific questions that break through a candidate’s interview façade and reveal whether or not he has the skills, experience and personality traits to succeed in the role.

It’s great for morale.
Involving employees in the hiring process makes them feel like they are a valued part of the team.  When you ask for their input in making decisions, you show them that their opinions really matter.

Furthermore, employees who have a hand in hiring are typically more invested once the hire is made. Having contributed to the process, they feel more ownership for the result – and will work hard to help your new employee succeed.

Ready to hire?

Don’t go it alone! Partner with a qualified staffing agency like PrideStaff. We can help shorten your time-to-hire, alleviate the time-consuming administrative burdens of recruiting, and consistently deliver high performers who exceed your expectations.

Best of all?  You only pay a fee if you hire a candidate we refer, and we guarantee our results.  Learn more about PrideStaff’s On Target fulfillment processtoday.