4 Tips for hiring the best job candidates

When positions open up at your company, you want to know you’re recruiting the right people to fill those positions. By making sure your hiring practices are sound, you’ll find the best new people for your team.

Attract Passive Job Seekers

Passive job seekers aren’t out there trolling job postings every day, hoping to find their next dream job. They aren’t actively searching for a job, but if the right position comes along, they’re open to making a change. When you’re recruiting, reaching passive candidates is more difficult because they may not respond to (or even see) job postings.

But if you offer more money, a better work-life balance, a different work culture, or the chance to move into a better position, passive candidates will probably be willing to come in for an interview. Find them by going to industry events and networking opportunities. Passive job candidates probably won’t be at job fairs or recruiting events, but if you go to a networking function you’ll get a chance to talk to lots of interesting people. When you find someone you think would fit your open position, you have the chance to get their information and let them know more about your workplace.

Use Apps and Social Media to Find Candidates

Even when you’re pressed for time and can’t physically attend events, cell phones from a carrier like T-Mobile are fantastic resources for searching for passive candidates. Start with a LinkedIn search, using the fast 4G network to search for job candidates’ keywords to find those who possess the skills your company needs. Stay connected with former colleagues; they may be looking for a new job offer, or they may know of candidates you’ll be interested in recruiting.

Social media is another way to attract passive candidates. When your blog, social media accounts, and website have consistent updates highlighting your company’s culture, potential job candidates become interested. Let people see what it’s like for current employees at your office, post industry news, and ask questions of your readers. You can also post about job openings once in a while, as long as they’re not the most prevalent kind of post on your page.

Ask the Right Interview Questions

Once you have a good list of interviewees, make sure you’re getting the information you need during the interviews. You have to ask the right questions, and really listen to the answers. Ask them about their attitude towards learning new information and skills, and how they best absorb information. Find out if they’re effective communicators, and whether or not they’re good at adapting to situations.

Once you’re done interviewing candidates, listen to the questions they ask you. What they want to know about the company after a job interview will tell you what they gleaned from the experience, and what kind of mind they have. Anyone can do research beforehand, but not everyone will think to ask about the company’s goals in the next few years, how the company is growing, or what a day in the offered position will be like.

Create a Hiring Committee

Image via Flickr by Nguyen Vu Hung (vuhung)

A hiring committee helps you create a more unbiased hiring process than one person can do alone, as long as you do it right. Hiring committees at their best help companies hold every applicant to the same set of standards, and offer more consistent hiring results. You may have the hiring committee watch a recording of the interview, or simply receive the interviewer’s written assessment of the candidates, along with resumes.

With a hiring committee, your company is less likely to pick a candidate simply because the position has been empty for too long, even if that candidate isn’t totally qualified. Hiring committees can mitigate some of the randomness that comes with having multiple interviewers for the same position. They do take more time, and cost more, so be sure your company needs it before you create one.

Hiring is an imperfect system, and you won’t get it right all the time. With the appropriate approach and attitude, you’ll find you hire more people who fit in with your business.