Particularly in a smaller business, everyone needs to pull together to fulfil the company’s vision. This means it’s more important than ever to find the best possible talent – i.e. people with the right capabilities, experience and traits – and then ensure they settle in well.
So if you’re looking to expand your team, here are some key tips to consider.
Using competency-based interview questions
Whether you’re interviewing for a leadership role or entry-level position, competency-based interview questions are a great way to assess a candidate’s skills, experience and personality traits.
These open-ended questions encourage interviewees to explain how they handled certain situations using real-life examples – for instance, how they resolved problems, made decisions, coped with pressure and delivered desired outcomes.
Our tip: Use competency-based questions to focus on the competencies you value most, whether it’s communication skills, teamwork, creative thinking, or whatever.
Carrying out pre-employment checks
Having identified the right person for the job, it’s vital you carry out pre-employment screening to confirm their skills and experience. Typically, this involves contacting previous employers to check their work history and obtain references.
However, you may also need to check that the candidate has the legal right to work in the country, or that they don’t have a criminal record (vital if they’re working with children, for instance).
Our tip: Given the recent introduction of strict new data protection laws, it’s really important to ensure your pre-employment checks are GDPR-compliant.
Onboarding new employees
Throwing someone in at the deep end is likely to result in an unproductive, unhappy employee who never quite fulfils their potential. That’s why onboarding – the process of introducing new employees to the company and getting them up-to-speed as quickly and effectively as possible – is so important.
As well as giving new employees the training they need to perform the job, you’ll also need to make them feel comfortable and welcome, and clarify the company’s values, policies and accepted behaviours.
Our tip: With a comprehensive set of induction processes and checklists, you can be sure that every new team member is onboarded thoroughly and consistently.
At ForrestHR, we can guide you through each of these processes. Whether we’re working with you on an ongoing, retained basis or providing ad hoc support when you need it, we’ll help you find, screen and onboard the right employees for your business. Learn more