Although many team members are inherited, when faced with the opportunity to recruit a new employee into your team, it is important that you choose wisely.
The role type that needs to be filled will determine the type of candidate that you are searching for. For example, highly technical roles which require years of training would require someone with this training and experience. Customer service roles require someone with great people skills and excellent communication. For these roles, personality/interpersonal skills will be more of a deciding factor than previous experience or skills.
Remember – a person can easily be trained in tasks and skills; however, an individual’s personality, beliefs and values rarely change.
Regardless of the role that you are recruiting for, there is one thing that recruiters must ensure. That is, that any new employee will fit in with the existing team and add value to the team culture.
Why are Good Selection Decisions Important?
Good recruitment selections can have a lasting impact on the team and on the workplace, including:
Improved morale;
Reduced recruitment costs (as people remain in role);
Reduced turnover;
Happy customers;
Positive workplace culture;
Job satisfaction; and
Increased productivity.
The Impact of Poor Selection Decisions
Poor recruitment selections can have a damaging impact on the team and workplace, including:
Negative workplace culture;
Decreased morale;
Loss in productivity and knowledge associated with resignations;
Potential customer dissatisfaction or disrupted service;
Increased employee stress;
Substantial recruitment and training costs; and
Potential legal liability.
Effective Recruitment Practices
Selecting the best candidate during the recruitment stage is the first step to ensuring team engagement and motivation. To assist you in doing this, the following effective recruitment practices should be taken into account:
Targeted Job Descriptions:
The whole recruitment process starts with an accurate and clear job description. It is important that you don’t just use a generic job description for each role as this will get you the same group of candidates that you’ve always received.
Instead, carefully go through the requirements of the role being advertised and ensure that the job description is clear about the role expectations, the skills and experience required and the tasks that will need to be completed.
The other important thing to cover is information about the company and the team. Job descriptions should convey the workplace culture – so make them fun, edgy and unique to attract high calibre candidates.
Understand the Role Requirements:
Before you start screening the resumes or calling candidates, ensure that you have a clear understanding of the role being advertised. Ask yourself the following:
Who would be the best person for the role on offer?
What skills, experience, education and qualities would be required to be successful in the role? Rank these in terms of importance to assist with the selection choice down the track.
What type of personality would fit into the current team culture?
What are some areas of weakness in the team that a new person could potential add value to?
Open Communication During Interviews:
Conduct interviews with open and clear communication. Interviews are your time to sell the team and organisation just as much as the candidates need to sell themselves.
You should discuss the benefits of the role, as well as any potential negatives. It is important to cover these at the interview stage so that the candidate has a clear understanding of the role and what they can expect.
This is your time to ensure that you can work with the person being interviewed, that they understand the expectations of the role and that they will add value to the existing team culture.
Choose the Best Candidate for the Role:
At the end of each interview, you should rate the candidates based on how closely they meet the role requirements that you previously worked out.
How well does each candidate align? Is there one that has more of the essential requirements? This is the candidate to choose.
Anticipation vs Expectation vs Actual
Often when a new employee starts in a role, problems can arise due to a mismatch in anticipation, expectations and actual.
Usually there is a very small window where the three items – anticipation, expectations and actualities cross over.
If a new employee commences their role with certain expectations of what they will be doing only to find out they are expected to do something totally different, this will not bode well for a happy employee. Likewise, if a new employee commences and is completing the role in a way that doesn’t align with what the leader expects, this will not bode well for a happy leader!
Successful recruitment involves ensuring that these three things align as much as possible. By following the recruitment practices already discussed, you have a much higher chance of achieving this.
About PDI Solutions
PDI Solutions can work with organisations to develop and deliver training solutions tailored to your particular organisation around leadership, team building or any other professional development. Contact us today for a free consultation at info@pdisolutions.com.au or visit our website at pdisolutions.com.au
