It’s been more challenging to find, more competitive, and longer-lasting than ever. It’s an active job market at this moment and allows applicants to choose the most competitive offers even if they’ve previously accepted an offer. They can also “ghost” your new boss by not appearing on their first day of work, which happens in record numbers and isn’t a great decision. To avoid the time and effort of returning and re-engaging after making poor hires or offers, it is primarily to make the correct choice initially. These four essential criteria for recruiting have served me well for many years, and I’m happy to share them with you.
1. LinkedIn Skills and Endorsements as well as Endorsements
The candidate must demonstrate the required qualifications to be successful in the position. But what they write about themselves is less important than the things other people have to comment on. They can provide you with professional references from previous employers. Still, they will choose people who will say positive things about them or do not wish to risk legal consequences of criticizing the candidate. To combat this, my top choice to find candidates is LinkedIn. Not just because they have an enormous B2B audience of users to reach out to and recruiters can apply, but also because when applicants apply, I can instantly see how other parties have evaluated the applicant in the endorsements and skills section on the endorsements and skills section profile.
There are two aspects to be known: (i) do the abilities that third parties believe that the person has are in line with the way they present their own capabilities in the interview; and (ii) the number of people who believe they are competent in the skills they are claiming to be. Let’s say you are seeking someone with strong SEO skills. Do they have SEO as one of their top competencies highlighted within their LinkedIn profile? And do most people feel that they are providing them with a professional endorsement of that ability. The number of approvals needed is dependent on the number of LinkedIn connections a person has. A person who has 50-99endorsements or more in a specific skill is more likely to be regarded as credible for the skill than someone with zero to 10 endorsements, for instance.
2. The longevity of Prior Companies
Nothing scares me more than many job changes within a short time. If you spot a person with five jobs within five years, beware! Sometimes, an applicant is placed in the wrong position in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a one-year stint can be explained by the fact that there were layoffs at the workplace or the company was sold. However, the likelihood of it happening repeatedly is not likely. Therefore, if you come across a resume that shows the applicant has been with the company for at least three years at each position they’ve had, this is an excellent sign that previous employers were satisfied with their work and would like to keep them as employees. It is also an equally great sign these applicants were loyal employees to the employers you’re hoping to hire for your company, to lower the chance of them escaping the risk.
3. Will they be content and Continue to Play the role
Most of the time, you’re considering candidates based on whether they are suitable for the Job and can perform well. However, it’s equally important to study the person from their point of view from a different angle: what do they want to achieve in their career, and do they feel happy working for your company. This section has several different sub-categories:
What is the Job itself? Does the applicant like the Job? Is it aligned with their needs and goals in their career? Be cautious of a candidate who is likely to go back to the ladder of corporate success (e.g., the former sales manager who is now an active salesperson) if they could use the place as a stepping stone if a new management job becomes open.
Corporate Profile. Specific individuals are better working in large corporations, and the formal structure, procedures, and clear career pathways are associated with them. Others thrive in more flexible, entrepreneurial environments. You must ensure that the candidate you choose is the right fit for the structure and stage of your company and ensure that they are aware of everything that is good, bad, and ugly things about your company before the time of the interview so that they are entirely mindful of what they’re taking on (so there are no surprises later on). Do not try to hide your “warts” when you are in the recruitment process. Make sure they’re still interested in your company regardless of including warts.
Compensation. What was their salary during their previous employment? How much will they require to earn to meet their needs and lifestyle? What is the wage against theirs? Be cautious of candidates who will take a substantial reduction in salary in order to join your organization and could employ you to keep their way until they find a better-paying job. It is important to note that market conditions do not be cheap. You might need to shell out more than you would normally to make yourself stand out and secure the contract.
Career Goals. The people who are earlier in their careers are different from those later in their professional careers. Someone younger may believe that hopping between jobs to get better titles and a higher pay-off with every shift and improve their skills. That means they’re an eagle-eyed risk after some time. On the other hand, someone in the later stages of their career may have already established their own career and may just be looking for their “last job” before retirement and will abide with you until the end of time as they know the difficulties for them to get an employment opportunity at older age. Therefore, you must look at the future they’ll be in after a few years to determine if you’ll have to replace them later on in the future.
4. Are They a Good Fit for Your Culture?
I like to imagine that the new employees are part of an existing “family”. They must be able to coexist with all of their “siblings” and understand the rules of culture set by the “parents”. Suppose you aren’t sure that the candidate you’re considering will “play nicely” with their co-workers or cause a disruption to the “good atmosphere” at work. In that case, the hiring decision will not succeed, whether for your fellow employees or the candidate. You must be secure not to make a mess of the apple cart by hiring, or else you could risk having employees who are seeking out the door, and you could end in much larger recruitment issues to deal with.
Therefore, hopefully, you are aware of the best areas to concentrate on in your research efforts for recruiting to make not just smart hiring decisions but also ones who will remain with your organization and not have you making the same hires over and over with the “revolving the door” of employees. Have fun with the hiring process!
