One of a company's biggest assets is, by far, its employee base. As any employer can tell you, however, locating, selecting and retaining quality employees can be an almost insurmountable challenge. Depending on your demographics and industry, the difficulty level of such a task can increase exponentially. Fortunately, there are methods and tools available for all types of business owners and employers, which assist in recruiting and selecting the most qualified employees available.
Recruiting
One of the single most challenging aspects of recruiting quality employees is figuring out where to start. Depending on the nature of the position you are trying to fill, your options are virtually limitless. This is especially true if you are in the market for employees who do not need special skills or training. Often, employers in the service, hospitality or customer service industries can find perfectly adequate employees simply by posting ads on the bulletin boards frequently seen by the general population or even specialized demographics like students or retirees. Some of the best places to begin recruiting for these types of industries tend to be newspapers (either school level or standard local papers) or online.
If you are looking for employees who have already received specialized schooling or other training, your best bet is to contact high school, trade school or college job-placement counselors directly. They can match you with the most-qualified and well-suited new graduates to fill your position. Additionally, many potential employees are quite technologically savvy, and many employees get great results posting online help wanted ads.
Selecting
Once you have found the best way to advertise for your job opening, you will likely see a large influx of qualified and seemingly equal potential employees. It is in your best interest to hold off on snap decisions. Have a well-structured application and interview process. Only make your final choice(s) after you have had a chance to compare all applicants. Many people look good on paper, but a well-organized sit-down interview can be a revelation. Most companies have a two-interview process. Often, different members of the Human Resources team conduct these two interviews. Two sets of eyes really can be useful, especially in spotting such issues as discrepancies in employment and education history.
The last thing any employer wants is to spend time and money hiring and training an employee only to find he is not nearly as educated or experienced as he claims to be. Once you have interviewed all your candidates, use both the information that you gleaned through the process as well as any less tangible impressions you may have gotten to select the most compatible employee for the job.
