How to Hire Someone

We often spend more time with the people we work with than we do with the members of our own families.  You’ll make a better choice if you consider the follow a few tips from the pros.

• Get clear on what you want.¬† Writing a comprehensive list of duties or a full on job description can help to clarify what exactly you are hiring someone to do.¬†
• Work your network.¬† Even before you advertise, ask around to find out if someone in your extended circle of influence can make a recommendation.¬† People who have been referred may be more vested in making a good impression, ie. being a better employee.
• Advertise in the right places.¬† Think about where your target applicant is likely to look for a job and go there.¬† Be clear about which skills and experience and those that are ideal.¬† Make sure to specify your preferred form of contact and what applicants must provide.
• Rank incoming applications by a Yes, No, or Maybe.¬† Toss the Nos (check with your lawyer first).¬† Only contact the Maybes if the Yeses are too few.¬†
• Conduct interviews.¬† Try to avoid asking stupid questions.¬† Leave plenty of silence to give the applicant the opportunity to show you his personality.
• Evaluate results, check references, and conduct a second round of interview if necessary.¬† This time focus on specific skills integral to the position and go into more detail about how the applicant might deal with the position‚Äôs real world situations.
• Make an offer.¬† If you can, let the job applicant name a dollar figure first. This puts you in the stronger position for negotiating.