HR managers are responsible for many tasks, but one of the most important items is finding the right employees to bring onto your team. Unfortunately, the person doing the hiring isn’t always the one leading the team, so they have to understand as much as possible about a particular position before they can begin recruiting candidates. Before onboarding employees, you must find the right employees for your open positions, but how do you know if someone is the right fit if you’ve never done their job? Let’s take a look at things to look for when hiring someone.
- Positive Attitude
You can learn much about whether someone is a good fit for your company by considering their attitude during the interview questions. Whether you ask about why they’re leaving their current position or inquiring about their skills, you should always look for someone who can stay positive about their experiences. Many employees leave their jobs because they have problems at work. However, they don’t need to advertise issues with a potential employer. If candidates rant about how their past boss treated them poorly, they’re likely not the right person for the job. Instead, look for individuals who have left their past jobs on good terms or can put a positive spin on any issues they face.
- Skills
Of course, skills are essential when hiring someone. For example, you can’t hire someone with experience as a chef to run your marketing department. But, of course, as an HR manager, you probably don’t know every skill a candidate should have for a particular position, so it’s essential to discuss the required skills with the person who will be their manager. In addition, you should research the job title to see what other companies are looking for in terms of skills.
Then, when you’re ready to interview candidates, you can ask about the skills listed on their resumes. Finding someone with all the skills in your job listing may not be possible, but you can learn whether they can learn the necessary skills. Strategizing for the kind of employee you want to bring onto your team will help ensure you get the skills you need on your team.
Of course, you also don’t want to hire someone overqualified. For example, someone who used to run their own department won’t be happy in an associate position, eventually leading them to leave the company and constantly look for other opportunities.
- Soft Skills
Someone can be a great candidate based on their skills, but they might not fit in with your team if they don’t have soft skills. For example, you can have someone with all the skills required for the job, but if they’re negative or too high energy, they may not feel at home at your company. New hires have to communicate with other employees, and if they don’t get along with them, they can upset the team dynamic. For example, if you have a team of dedicated workers, someone who does the bare minimum and doesn’t pull their weight around the office can drag the others down.
- Ambition
When hiring someone for any role, you want them to be ambitious. These individuals have career goals and are willing to work to get there. If candidates don’t show ambition and personal goals such as moving up in their career, building financial wealth through investing, and are not very proactive, they’ll always do the bare minimum. Ambition is important because it means someone cares about their work, whether or not it results in a promotion. Of course, if you’re hiring an ambitious candidate, you should discuss their goals to ensure you can provide them with the necessary growth trajectory. If your company doesn’t promote from within or there’s nowhere left for this employee to go, they’ll quickly become bored and look for other opportunities.
Red Flags
Of course, while there are many positive attributes to look for in candidates, you should be aware of red flags. These include the following:
Tardiness
If someone is late for an interview, it’s possible they just got lost. However, tardiness is a red flag, especially if they don’t address why they were late. Even though tardiness may not be a big deal at first, it can quickly become a habit. Therefore, if a candidate is late, you shouldn’t write them off, but you should question whether or not they’re always late.
Disinterest
Some candidates may apply for jobs they don’t necessarily want. One type of candidate to look out for applies to jobs to get offers and use them to leverage higher pay or better benefits with their current employers. You can easily tell if someone is genuinely interested in the role. Asking someone why they want to work at your company is a great way to weed out individuals who might not be interested in the position.
Demanding
The employment landscape is changing, with employees having more power than ever. However, that doesn’t mean they should be demanding. While employees should ask for what they want regarding salaries, time off, and so forth, they should demand too much from your business, especially if other employees haven’t mentioned it before.
A demanding candidate will be a demanding employee, but it’s important to consider what you find demanding. For example, more employees are asking for flexibility, so someone wondering whether they can work from home isn’t as demanding as some business owners think it is. However, if someone is asking for considerably more benefits than those you currently offer employees, they won’t be happy with your offer.
Hiring Right
Remember, the interview is a candidate’s opportunity to interview you to determine whether or not they want the job. While you’re looking for green and red flags, they’re doing the same. If you don’t know much about the role and a good candidate has questions, they’ll quickly lose interest in the job. Therefore, it’s important to learn as much as you can about the role you’re hiring for to ensure you have enough money to find the right candidate.
Ashley Nielsen
Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favourite music.