How to attract and hire the right employee

We’ve put together five key tips to hiring the right talent for your business.

1. Be crystal clear

Be open and honest from the outset about the job requirements, career prospects, compensation and company values. If the job is boring or repetitive, don’t dress it up as something it’s not. The right person, such as a retiree or a parent returning to the workforce, may be after a no-fuss job that fits their lifestyle.

Don’t overlook the cultural fit either. A highly qualified candidate who isn’t compatible with your working style can present problems over the longer term.

2. Fish in the right places

Before you start advertising, you need to know where you should be looking. Research where your desired recruits will be coming from – universities, competitors, corners of the internet – and target your advertising there.

LinkedIn is a given, but other social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are great places to advertise (for free!) your openings to interested parties.

Be aware that the best recruits will be researching you as well, so ensure your website and social accounts are in good order and contain adequate information about your business.

3. Offer flexibility

You might not be able to offer the best salary in town, but many employees today are after more than just a paycheque.

Consider what benefits you can offer outside of money, such as flexibility around picking kids up from school, time off to study and career opportunities. Then discuss those needs with any potential candidates to find a mutual arrangement to suit you both.

4. Recruit through your team

Your current employees will know what it takes to get the job done, and have an interest in recommending people who will make their working life easier. Many businesses take it as a fair bet that their staff will not put forward someone who could make them look bad.

Hiring by word-of-mouth can also help you save significantly on recruiting costs. Consider an employee incentive program where staff receive a reward after a new employee has completed probation.

5. Up your game

Interviews have come a long way from asking about strengths, weaknesses and punctuality. A good interview should be a real conversation, where you get to know the candidate as a person as much as a worker.

Ask questions about how they would deal with certain situations, or a time when they took positive action in their career. Walking the floor with a potential candidate is also useful for seeing how they interact with others and the kinds of questions they ask.