Finally, to conclude our list of the nine necessary stages of the hiring process, here are the last three steps brought to you by the professionals at executive search firms.
One of the primary reasons that many employers wind up making bad hires is because they did not take the time to go the extra step and fully investigate the candidate’s history. To begin with, more employers need to begin making use background checks, as well as conducting extensive reference checks. It seems that most employers have come to avoid these techniques, namely reference checks, because they do not believe that they will provide them with any useful information and that they will only end up wasting time. However, with a bit of careful planning committed to designing a line of questioning capable of drawing out the information they need, as well as rooting out other sources that could be useful to interview. These techniques can teach the employer a great deal about the candidate that they might not otherwise have had the chance to discover until it was too late.
- Perhaps the trickiest aspect of the entire executive search and hiring process is effectively selling the candidate on the position and the company without overselling it and wasting time that should have been spent in trying to assess if the candidate has what it takes to fill the role in question. It is a common enough mistake, particularly given the current talent shortage, that many employers, once they believe they have found a talented candidate, will immediately begin working to attract this individual, setting aside their other responsibilities in the process. Don correctly the selling aspect of the hiring process should start at the very beginning, all the way back in the job description. Here the employer should include information about the company’s history and culture as well as providing a rough overview, without going into too much detail, about the compensation and benefits that come with the job. From here, through each remaining stage of the process, the employer should continue to drop bits of information to keep the candidate interested and wanting to learn more, wanting to become an employee of the company.
- Yet another surprisingly complex aspect of the hiring process is the point at which the employer must finally make the job offer. If there are still a few outstanding candidates that the employer is considering, in the end they will simply have to do a detailed, side by side comparison of those remaining to decide which one possess a combination of the skills and knowledge that can best fill the role as well as which will blend the best into the company’s corporate culture. Time is an issue here. If the employer drags this decision out too long then they run the risk either of losing the interest of the candidate or that the candidate may be presented with a job offer elsewhere. Once a choice has been made the employer should contact the candidate directly to alert them to their decision. Also, any negotiations that may be in order over compensation and benefits should also be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible before anything can happen.
