5 hiring rules you should NEVER break

Hiring can be a costly and time-consuming effort, not to mention highly stressful, as you set about finding the perfect addition to your team. As you make your next hire, keep these 5 rules in mind to ensure you get great talent, reduce your employee turnover and amplify your employer brand.   

Do not hire out of desperation   

Regardless of how much pressure you are under from the business to hire, it is essential to do proper due diligence to ensure you get the right person for the job. 

Don’t rush through the hiring process to close the position. Take your time and engage with the candidate deeply to assess fit with the role and organizational culture. 

This is simply because it is at such business-critical times, you need a candidate who has the right attitude and the ability to hit the ground running. 

The other thing you must think about is why you are hiring in the first place.  

Can you find an internal candidate to fill the position? Hiring from within has great advantages. It is a fantastic way to tap into the skills of someone familiar with your operations as an organization, and can also motivate existing employees to work harder by letting them know that career advancement opportunities are waiting for them. 

Alternatively, you could decide to outsource services for a while until you can get the right candidate to fill the position permanently. 

Don't underestimate the value of references 

With a great CV and a stellar interview, reference checks may seem like just a formality, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. They are a powerful way to expand your understanding of a potential candidate’s performance and ability. 

They not only produce rich insights into how a potential employee works under different conditions but also enable you to understand what leadership styles they most respond to.  

So, to make sure that someone who thrived in a certain organization can also be a winning asset for you, make sure you get references right. 

Always hire for a culture fit 

When hiring a new employee, one of the things to have in mind should be how well they fit into the company culture.

Now, that is not the same as hiring someone you'd like to have a beer with! People with all sorts of personalities can be great at the job you need to get done, so probe beneath the surface and see if their values tie in with those of your business.  

Getting this right at the hiring stage ensures you'll get a highly engaged colleague who will be in it for the long haul.

Always test for skills you need 

It is one thing for a candidate to claim they can perform specific tasks but can they perform the said tasks?  

These are the gaps competency-based interviewing is supposed to cover. With this approach, you design the interview process to include practical tests where candidates perform a task they would be required to do in their new role on a day-to-day basis and you gauge their performance first-hand. Psychometric assessments are also another great way of testing the candidate's brain muscle and understanding how they handle different workplace situations.

Engage managers fully

In a rapidly changing business context, managers must understand the company’s approach to hiring and how to execute on it, down to the smallest detail. If you're an in-house recruiter, coach your hiring managers and prepare them well to define sharp roles, interview candidates and make hiring decisions based on where the company is going. This provides immense clarity to candidates and helps you land future-proof talent who will gear up as the company grows.

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