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Best hiring practices are the generally accepted best way to go about hiring new employees. There are several different techniques, tricks, and methods that are considered best practices, and it\u2019s best to incorporate several of them into your hiring process. Most of these practices involve trying to see the candidate as an entire individual and how they fit in at your business.<\/p>\n
Some of this is going to relate to the organizational culture, as well as the nature of the position being hired for. However, it\u2019s best to look at the candidate as a whole and try to see if they will work well in a position. That may mean you hire someone who doesn’t have all the qualifications on paper but can make up for it in other ways.<\/p>\n
Key Takeaways:<\/b><\/p>\n Best practices are methods and techniques that are broadly accepted across a field. Sometimes they are recommended by an authority, though in hiring, that usually isn’t the case.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n It\u2019s important to have a standardized hiring process that looks at the entirety of the person you\u2019re hiring in terms of both their hard and soft skills.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Personalizing the process as much as possible is helpful when hiring. Getting a new job is stressful, as is having a new person start in a position \u2013 trying to humanize the process helps smooth a lot of that over.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n A best practice is a method or technique that is widely accepted by experts in a particular field. As a rule, something becomes known as a best practice due to the fact that it generates consistent positive results. There are best practices in many different fields, though most people would likely be familiar with the term in terms of either healthcare or human resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n While in most cases, best practices are ones that are broadly accepted across the field, in some cases, they may be determined by an authority or board of experts. That is often the case in medicine, for instance.<\/p>\n Best practices aren\u2019t static. They will change and evolve over time as more is learned in a particular field. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to stay up to date on the current best practices and be willing to shift as more information becomes available.<\/p>\n In hiring, there are several different techniques that help to both streamline the hiring process<\/a> and hire better candidates. That\u2019s why they\u2019re considered to be best practices. Here are some examples of best practices to follow when looking to hire a new team member.<\/p>\n Have a standardized hiring process.<\/b> This is important for several reasons. The first is that having a process helps hiring someone go much more smoothly. It can also help with meeting legal requirements, such as nondiscrimination laws, as well as allowing you to tell the candidate what they should expect.<\/p>\n This doesn’t mean that the process has to be rigid. However, it\u2019s best to have an idea of what you\u2019ll need from your candidates and when. It allows for each person to go through the proper process, which helps prevent accusations of nepotism and favoritism<\/a>, in addition to making sure each applicant is thoroughly vetted.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Know what your organization needs.<\/b> Before going into the hiring process, it helps to know what you\u2019re looking for. Know what positions are open \u2013 or are soon to be open \u2013 and prioritize those. It\u2019s also good to know what traits you think are necessary and what would help someone fit in with the organization\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Consider your job requirements.<\/b> While it\u2019s not a bad technique to consider your dream candidate for a position, asking for all of those qualifications in your requirements can end up limiting how many applications you get.<\/p>\n Remember that job seekers spend a considerable amount of time on each application, and they\u2019re looking for a high chance of success.<\/p>\n Some requirements<\/a> lists will be split into \u201cneed to have and preferred\u201d. That\u2019s a way to list your dream qualifications without discouraging too many applications. It\u2019s also important if you want to up the diversity of your organization.<\/p>\n Women and other minorities are much less likely to apply to a job where they don\u2019t meet all of the requirements.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Be realistic in your job descriptions.<\/b> The job description is a very important aspect of hiring. Candidates will read the description in order to get an idea of duties and expectations. If it\u2019s vague or something that one person couldn\u2019t possibly do by themselves, then a lot of candidates will pass on applying.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important in terms of the interview process<\/a>. If candidates are unsure about exactly what they\u2019ll be expected to do, then that can cause issues down the line. Even if you do manage to hire someone, the job may not get done properly.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Look internally.<\/b> In general, most organizations look externally when they need someone to fill a position. It\u2019s important to remember that you likely have many qualified people already working for you. Prioritizing promotions over external hires has the added benefit of building loyalty and giving your employees a clear career path.<\/p>\n Those are both important in terms of upping productivity, but it also aids in employee retention<\/a>. Holding onto employees you already have is much less expensive, less disruptive, and more productive than hiring new ones.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Make use of referrals.<\/b> If you can\u2019t find anyone internally, then requesting referrals from your staff is another way to go. Every member of your team has a social network, meaning that collectively they know a lot of different people. Their personal knowledge of the candidates can help when looking for a culture fit or the right mix of traits for a job.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Don\u2019t rush.<\/b> It\u2019s important not to race to hire someone just to fill the role. Don\u2019t rush, of course, as your candidates may get tired of waiting for the process to finish. But finding the right person for the role<\/a> takes time, and you shouldn\u2019t be afraid of that.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Communicate with the candidate.<\/b> Keeping the candidate informed is an important part of the process. You want them to know what to expect in terms of when interviews will be scheduled and when an offer might be forthcoming. If they’re a candidate that you\u2019re truly interested in hiring, then it also makes your interest clear.<\/p>\n Remember that the majority of job seekers aren\u2019t just applying to one position and then waiting to hear back. For one thing, many jobs don\u2019t even notify applicants if they choose to pass, and for another, they may be waiting on another offer and want to know what to tell the other hiring manager.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Look for candidates that are driven.<\/b> In many ways, personality traits are more important than hard skills<\/a>. Hard skills can be taught, but it\u2019s not really possible to teach someone to become a high achiever. You want to look for candidates with drive and ambition, as they\u2019ll put more of themselves into their jobs.<\/p>\n Highly driven workers are usually also interested in promotions and a career path, which means that they can be wooed by a clear career progression when working for your organization.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Prioritize candidates who do their research.<\/b> This is another skill that\u2019s difficult to teach. If you get a candidate that has clearly researched you and your company, that shows interest and dedication. It\u2019s especially important if you\u2019re hiring for a position that requires attention to detail<\/a> and being willing to look things up, such as an engineer.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Remember that hiring isn\u2019t just one way.<\/b> As you\u2019re assessing the candidates, they\u2019re also assessing you and your organization. Do your best to show them what working for you would be like and what you have to offer them \u2013 beyond just a paycheck.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Don\u2019t be afraid of change.<\/b> Your hiring process should change over time. Not rapidly, necessarily, but as the company grows and changes, the way that it hires will also need to change. Keep abreast of best practices, new technologies, and new techniques.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Consider what candidates are looking for.<\/b> If you\u2019re struggling to get applicants or if a lot of good candidates are turning down your offer, then it may be time to reconsider what you\u2019re offering. Even if you aren\u2019t having these problems, it\u2019s a good idea to consider the hiring process from the other side every now and then.<\/p>\n\n
What Is a Best Practice?<\/h2>\n
Best Practices for Hiring<\/h2>\n
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