We here at Mosswood bring decades of expertise in business operations, recruitment, and HR, serving as providers and insiders to companies of all sizes and various industries. Our extensive experience has identified four effective hiring attributes that lead to hiring success and employee retention. Discover the secrets of companies that consistently hire and retain high-performing employees!
The 4 Key Hiring Attributes
Through our experience, we have identified the following hiring attributes companies that are effective at the hiring process possess:
- Job expectations and “fit” are clearly defined
- Interviewers know how to interview – and are given the time to do it
- The hiring process is as fast as possible
- There is an impressive offer and onboarding process
Let’s look at those 4 in more detail.
Job expectations and “fit” are clearly defined
The requirements for a particular position must be defined accurately – and agreed to by all those interested in the job holder’s work and outputs. That means it’s not just the last job description (jobs change constantly) and the manager or supervisor. Tip: Smart companies consider input from other sources, such as job incumbents, functional interfaces, former high-performing position holders, and customers. Also important is that “fit” is not an aside – you can hire a great driver, tech, or salesperson, but if they don’t have the values, interests, dedication, and soft skills that prevail in the team and culture (the real one!), they will likely feel or be rejected. They are taking the time to clearly define what’s needed, which means that you can be more accurate – from the moment of candidate outreach to the hiring decision.
Managers know how to interview – and are given the time to do it
Professional job interviewing is not a natural skill – even if “gut feel” is often one useful item in the hiring manager’s toolkit. Interviewers must be trained to accurately assess a candidate’s suitability regarding skills, experience, and fit. They must be able to interview accurately and legally and document the meeting effectively. Additionally, effective interviews take time, and preparation time is essential. Culturally and organizationally, competent interviewing must be an expectation of hiring managers and supervisors and a skill they all possess. Most importantly, they must be given the time and space to perform them on schedule and thoroughly.
The hiring process is as fast as possible
Don’t be misled by the title here – it doesn’t mean just hasty or rushed. It means that the process must be prioritized and expedited because great candidates have multiple options, and the best are already being courted by your competitors. And nothing says “meh” to a great candidate more than a company that doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing with the process or looks unenthusiastic about bringing them on board. In practical terms, it means that:
- The hiring process is defined, understood, and committed to by everyone, and candidates in the process, know where they are in the process/next steps
- Interviewers are available and committed to getting them done
- The decision-makers are identified, included, and scheduled
The bottom line is that hiring must be a MAJOR duty of managers and supervisors rather than a fill-in.
There is an impressive offer and onboarding process
Despite popular opinion, the hiring process continues beyond the offer stage. In many ways, it STARTS there. If you have a great candidate, your competitor, the candidate’s current employer, and the candidate know it too!
Making the hiring decision and offer is about satisfying the candidate and should include”The Wow Factor.” This is not just careful consideration of pay and bonuses, but the way the offer is delivered and something extra that is a small cost compared to the benefit of landing that employee. Tip: Effective interviewing includes finding out what kind of things a candidate will be thrilled by in an offer.
“Total Compensation” packages that include benefits such as education funding, memberships, and other relatively low-cost perks have dwindled over time as companies cut costs, but the good news is that means that standing out when the candidate gets another offer or a counter from their current employer is neither difficult nor expensive.
Finally, think about the physical offer. Is an email or a voicemail from HR the impression you want to make? Even in today’s electronic world, a written letterhead offer and a welcome package with shiny collateral and other goodies can seal the deal. Tip: The author’s wife received a beautiful bunch of flowers and a thank you note from a senior executive the same day he got a thorough welcome package and assigned a buddy to help get them started and acclimatized. It made a huge difference.
So there you have it. These are the four hiring attributes Mosswood sees in companies we consider effective in the hiring process. None involve complexity or massive expenditure – but they require the time and conscientiousness that so many companies miss because they relegate hiring to a necessary chore –when it’s an essential company competence.
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