Staffing - How To Find The Right Employees For The Job

Good help is hard to find. It always has been. It always seems that business owners either find dependable, honest employees, who just are not capable of handling the job, or they find employees who are capable of handling the job, but are not dependable or honest. The key is to find employees who are dependable, honest, and capable all at the same time. This can be one of the most daunting tasks business owners face.

Know what you are looking for before you start looking. By identifying what qualities and capabilities you are looking for in an employee, you will have a better idea as to where to find the right employees for the job. Write out a job description, and list the job duties that will be required. List any special educational requirements, as well as past work experience that the right employee should have.

You can advertise open positions in your local classifieds, but you may be better off not doing so. When you advertise to such a large group of people, you will spend countless hours wading through applications from people who are not at all qualified for the job. You are better off going through a recruiting company, which will only send you applicants that meet your basic requirements. Be sure that you are very clear about your needs when you consult with a recruiting company. There will be fees involved for the recruiting service, but often, these fees are quite acceptable when you look at the amount of time you will be saving in finding the right employees for the job.

You should also strongly consider a temporary staffing agency. The staffing agency will screen the temporary employees for you, and in most cases, send you the most qualified candidate for the job. Their temporary employee status will give you the opportunity to see if they really are the right employee for the job, without entering into any permanent employment agreements. If you are not happy with the work the temporary is doing, simply tell the staffing agency to send you different temporary. Once you find the employee that is right for the job, you will probably be required to pay the temporary staffing agency a fee to release the employee, then you will be free to hire the employee as a permanent member of your staff. Be sure that you screen the staffing agency first. Check the staffing company out with the Better Business Bureau, and ask them for referrals. Check out the referrals.

You may consider breaking the screening process up into different parts: The application process, the general qualification process, the final interview, then the background checks. The application process is self-explanatory - you simply start the ball rolling by either advertising that you have a position open, hiring a recruiting company, or contracting with a temporary staffing agency. The next step is the qualification process, where you eliminate potential employees who are not qualified to handle the job. The third step - the final interview - is the most crucial step.

Think about the interview process very carefully. Schedule plenty of time - at least one hour - for each interview. Begin the interview with general conversation. People who are interviewing for a job are most often quite nervous. Work to relax them, and once you feel that they are relaxed, begin the interview.

Write down the questions that you will ask ahead of time. Ask them about jobs that they have held in the past that relate to the position you are trying to fill. Give the candidate hypothetical work situations, and ask them how they think the situation should be handled. Try to determine if the candidate has a clear understanding of what your business is, and what position you are trying to fill. Ask them which job they've had in the past they most liked, and which one they most hated. Make a note of those two jobs on the application, and listen closely to what those past employers have to tell you when you do background checks.

Once you have narrowed down your selections to a few candidates, start doing background checks. Background checks are essential. Check and verify the candidates education, work history, and personal references. Often, the background check itself will help you make a final decision between two or three equally qualified candidates.

If you want to find the right employees for the job, make sure you are offering an attractive pay and benefits package. Find out what your competitors are offering their employees, and try to offer a package that at least compares, and preferably surpasses your competitors. You aren't just competing for business with your competitors, you are also competing for valuable employees.

The right employees for the job are not always found, but they can be created. If your only hope is to find employees who are both dependable and capable, it may be that you can implement a training process that will enable them to become capable of handling the job as well. Offering the right incentives, such as promotions and pay raises at pre-determined points, will also enable you to create the right employees for the job, as the employees will be more motivated. If you need employees who can move up through the ranks of your business, offering to help pay for additional, needed education will also be an attractive incentive for good employees.

The important thing is to be patient. Even though you may need someone to fill a position in your business right away, you must take the time to look at all of the candidates for the job carefully. If you choose the wrong employee in haste, you will only be costing yourself time, and costing your business money in the long run.

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