Four Things you must do Before Hiring Someone

The hiring process initiates a long and expensive relationship between your company and an employee. It is only prudent that a manager or business owner should take every precaution to eliminate any potentially poor employees before they are hired. With this fact in mind, a business owner should, at the very least, perform these four basic, but invaluable, steps before hiring any new employee: initial interview, pre-employment testing, background screening and reference checking.

Focused Interviewing

The simple process of meeting a candidate can reveal a vast amount of information. How they dress, how they carry themselves and how they speak are only the beginning. Candidates will reveal their personalities, their level of commitment and their perspective on working. It is a simple matter for the interviewer to ask open-ended questions and then listen. This step cannot be skipped no matter how desperate you are for more employees.

Pre-employment Testing

While aptitude testing is not essential, all employees should be tested for their customer service skill, their work ethic and their integrity. A wide variety of tests is available and they have been proven to be reliable. It is short-sighted to ignore this step as the elimination of even one poor employee can significantly improve employee morale, reduce turnover, and decrease unemployment insurance premiums.

Background Screening

Interviews and pre-employment tests are proactive tests that potential employees must pass. While most candidates do not desire to fool their potential employers, there are a considerable number of people who have a talent for deception. For this reason, a drug and background screening is essential for all new employees. Prior drug abuse and/or thefts are key indicators of an employee who will not last. It is simply not wise to make the investment in candidates who fail these tests.

Reference Checking

Checking the references of a potential employee may seem pointless as, these days, most companies will only confirm dates of employment but much can be gleaned if one listens carefully. While it’s true that a previous manager will rarely state unequivocally that a candidate is a poor employee, they will often state that en ex-employee was an excellent one. Reading between the lines can yield valuable information about a potential new hire.

Think Before You Hire

Hiring is easy, firing is not. It is of the utmost importance that you carefully consider every hiring choice as you will very likely be stuck with them for a long time. Use the previous four procedures to obtain a wealth of information about your employee candidates before you make a decision, and you will be well rewarded.

Patrick Whalen is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @2patwhalen.