HIRING
BEST PRACTICES
Before You Spend Money on a Background Check
RUNNING A BACKGROUND CHECKS IS THE LAST STEP IN THE HIRING PROCESS. WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN BEFORE THAT?
(#1) BE CLEAR ON WHAT YOU NEED AND WANT IN A NEW HIRE
What Skills, Experience, Knowledge and Competencies do you need in a Job Candidate? This will help you remain on target in formulating a recruiting campaign and selection process. “I know it when I see it” is not a good approach to hiring.
(#2) MAKE YOUR JOB ADS ATTRACT SOME CANDIDATES AND REPELS OTHERS
Your job advertisements should reflect your Employer Brand and why people should come work for you and what is appealing about a position. At the same time, your job ad should contain details about the role that don’t appeal to some. The goal? Attract fewer candidates that are potentially the right fit.
(#3) DO A SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT
Assessing hard skills, job related knowledge and personality preferences is an excellent way to start your selection process – – – this before you even read a resume or interview a candidate.
(#4) PROVIDE APPLICANT WITH A JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Descriptions can be a clear road map for candidates to understand what you are looking for and what they need to bring to the table. Include performance objectives if possible.
(#5) HAVE APPLICANT COMPLETE AN EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION
This often overlooked and under utilized document can tell you a lot about an applicant. A job application is a legal document and becomes a part of an employee personnel file once hired. Legal job application requirements vary from state to state, also “Ban the Box” restriction s may apply.
90% OF YOUR HR PROBLEMS
START WITH WHO YOU HIRE
(#6) USE THE RIGHT INTERVIEW FORMAT
What will work best in hiring for the job at hand? Traditional? Group? Panel? Presentation? Informal? Task? Working?
(#7) DEVELOP INSIGHTFUL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Are you a hard worker? or Where do you see yourself in 5 years? don’t cut it. What would work? Behavioral based interview questions? Situational based interview questions? Open ended questions? Be creative. Make sure the interview questions tie directly to the skills, experience, knowledge and competencies you need in the right candidate to place in the job.
(#8) USE AN INTERVIEW SCORECARD
Put together an Interview Scorecard to help you be objective in assessing if the candidate has the qualifications you need, to help you remember the candidate and help you and anyone else doing the interviews to compare notes.
(#9 ) MAKE SURE THE CANDIDATE UNDERSTANDS THE JOB AND THE COMPANY
There is a danger in “underselling” your opportunity and also “overselling” the job opportunity. Make sure the candidate understands what success looks like in the job but also what challenges there are in the role, where the organization needs improvement, where the organization plans to go and what is changing.
(#10) GET REFERENCES DONE BEFORE MAKING AN OFFER
References can tell you a lot. First, by who is provided as a reference and second, customizing reference questions beyond “was ____________ a team player” or “was ___________ a hard worker?”
REMEMBER – SEND YOUR CONDITIONAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT LETTER
Many states require that the employee has been provided with an Offer of Employment BEFORE you run a Background Check.
Contact us If you would like a sample of a conditional offer of employment letter.
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DISCLAIMER
WorkForce411 LLC is not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation and does not give legal advice. Any recommendations presented are intended as generally informative in alignment what is considered “Best Practices” in the HR profession. WorkForce411 makes no warranty, either expressed or implied, as to any recommendations listed herein. Readers and browser of this site should act on, or refrain from acting on, employment related decisions based on counsel from a State Licensed Labor Attorney. ASK HR Subscription holders can submit a ticket to my|HR|counsel to contact an Attorney as needed.