Expert Tips to Hire and Retain the Best Employees CareerMetis.com

Expert Tips to Hire and Retain the Best Employees Employees are the lifeblood of an organization. It is immensely important that an employer gets the best employees and retains them if their company should remain functioning well.Without the right hiring process and retention policies, your company will constantly lose the best employees to competitors that are doing it better than you. It will take more than just a computer skills assessment test to find out if you have the right candidate. Here are a few strategies to hire and retain the best.Make Your Company an Attractive BrandevalevalIt is not just the candidate who is being scrutinized, candidates also scrutinize the company â€" high-value candidates will compare you to your competition. Just like products on a shelf, it is the one that outshines its competition that will get picked.You can seem more attractive by doing these things:Clearly define your company values and cultureIndicate the benefits of working for an organization like yoursHave attractive packages that most pe ople look for like health care, transport allowance, vacation time and so onHave a competitive salary structureFocus on the Ideal Person, Not Job QualificationWhile it may be important to highlight the qualificationsfor the job, you also need to describe the soft skills of the ideal candidate. Help the individual evaluate themselves as they read through the job description. This should bring out the culture of the company in relation to the successful candidate. For example, use descriptions like Sociable, team player, fluent communicator, creative, open-minded and so on.It may be a good idea to use a more relaxed tone that effectively communicates what it is like working in the company in the particular position advertised. Do not be afraid to use pictures or videos of the work environment to highlight the atmosphere in the organization.Exhaust Different Channels to get the Word ouYour vacancy needs to be publicizedso that the right people can see it and gain interest. Tips 1 and 2 would be in vain if no one gets to know that there is an open position. But it is also important that you choose the right channels.Some seem more effective than others with more successful hiring rates, for example, employee referrals seem to work best as people hired this way will know more about the company and tend to remain longer.Here are the channels in order of successful hire rate.Employee referralsJob search enginesJob notice boardsInterview current employeesHire a recruiterSetup a Structured Filtering ProcessevalOnce you have a number of applications in, it is time to start filtering them to remain with only the best. This should be a well-structured process that will identify the best candidate at the end. The first step would be to choose a handful of candidates who you will call in for the face to face interview.Phone or video chat interviews are recommended as the most time efficient method. In a 3 to 5 minute interview, you could identify potential candidates. When you have the handful, call them in and do the face to face interview. Meanwhile, inform those who did not make it through.evalHave a Well Planned Orientation ProcessThe orientation process can play a big role in determining how long a new hire will spend. Ensure it is well planned to cover all that they need to know about the company and to make them feel comfortable.A copy of the employee guide book would be necessary, the employee contract, non-disclosure agreement, non compete agreement and other needed documents should all be provided during orientation.Plan Ahead When Hiring and FiringevalIt is advisable to always be on the lookout for good candidates even when there is no current need for a new hire. Keep a database of possible candidates so that you are not under pressure to fill a vacant position.Also, when terminating employment, go through processes that will ensure it does not come as a surprise and tarnish your company’s image. Having a reputation for ‘firing at will ’ does not attract good employees.When You Find the Best, Do What it Takes to Keep ThemRehiring will take a lot of time and money so when you find a good fit, have strategies that will motivate them to remain. So you need to train, motivate, and value them.You need to know where to find the right people, how to attract them, and how to choose the best by considering tests like computer skills assessment testand then keep them working for your firm. Some important points to keep in mind while choosing best candidateHighlight the Company Culture Think of it like buying curtains, before you can look for the curtains, you need to know the measurement of the window they will be covering. The Company culture is like measurement.The hiring manager needs to clearly define the culture which the right hire needs to fit into. Things like the company environment, values, norms and mission make up part of the culture and the candidate needs to fit into it.Exhaust Every Detail In finding the pe rfect fit for the company, you need to find out as much as you can about the individual and how they will get on with working with the organization. Special attentionneeds to be taken to ensure that they will actually be at home with the culture of the organization.Along with the skills and experience test, it is a good idea to have another test that sees how they would get along with the other colleagues. Some companies would choose to take the candidate out for lunch so that they can be more relaxed and there will be less issues. In an informal setting, even the red flags can be noted.Establish the Situation at Their Former Employment Sometimes an employee may be leaving one company following a disagreement it is vital that the hiring manager investigates deeper into such circumstances.evalMany organizations may just stop at receiving a recommendation from a previous employer, but other aspects of their former employment should also be looked into. Investigating deeper may reveal character traits you may need to be aware of.Embrace Variety While you want to find a fit for your organizational culture, that is no reason to ignore the benefits of having diversity. Sometimes candidates who may not exactly be the same as the people already working at the organization, can complement what already exists by bringing in what is lacking.A different way of looking at things may come up with creative problem-solving ideas that can be an asset to the company.Test Personality This may be a partly controversial assessment tool but it has proven effective in highlighting certain personality traits such as leadership quality, assertiveness, ego, energy, drive and other key personality traits that can be matched not just to the role a person will be performing, but also their suitability in terms of culture and other personalities that are already employed at the organization.In an organization where teamwork is essential, a personality test can reveal if the candidate being considered is a team player or a leader.evalAsk Leading Questions The questions you ask should be able to get the candidate to open up. For example instead of describing what it is like to work at the organization, ask them to describe their ideal organization culture and what they expect it to be like working at the organization.By identifying what the candidate is looking for in their new employment, you can figure out if they are going to be the right fit for your organization.Research It is vital that you do research on the candidate. It is a lot easier these days with Social Media, which can give you insight into a number of aspects about the individual which they may not readily reveal in an interview. Friends, former workmates and maybe even schoolmates can give you information to decide if they would be a good fit within your company.Explore the Obvious While you dig into the past and present, it is also important to look at some of the obvious aspects of a candidate. Most companies in one way or the other have to serve customers, it would be a good idea to consider if the candidate can deliver a level of customer care, regardless of the position they may be applying for.In the end, cultural fit will play a big role in determining a successful hire. Even though other aspects like Excel testing online may be necessary, if a candidate does not fit into the culture, they will not be a good hire and may not last long.