Six Questions To Consider Before You Start Hiring

As an executive or manager seeking to build or augment your department team, you are eager to do what it takes to hire quickly and move onto your next action item. However, you will see better results if you take a step back and take a more strategic approach. Consider these questions before posting your first job or calling your recruiter to initiate a search.

How soon must the position be filled? Consider whether the work can be accomplished by existing employees or if you can contract interim help to avoid any coverage gaps. Identify any external pressures or deadlines that make a quick hire paramount.

What should you change? Existing job descriptions don’t always match current or future needs. Consider where you want to grow or innovate before deciding exactly what skills and experience you need to recruit for. Write your descriptions to attract the dynamic, talented people you want to attract to your team.

What can the current team tell you? Consult current employees or managers to get their input on where talent gaps currently lie. Discuss what challenges they have faced and how you can resolve them with a thoughtful hiring strategy. If you need to find candidates with a specific or difficult-to-find skill set, consider enlisting a recruiter for help.

How much budget latitude do you have? Is your budget adequate to attract candidates who will meet your demands? Consider whether you should hire fewer, yet higher-value, employees to remain within target or if you really need the additional manpower and must keep your cost-per-hire low.

What are your must-haves? Separate them from your like-to-haves. There are no perfect candidates out there and if you insist on waiting for just the right prospect, you’ll get bogged down in the hiring process and fall behind on your other objectives. Decide where you are willing to make concessions.

How do you choose the right recruiter? Selecting the right recruiting partner can make all the difference in your hiring results and stress levels. Look for those who are well versed not only in recruiting the level of talent you expect, but also those who understand your industry.

Consider partnering with the executive search consultants at BrainWorks. We can help you build a successful team and we can do it quicker and more cost-effectively than you can do it on your own. Some of the largest and most highly selective organizations trust us to search for talent and we can do the same for you. Contact us today to get started.