4 Tips for Improving Your Hiring Results

By JACQUELINE LOMBARDO, MHR

Hiring can be one of the most stressful aspects of running a business. It’s also costly — especially if a new hire doesn’t work out.

Almost all business owners and hiring managers have thought they had the perfect candidate only to discover the candidate’s expectations don’t align with the organization’s needs. Or, during negotiations, the organization doesn’t offer a key benefit that the candidate is looking for.

While hiring is not a one-size-fits-all process, below are four key actions organizations should consider.

LEVERAGE CONATIVE SKILLS

When it comes to people’s minds, there are three parts:

* Cognitive (intelligence)

* Affective (feelings and emotions)

* Conative (doing)

According to the Kolbe Corp (kolbe.com/ kolbe-wisdom), people’s conative minds contain the instincts and innate attributes that define their natural method of operation (MO). Individuals are more productive, comfortable and successful when they work in their natural style. One’s conative mind drives action, and actions drive performance.

A company could have two candidates with the same education, skills and professionalism, but they would each do the job differently, and one may better align with how the organization needs the job done.

What if employers could identify if a job’s demands would line up with the candidate’s instinctive way of working? This would help increase retention and productivity and reduce job-related stress.

By leveraging conative assessments, such as the Kolbe A™ Index, organizations can help define role requirements and supervisor compatibility. Employers can also build a range of success that will help them identify the fundamentals of how a successful person will take action in a specific job role, screen candidates, streamline the hiring process and ultimately reduce turnover.

OFFER WELL-BEING PROGRAMS

The past few years have created unique challenges for many people — not only in their professional lives but also in their personal lives. Now, more than ever, job seekers are looking to see what programs an organization has that support their mental and emotional health, work-life balance and flexibility. An organization’s well-being programs (or lack thereof) can greatly impact whether a candidate wants to work for the organization.

Employers should take some time to review their current offerings in the following areas:

* Mental health and emotional wellbeing. Does the organization have an employee assistance program (EAP)? EAPs are a great way to provide a confidential source that employees can use when facing challenges. These programs provide employees with resources such as therapy, substance abuse programs, financial counseling and crisis management. Mindfulness and meditation programs or apps can also be valuable resources. Apps such as Calm (calm.com) and Headspace (headspace.com) now offer corporate plans.

* Work-life balance. How does the organization promote work-life balance? Does it offer remote working arrangements? Are there flexible work hours or is the team required to work from nine to five? Are staff encouraged to take time off and have proper backup coverage to make them feel comfortable unplugging? What kind of parental and adoption leave policies are in place?

Multiple policies and programs can support employee well-being, but it’s essential to have a well-thought-out program that employees find valuable. Establish an employee-driven wellness committee to help build and sustain the wellness culture of the organization. Then, when it comes to hiring, candidates will not only see that the company supports well-being, but they will also know that employees have a voice and say in the things that matter the most to them.

CONSIDER HIRING INCENTIVES

Hiring incentives can help attract and retain talent. But, if the organization has hiring incentives, are they communicated to the team? Employers often offer benefits for candidate referrals, and for a good reason. According to a CareerBuilder ebook, 82 percent of employers rated employee referrals highest in terms of return on investment.

There are many ways to incentivize employee referrals, including:

* Tiered system. Employees can get more rewards based on how far their referral goes in the hiring process. For example, having someone apply might be worth $100. If their candidate gets a job offer, the bonus might jump to $500.

* Long-term payout. Referral bonuses are paid depending upon how long the candidate stays. For example, once their candidate is hired, the referring employee receives $500. At the new hire’s six-month anniversary, the referrer gets another $500 bonus.

* Lump sum. Referral bonuses are paid in one lump sum once the new hire starts working.

LEVERAGE OUTSOURCING

Outsourcing is an excellent option for having someone who is not part of the company’s full-time or permanent staff complete a task or project for the organization. This on-demand help allows the staff to focus on other aspects of the business while still providing excellent client service.

Here are a few ideas of tasks and projects that can be outsourced:

* Administrative work. Some administrative tasks seem to take too much time but are vital for keeping the company running efficiently. For example, consider working with a virtual assistant to manage executives’ inboxes, schedule appointments, perform data entry work and more.

* Tax preparation. This is a great way for accounting firms to acquire seasonal help during the busy season or expertise in specific niches.

* Technology. Freelance or contract IT professionals can help handle all or part of a company’s IT needs, from software development to maintenance and support.

* Project management. An outsourced project manager can bring unique skills to the organization and help get projects completed on time and on budget.

Finding the right hire for an organization is essential to running a successful business. The company must align with the candidate’s core values, wants and needs and vice versa. Take a good look at the tips above, compare them to existing hiring processes and identify changes that can be incorporated immediately. Well-constructed hiring processes can be the difference between failing to attract qualified candidates and finding the perfect fit for the organization.

Jacqueline Lombardo, MHR, is a project manager at Boomer Consulting, Inc. She can be reached atjacqueline.lombardo@boomer.com.