Finding the perfect candidate takes more than a simple job posting, phone call, and interview. The best candidates must not only have the skills to succeed, they should fit the culture of the organization and possess the intangible characteristics of a top performer. Yet, the typical interview only skims the surface of these things— beginning with a little small talk, moving into a few resume-related questions, and maybe ending with a scenario-based question or two. So how do you know you’re bringing in the best possible candidates?
Here are three keys to knowing you’re hiring the best candidates for positions in your unique organization:
Clearly understand the competencies and level of skill needed to be successful in each job role
The skills and competencies needed for a job role should be established prior to the search for candidates. This allows a standard to be set for the type of people being hired, while also ensuring that those being hired have the means to do their job (and do it well). One of the best ways to set this standard is to create skills and competency models for all critical roles. These models identify the skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviors needed to be successful in the defined role.
Know what makes a top performer
While it may be easy for you to identify who the top performers are within your organization, do you know what it is that makes them top performers? All of the people selected for a certain position should possess the skills and competencies needed for the role. However, there are certain intangible characteristics that need to be identified during the interview to determine if the candidate truly is a high performer. These characteristics will vary pending on the role and the organization.
Understand what makes someone a good cultural fit
Someone may have all of the experience, skills, and knowledge needed to be successful in a role, but unless they fit the organization culturally, they’re probably not going to be a long-term employee. It’s easy to see someone’s technical abilities on a resume, but it’s more difficult to gauge their soft skills and social tendencies. When leaders have a solid understanding of the characteristics that contribute to their organizations’ culture, they are able to ask more informed questions about fit in the interview.
Being specific about what defines success in all areas is essential to making good hires. Expectancy Learning makes mapping people’s performance against crucial skills and competencies easier, and then makes collecting and analyzing that data possible. Interested in learning more about how Expectancy Learning could benefit your organization? Let us know!
