Appropriate Criteria for an Effective Recruitment & Selection Program

The standards a business owner sets for hiring frequently determine the success of the company's overall operation. Effective recruitment depends on finding a pool of applicants pre-qualified for a particular position. A quality selection process means assessing which of these people have the appropriate skills necessary for the job and which can assimilate well as part of the staff.

You cannot effectively recruit people for a position in your company without first identifying exactly what qualities and skills are essential for that particular job. For example, if you want to hire someone for a customer service position, you would look for applicants educated in phone etiquette as well as front desk organizational and computer skills. You would also need the candidate to have a warm personality, professional appearance and the ability to quickly problem-solve to satisfy customers and increase their confidence in your company.

Many employers make the mistake of placing classified advertisements all over the World Wide Web and in local print newspapers. This reaches out to too great a number of individuals, which causes a deluge of calls and emails to your office. Many of these come from people who are not qualified for the job you want to fill. It is better to design a recruitment program that presents only those people who are likely to possess the skills needed for the position. One way to find them is to hire a recruiting specialist who assesses candidates for you. This is effective but costly. Another method is to talk directly with professionals who can lead you to candidates. For example, if you need someone with mechanical skills, talk to the educators at technical schools who can lead you to competent applicants.

Effective selection of the best people for positions in your company requires you to be skilled at the interview process. You must focus on what candidates say in order to accurately determine whether they can handle the job. For example, if this is a highly technical position, you have to be able to tell if the candidate has the experience and skills necessary. She has to be able to “talk the talk” so you know that she understands the position and can tackle the work with expertise. Spend time developing the questions you will ask in interviews. Stay away from generic queries such as “what is your best attribute” and instead present typical scenarios that occur in your company and ask the potential employee how she would handle them. Select candidates who demonstrate verbally the ability to manage problems and better your company with their expertise.

You can often tell as much about job applicants from their mannerisms and expressions as from their words. Part of your selection for a job position should focus on how a candidate behaves non-verbally. Look at body clues for confidence factors. For example, consider whether the person stands up straight, looks you in the eye and radiates that he can perform well in a position with your company. This is the type of person likely to do well. On the other hand, watch for clues that a candidate is insecure in his abilities. These signs can include frowning, repetitive motions such as rubbing his forehead and avoiding eye contact. Look for these as indicators but do not focus solely on them, because you need to consider the whole picture of verbal skills, non-verbal skills and the person’s resume.