Hire The Right Crew (part two)

​In the last post we looked at the first two steps in hiring the right crew. Steps three and four are:

3. Implement a Pre-Interview Screening Process: Too many business owners waste unnecessary time interviewing candidates who are not truly qualified. Avoid this problem by implementing a simple screening process. Here are two strategies I recommend before you get to actual, in-person interviews:
Voice Mail Screening: Set up a special voice mailbox for screening purposes. In your job description ad, have candidates call the number and leave a message BEFORE they even submit a CV. Listen to the responses. Ask the applicants whose messages impress you most to send a CV and complete a psychometric profile.
E-Screening: Instead of a phone message, ask candidates to reply via email and include some specific questions that they should answer, in addition to submitting their CVs. You'll find that a surprising percentage of applicants won't even follow this simple instruction, which is a fast way to weed them out.
Depending on the number of applicants and the nature of the job, you might even add another layer of screening: a live phone interview before you get to the final step, an in-person interview.

4. Bring Them in for a Test Drive: Bring top candidates in for an on-site interview. Get a feel for their personalities. Introduce them to the rest of your staff. Create a series of interview questions and have them focus on actual past experience as opposed to theoretical future possibilities. Then make an offer to the candidate who impressed you most.

If you need additional help putting together your dream team, call me at 719-426-7643 or visit https://www.timetrade.com/book/WRZ6H to schedule a 60-minute Free Forward One Coaching Session. I have dozens of other strategies to help you find and manage high-quality employees.

Next post: Lessons from the River

(Excerpted from my eBook 6 Keys to Rapid Business Growth. Click the title for a free copy.)