The first step in finding the right employee is perhaps the most crucial – before you begin to advertise the position you need to first determine what exactly that position will entail. Perform a detailed job analysis so that both you and your new employee will know exactly what is expected of them. You can do this either by auditing other employees that currently hold the same position or by reviewing comparable job descriptions. Once you have a good idea of what exactly you will need your new employee to do, write up a detailed job description for the position.
Where you go next will depend largely on your needs. If the open position requires a very specific skill set you may want to give the job description to a recruiter to see if they already have any potential matches. If the recruiter falls through, or your needs are more broad, you can follow the traditional methods of advertising the position through print or online.
Once you have interviews lined up, make sure you have prepared questions that are relevant not just to the open position, but also allows you some insight into the interviewee’s personality. While it’s true that it is vitally important that they can perform the job, it is also important that they will fit in with the culture of your workplace. You may find that a great candidate on paper “just doesn’t work out” after a few weeks on the job and you’ll have to start all over again.
Taking time to prepare the right questions saves you time in the long run.