6 Best Practices for Hiring Top Talent

Recruiting competent teammates for your new company can be a serious task that requires a ton of effort and time. But even though it’s big job, it’s a worthwhile one. After all, you don’t want to recruit employees who drag your company down. Instead, focus on finding new people for your company who will add to your business and help you obtain greater profits. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got your back. Keep reading for the best practices to find the best talent for your company.

Step 1. Ask for employee referrals

One of the best resources for finding awesome new hires is already within your company: your employees! Your current workers are a great resource to use to fill in gaps in your team.

In most cases, your highest performing employees will likely know other amazing candidates. So, the next time you have a job opening, approach your own employees first to see if anyone in their life might be a good fit. You can also offer a referral deal. If an employee recommends someone who ends up staying with the company for at least three months, you can provide them with a bonus for helping out.

Step 2. Message candidates with personalized messages

If you’re reaching out to a large number of candidates, it’s easy to rely on generalized inquiries that can apply to a wide variety of professionals to gauge interest for a role. After all, this method saves you time. However, you should consider taking a more personalized approach.

For example, if you are approaching candidates on LinkedIn, consider combing through their work experience and accomplishments. Doing so will allow you to pull out some standout milestones you can use in your intro message.

Step 3. Make sure you hammer home the benefits

If you’re trying to get a top performer to join your company, make sure he or she knows what’s in it for them. Many companies offer very competitive benefits, so you’ll need to make sure to let them know how your business stands out.

Step 4. Create compelling interview questions

Questions like, “What is your greatest weakness?” are standard in interviews, but that doesn’t always mean it really gets at the heart of who a candidate really is. Consider adding some compelling interview questions like the ones below:

  • Can you describe a time when you set difficult goals?
  • What project or work would you consider the most significant in your career so far?
  • Would you call yourself a leader?
  • How did you find out about our company and why are you interested in working here?
  • What’s the biggest decision you’ve made this past year?
  • Do you think it’s better to be perfect and late or good and on time?
  • Tell me about a time you messed up and what you did to fix it?
  • Who is the smartest person in your life and why?
  • What is something that’s currently part of your job that you don’t want to do again?

Step 5. Screen them

Even when candidates seem amazing at the outset, it’s still incredibly important to make applicants undergo an online background check. Not only will a background check help ascertain which candidates have a clean criminal record, but it will also show any other red flags you might need to watch out for. For example, if you’re hiring for a top financial position, it’s unlikely you’ll want to hire someone with large debts or a low credit score, since that may point to a general irresponsibility with money.

Step 6. Create a supportive onboarding process

One of the most important parts of the hiring process is actually training new hires. Make sure that your new employee has everything they need to get their job done. It’s also critical that you set up regular check-ins with your new team member, so he or she feels like there’s an open line of communication should anything go wrong.

Takeaways

As a business owner, hiring top talent should be one of your biggest priorities. If you have a business that you’re trying to grow, a new team member can really make or break it. However, if you put some thought and strategy behind your hiring process, you’ll find that you can more easily bring on an awesome employee. By following the tips in this article, you can find an amazing candidate that will help you and your company.