Making the Hire and Still Doing Your Job

Turnover is brutal. Every hiring manager knows this simple truth. When positions are unfilled, productivity goes down throughout entire departments. And when it is your responsibility to find the right candidates for those roles, your own productivity goes down as well because this isn’t your only job. You have other responsibilities and the running of a business to focus on. And now you’re distracted by going through the hiring process, looking for the right candidate, and training that person so that your business can get back up and running as normal.

How do you prioritize those tasks, while ensuring you aren’t losing focus on your operational duties in the process?

· Know What You’re Looking For: The most important thing you can do to prevent the hiring process from taking up too much of your time is making sure you accurately define what you are looking for before ever beginning that search. What was the best thing the incumbent did in this role? What could have been improved upon? What level of education is required (truly required, not just desired) to fulfill this role? And how much experience do you want the right candidate to have? Knowing what you are looking for up front will make your life so much easier when it comes to sifting through those resumes later on.

· Don’t Waste Time: Some hiring managers are so afraid of making a wrong choice that they overcorrect by examining every resume with a fine-tooth comb. Don’t do that to yourself. Stick to your list of requirements and don’t waste time on candidates who don’t seem to measure up. Be selective about who you interview as well. Interviews take time, after all, so only bring in those candidates who absolutely meet those realistic requirements.

· Understand the Value of a Recruiter: Ultimately, this isn’t your sole responsibility. And it may not even be your core competency. Smart business owners know the value of outsourcing. In this case, a good recruiter can cut down on a lot of wasted time in the hiring process for you. Theircore competency is in reaching out to that top talent, and in sifting through the resumes to present you with only the best of the best. You have a job to do, and the best way to continue making that a priority (while still ensuring all the roles are filled in your organization) is to allow a recruiter to take on the early stages of hiring for you, leaving you with just the final decision to make between two or three ideally qualified candidates.