Who to Employ

Recruitment | HR | Business Development

I’m not saying anything new when I say that choosing staff is a major critical business decision.  The cost of recruiting (both time and dollars), and, more particularly, the cost of the wrong decisions can make choosing staff a stressful, confusing and expensive exercise.

The evaluation of candidates’ information should focus on two factors:

• the “can do” factors (ie, knowledge, skills, competency and aptitude or potential for acquiring new knowledge and skills), as well as,
• the “will do” factors (motivation, interests and other personality characteristics).

In other words, interest is focussed on what a person can and will do.

Both of these factors are essential to successful job performance.  A person who has the ability (ie, “can do”) but not the motivation to use it or to grow (ie, “will not do”) is little better than someone who is willing however unable to do the job.

So, how does the employer make a decision?  Like everything in business, there is no magic answer.  The strategy to making selection decisions for one job may be different from that used for another.  Having said this, here is some things to think about:

• what is the job all about – will it stay the same over time or will it evolve and grow with the business.
• what is the future growth of the business – is it better to employ someone with very high skills who can hit the ground running in the job quickly, or is future potential and growth capabilities better, taking a long term approach.
• should someone be hired according to their potential or according to the immediate needs of the business.
• what’s in it for the employee – what are they looking for in an employer and employment and does this match what can be offered.
• on what basis is salary (and other remuneration) determined for the immediate and the future.
• how will people be employed – full-time, part-time, casual, contract etc.
• what induction and training would be needed.
• how long would it be expected the person would stay in the employment (does it matter).
• will there be opportunities for advancement within the business as an incentive to stay.
• what probation period would be used.
• what performance needs to be met to confirm employment.

Getting the right person for the right job at the right time has enormous benefits for a business.  However the decision cannot be taken lightly.

balanixsolutions.com.au/recruitment