How To Hire The Best Talent

Hiring new employees is an important decision for any company. But for small businesses, hiring a new staff member is one of the most crucial decisions management will have to make.

Consider this scenario. Your small business currently has 9 employees and decides to hire one additional team member. If you make a bad hiring decision, 10% of your company is now underperforming. This is a scenario that can be detrimental to any small business, but one that can be easily avoided. 

At our Michigan technology services company, we’ve found that the best time to search for new talent is not when you need it. In fact, we begin the search for new employees long before we are ready to make a hiring decision.

If you wait until you have a position that needs to be filled, the time constraint could lead to a rushed decision and potentially a bad hire. Hiring someone to fill a position – only to find out they are a wrong fit for the company or are under-qualified – can lead to lost productivity that your business cannot afford.

So how do you avoid making a rash hiring decision? We suggest building a bank of available, highly qualified talent in advance of hiring. Start by getting to know the pool of available talent. LinkedIn is a great tool and should be utilized to connect with potential future employees. If a job seeker expresses interest in your company, invite them to visit your office. Even if you don’t have an immediate opening, an interested potential hire will be willing to meet with you and see what your company is all about. There is much to gain here for both the employer and job seeker. Another way to connect with potential hires is to invite them to local networking events that you will be attending. Willingness to do these things is a great sign of a dedicated and motivated employee.

Hiring interns is another excellent way to initiate the hiring process. If you’re unsure of a potential hire’s abilities or fit with your company, consider hiring them as an intern. Over time, increase the intern’s responsibilities and scope of work. If they prove themselves a valuable asset to the company, extend an offer for a full-time position.

Using these hiring practices at Vision Computer Solutions, we’ve seen a higher conversion rate for quality talent versus simply posting job openings online. Finding motivated, reliable employees that are a good fit for your company can make a dramatic difference on the future success of your organization.