Hiring a suitable candidate to join your team is crucial. Not only is it important to ensure that the possible candidate has the necessary skills and qualifications to do the job, but you also want to be sure that he/she will be a good fit and an asset to your team. Firstly, you need to define the specifics and requirements of the vacancy, and next, you can start your search for the ideal candidate.
Often, searching within your own business network is a good place to start. Ask your colleagues whether they do not know of anyone who may be a suitable fit. Otherwise, making use of a recruitment agency or advertising the vacancy online or in the newspaper is the way to go. Once you have found a few suitable candidates, and the interviews are arranged, follow these helpful tips as it may help you to hire the right person for the job:
Always pre-screen your potential candidates
Unfortunately, people do lie on their CV’s and anyone can appear great on paper. Therefore, always screen your potential candidates to ensure that their qualifications and experience are real and are a fit for the vacancy at your firm.
Do background checks and contact references to ensure that all is valid
Before employing someone, no matter how much you liked them during their interview, do background checks and contact their references. Doing so will confirm that he/she does in fact have the required skills, accreditations and experience required for the job in question.
Be prepared for the interview
It is not only the interviewee that should be prepared for the interview. You should be prepared and know exactly what you are looking for, and what types of questions you are going to ask, to ensure that the interview runs smoothly and that you are able to successfully identify whether the candidate will be a fit for your company and whether he/she will succeed in the position.
Make use of evaluation forms
Making use of evaluation forms is especially helpful if you are interviewing more than one candidate on the same day. The form can help you to summarise your impressions of a specific candidate and will prevent you from getting confused between different candidates. With your completed forms, evaluating your shortlisted candidates will also be easier.
Look beyond the candidate’s CV
When conducting interviews, it is important that you do not get stuck on a candidate’s CV. One individual may look better than another on paper, but you also want to be sure that he/she will fit into your team and become an asset for your firm. Try to get to know the candidate as best as you can during the interview, apart from his/her professional attributes, to determine if he/she will fit into your team.
Get to know the candidate by asking open-ended questions
During the interview, refrain from only asking standard interview questions. Most candidates will have a standard answer to such questions which means that you will not truly get to know him/her. Asking open-ended questions will encourage the candidate to expand in their answers, allowing you to gain more insight into the type of person he/she is.
At MMS Group, we are always looking for post-graduate students with a can-do attitude, wishing to complete their SAICA or SAIPA articles to join our growing team. To see a list of our current vacancies for the 2020 year of intake and our minimum entry requirements or to apply for a position at our firm, please visit https://www.mmscareers.co.za/vacancies/.