Managing Employees

You’re a manager and you don’t have the time to do the all of the recruiting for your open position, so you rely on other people to help you in your talent search.  Whether you depend on your Human Resources Department or outside recruiters to find the right candidates, it’s important to know what you can expect from them. 

Note:  Most companies use external recruiters for hard to fill positions.  The cost is high but worth it in a tight talent marketplace.

Time is important and you want the right candidates to show up at your office for interviews, so set clear expectations.

Someone has weeded through hundreds of resumes to come up with a short list of candidates that potentially meet the requirements of the position.    Now it’s time to interview the candidates.

What is the most important component of the interviewing process…asking the right questions of the candidates.  Most managers wing this part of the interviewing process.   They depend on their gut to access the candidate’s appropriateness for the position.  Their questions don’t delve deeply into the candidate’s experience and behaviors.  In this competitive talent landscape, you can’t go by your gut.  You need the tools to help you select the right candidate to build your business.

In this highly competitive market, finding top talent can be a challenge.   Employers are searching for successful recruiting methods to bring in the right employees to grow the business.  An employee referral program (ERP) can provide you with great talent and at a low cost.  

It does take some upfront time to create the right program for your company, as well as marketing time to educate the employees on the value of the program.  Once your made the initial investment, the effectiveness of your recruiting efforts becomes more powerful.  

You are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department and are knowledgeable around the business functions.  What about the people tasks?    Managing people starts with recruiting…finding the right talent.   I’ve created a simple systematic guide to help you through the maze of hiring the right talent.

1. Job Opening – decide who owns the recruiting process…you or Human Resources.  In some companies, HR drives the process.  In smaller companies, the manager is usually in charge of whole process.  If it is HR, you still need to be involved during many of the steps.

I’m assuming you want to locate the best talent for your open position.   In the recruiting process, the job description’s purpose is to guide you through the stacks of resumes to find the right candidates to start the interviewing process. 

The job description captures the essential functions of the role, the required qualifications to perform the responsibilities and where the position fits in the department’s structure. 

Large companies perform a thorough analysis of every position within the company.  Job descriptions are not just for large companies though, they work within the small company environment as well.   A great resource for managers in small companies is the Society for Human Resource Management.