Jekyll2024-03-15T17:32:06-04:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/feed.xmlHire Success®How to Measure and Assess Soft Skills2024-03-01T00:00:00-05:002024-03-01T00:00:00-05:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/how-to-measure-and-assess-soft-skills<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Hiring the right person for the job goes beyond identifying candidates with the required technical skills. You also want to find someone who will fit your team culture, thrive under pressure, and contribute beyond what’s listed on their resume. But how do you assess soft skills like communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence when resumes and traditional interviews can only tell you so much?</p>
<!--more-->
<p>Soft skills determine how employees interact with others: coworkers, managers, customers, clients, vendors, and anyone else they might come in contact with while representing your brand. Non-technical skills are a critical part of any job yet they’re difficult to identify and screen when assessing job candidates. How can you tell whether the friendly, outgoing person you meet will be the same person showing up for work every day?</p>
<p>Here’s what you need to know about soft skills and how to identify them.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-6">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#why-are-soft-skills-important">What are soft skills and why are they important?</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#soft-skills-examples">Examples of soft skills</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#soft-skills-assessment">7 ways to assess a candidate’s soft skills</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#can-soft-skills-be-taught">Can soft skills be taught to employees?</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong class="h3">Key takeaways</strong>
<ul>
<li>Soft skills, such as communication and collaboration, are critical for the long-term success of employees in your organization.</li>
<li>Assessing soft skills during the hiring process helps cultivate your company’s culture and minimizes the risk of making poor hiring decisions.</li>
<li>Use personality testing to objectively evaluate soft skills. Traditional methods like resumes and generic interview questions are often inadequate for measuring candidates’ soft skills.</li>
<li>Align candidates' soft skills with top performers in your organization to build high-performance teams.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="why-are-soft-skills-important" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What are soft skills and why are they important in the workplace?</h2>
<p>Soft skills are personal qualities and interpersonal abilities that often determine an employee's long-term success in their role. They include non-technical skills, such as <a href="/help/defining-personality-traits-at-work">personal traits</a> and behaviors, that impact how an employee interacts with their colleagues, adapts to change, and contributes to the team. Very few jobs are isolated. Whether they work in teams, deal with clients, vendors, the public, or the board, almost every employee interacts with others as part of their job.</p>
<p>Why are soft skills important? Because these skills will ultimately determine how successful your new hire will be and how well they will fit in, failing to assess a candidate’s soft skills is an important <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/hiring-recruitment-mistakes-to-avoid">hiring mistake to avoid</a>. While technical skills are often seen as the key to career success, research reveals a different picture: soft skills and people skills hold the real power, contributing a whopping <a href="https://www.nationalsoftskills.org/the-soft-skills-disconnect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">85% to job performance</a>.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold" id="soft-skills-examples">12 examples of the most-desired soft skills</h3>
<p>When hiring an employee, you’ll want to look for candidates with soft skills that reflect the needs of the specific position. That said, here are some examples of the soft skills that employers usually find most desirable:</p>
<ul>
<li>Leadership ability</li>
<li><a href="/personality-test/adaptability-skills-testing-for-job-candidates">Adaptability</a></li>
<li>Effective communication</li>
<li>Listening skills</li>
<li>Empathy</li>
<li>Professionalism</li>
<li>Strategic thinking</li>
<li>Problem solving</li>
<li>Time management</li>
<li>Creative thinking</li>
<li><a href="/personality-test/assess-teamwork-skills">Teamwork skills</a></li>
<li>Dependability</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Can soft skills be measured and quantified?</h3>
<p>Without the right tools, soft skills can be difficult to accurately assess during the interview process. Most traditional soft skills evaluation methods fail, sometimes disastrously.</p>
<p>The Hire Success<sup>®</sup> <a href="/personality-test">Personality Test</a> gives you the tools to objectively measure your job candidates’ soft skills. Applicants complete the assessment using a 5-point scale and 100 adjectives. Each assessment is then automatically scored by the system, which generates an easy-to-read summary report along with suggested interview questions based on the candidate's responses.</p>
<p>Consider the traditional hiring process. First, choose candidates based on their resume and what they choose to tell you. This information might be embellished or carefully edited, and, if the candidate is savvy, tailored to highlight the required skills in your job posting. Even if you’re using a recruiter, they are unlikely to understand the candidate’s personality traits.</p>
<p>So far, you’re flying blind, but that can be fixed in the interview, right? Sorry, once again. You’re only going to see what the candidate wants to show you. Worse, you may see nervousness or desperation from the perfect candidate.</p>
<p>Many interviewers will try to get a sense of the candidate’s personality by asking how they got along at their last job or to identify their strongest personality trait. They’ll hear the same answer from every candidate. It’s probably unhelpful.</p>
<p>If this sounds familiar, it’s time to get creative and throw out old school interview processes and start <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/help/interviewers-guide-to-hiring-the-right-people">hiring the right people</a> based on solid information.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="soft-skills-assessment" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">7 ways to assess a candidate’s soft skills</h2>
<p>Fortunately, there are better ways to get to <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/what-is-an-applicant-pool-and-how-can-you-improve-it">know your applicant pool</a>. Before you launch your hiring campaign, measure and assess the soft skills of your most successful employees in the role to <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/features/baselines">establish a job baseline</a>. With in-house data, you can find the most successful person.</p>
<img alt="7 ways to assess a candidate’s soft skills" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/how-to-measure-and-assess-soft-skills/how-to-assess-soft-skills-in-the-workplace-463636262efbdd783df783d350f0b5fb668427ae78639c4fbc930a5568655356df9dea5feb1ae670a8d72529381bd397b82f93f8d4da31ddda36af729782772a.png">
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Use pre-employment tests to identify soft skills</h3>
<p>One of the most powerful tools in today’s hiring process is <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/personality-test">pre-employment personality testing</a>. These types of assessments can reveal important information about a candidate, such as their organizational approach, management style, personal traits, how they interact with the work environment, as well as how they interact with others.</p>
<p>By comparing the answers given by your star performers to the others, you can shortlist candidates with the skills and personality traits of your successful employees. Hiring the right fit is good for you, your team, and your new hire. It may even be good for your brand. The right tools can help you <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">avoid bad hires</a> and the damage they cause.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Ask which soft skills the candidate thinks will lead to success in the role</h3>
<p>During the interview, ask the candidate to explain what soft skills they consider important for the job. If they don’t understand the job well enough to know what skills they need for the role, they are unlikely a good fit.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Have the candidate rank their soft skills from strongest to weakest</h3>
<p>Ask the candidate to rank their soft skills from strongest to weakest. For a candidate trying to base answers on what they think you want, it can be a minefield. Most people will either be honest or try to guess what you want to hear. Either is revealing. If they list the primary soft skills you’re looking for among their weakest skills, they are probably not the best hiring option.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Ask for work examples that illustrate their soft skills</h3>
<p>By asking for previous work examples, you give prospective employees the opportunity to show how well they understand what soft skills are necessary and how to handle difficult situations.</p>
<p>It’s a good way to assess how well the candidate would fit in your team and whether they would react in a way that would not be disruptive or damaging to your company culture.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8 pb-8 pb-md-8">
<div class="px-3">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-md-10 col-lg-9 col-xl-8">
<div class="card shadow-dark">
<div class="card-body cta-b">
<div class="row align-items-center justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-md-7 col-lg-6">
<p class="h2 font-weight-bold">Invest in future performance, predict long-term fit</p>
<p>Use our personality assessment to identify candidates who will thrive in their role and in your evolving organization.</p>
<a href="/get-a-demo" class="btn btn-success lift mx-1 my-1">
Book a demo
</a>
<a href="/free-trial" class="btn btn-success-soft btn-success-soft-solid lift mx-1 my-1">
Try it free
</a>
</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-5">
<img class="img-fluid mt-5" src="/assets/shapes/cta_b/img-e47fa6f4f85e05a970a1a4de6bea4edb0fe7842c4e16a2f8d7b9958f8bafa58ace96c0d8c56e829e39bc529b08a92b98138b6d73058d47a2a13dfa0c0ef05521.png">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<style>
.cta-b {
background-image: url('/assets/shapes/cta_b/bottom-a2dfc7fec5e8da1eaaa3c0aeb07c5ba1e185c9183b8228179db5f4efd8a69264ae3b91e90131c163229262fc3ad23e7fa50cb71c109d14e726adb281093707dc.png');
background-position: right bottom;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
}
</style>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Present an on-the-job problem that requires soft skills to solve</h3>
<p>Another good way of assessing soft skills is to present a scenario they might encounter — perhaps something that happened within your company — and ask how they would address the problem.</p>
<p>Any direct or remote team environment may require conflict resolution and problem-solving skills. How the candidate answers can potentially reveal red flags or identify someone who is a great fit for your team. Soft skills evaluation methods such as these identify great hires and <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/how-to-reduce-employee-turnover">reduce employee turnover</a>.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">6. Observe the candidate’s physical and social cues throughout the interview process</h3>
<p>Body language can reveal how people interact. Watch body language throughout the interview process to gain additional insight into their soft skills. You should be able to tell whether they are delivering confident personal answers, improvising, or trying to remember scripted answers.</p>
<p>Bear in mind that some candidates will be nervous during the interview. This may result in fidgeting, sweating, stammering, babbling, or struggling to maintain eye contact. If those behavioral issues are consistent, they may not be red flags. However, behavioral shifts might be a red flag.</p>
<p>You might also want to note how they treat others in your organization, including other potential hires, receptionists, and passersby. The last thing you want on a well-functioning team is a rude or distracting employee.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">7. Discuss the candidate’s soft skills with their references</h3>
<p>When you’re checking references after the interview, throw in a few questions about the former employee’s soft skills. Did they show signs of leadership? Were they given additional responsibilities? How did they get along with the rest of the staff? HR departments in big companies may not have answers, but some employers will share insights. Cross-reference their answers with information acquired for a better idea of how the candidate would perform on the team.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="can-soft-skills-be-taught" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Can soft skills be taught to employees?</h2>
<p>Depending on the adaptability of the employee, they can develop soft skills with training and experience much like any other essential skill. They may need to learn things like how to deal with different types of people, exercise creative thinking, or practice conflict resolution. Personality types are difficult to change, but interpersonal skills can be learned.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Tips for helping your employees develop and improve their soft skills</h3>
<p>You know why soft skills are important, but new employees may not have the experience to understand how interactions influence and enhance the team. If you have an employee with the right skills and potential, it’s worth it to help them develop the necessary soft skills to realize their full potential. It’s not just a benefit to your company. It’s an important career building step for them.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Create training and mentorship opportunities.</strong> Forging a relationship with a role model is one of the most powerful teaching methods you have. Senior employees can serve as good examples, offering a sounding board and providing valuable feedback based on close observation.</li>
<li><strong>Offer constructive feedback to your employees.</strong> Positive feedback and gently phrased corrections are essential. Keep in mind that people are sensitive to criticism and keep any instructions constructive. Mention what they are doing right and wrong.</li>
<li><strong>Use metrics to track soft skill development.</strong> Soft skill metrics can be difficult to track. Tools at your disposal include feedback from mentors and co-workers, observation, and disciplinary records. However, soft skills assessment tests help the most. Testing your employees and referring back to assessment results on a regular basis can help you measure and assess soft skills. Soft skills testing can also help you spot potential for advancement.</li>
<li><strong>Lead by example.</strong> Senior members of your organization, including you, set the tone for interpersonal relations. Use your authority to establish a robust, inclusive company culture of encouraging innovation, teamwork, and respect.</li>
<li><strong>Host interactive workshops.</strong> Live workshops that encourage workers to participate in realistic scenarios are an impactful way to demonstrate proper situation management. Be sure to include time for discussion after the exercise.</li>
<li><strong>Provide opportunities for practice.</strong> Developing problem solving abilities is difficult. Give your employees opportunities to test their skills with a company retreat that focuses on team-building. Start projects centered around company initiatives, like organizing a charity or sustainability program.</li>
</ul>
<p>The employee experience is more important than ever today. To be competitive and retain top talent, your organization must build a company culture that makes employees feel included and valued, whether working in an office environment, remotely, or both.</p>
<p>Company culture depends entirely on the soft skills of your employees. It is imperative that you <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/hiring-solutions/conduct-better-interviews">improve your hiring process</a> and hire the right people.</p>
<p>The best way to ensure hiring the right fit for your team is by starting your hiring campaigns with <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/personality-test">work personality tests</a> and comparing results to your <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/features/baselines">job baselines</a>. The effort put into hiring the right people for each position will pay for itself with a stronger team and lower turnover rate.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comHiring the right person for the job goes beyond identifying candidates with the required technical skills. You also want to find someone who will fit your team culture, thrive under pressure, and contribute beyond what’s listed on their resume. But how do you assess soft skills like communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence when resumes and traditional interviews can only tell you so much?How to Avoid Bad Hires & Their High Cost2024-02-26T00:00:00-05:002024-02-26T00:00:00-05:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/avoiding-bad-hires<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Hiring the right people to fill your team is always a challenge, and it’s even harder today. But can you afford a bad hire? Hiring the wrong employee could be one of the worst things to ever happen to your company. The negative energy from one bad hire can impact your whole office space, sink your productivity, and even damage your business’s reputation.</p>
<!--more-->
<p>To keep your team happy and bottom line healthy, you need to make avoiding bad hires a top priority.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-6">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#what-is-bad-hire">Bad hire definition</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#bad-hire-reasons">Most common reasons for bad hires</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#avoid-bad-hires">Ways to avoid hiring the wrong person</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#hiring-wrong-person">What happens when you hire the wrong person?</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#cost-bad-hire">How much can a bad employee cost you?</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#calculate-bad-hire-cost">How to calculate the cost of a bad hire</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#bad-hire-what-to-do">What to do when you've made a bad hire</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#bad-hire-help">How Hire Success<sup>®</sup> can help</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<h2 class="h3">Key takeaways</h2>
<ul>
<li>Job seekers may exaggerate or lie on their applications, so it's crucial to verify the information they provide and address any gaps or omissions.</li>
<li>The consequences of a bad hire often extend beyond financial losses, impacting team morale, productivity, and the overall success of your business.</li>
<li>Personality and skills testing, along with thorough background checks, can help prevent bad hires by ensuring candidates are well-suited for the role and your company’s culture.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="what-is-bad-hire">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What is a bad hire?</h2>
<p>A "bad hire" refers to a candidate who is selected for a position but, ultimately, turns out to be unsuitable for the role or the company. This can occur for a variety of reasons, but some of the most common ones include a lack of skills or undesirable personality traits. Employers can usually spot <a href="/blog/new-employee-warning-signs-you-shouldnt-ignore">new employee red flags</a>, but it’s important to know which ones to address and how to proceed next.</p>
<p>The full cost of hiring the wrong candidate can be significant. A bad hire can lower employee morale and actively cost your business money through their poor performance. Factor in the cost of recruiting, assessing candidates, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding new employees, and the whole experience can become both costly and time-consuming.</p>
<p>The ideal candidate for the job will be skilled, thorough, and able to get along with other members of your team. Still, how will you recognize that person? Can you prevent bad hires?</p>
<img alt="How to Prevent a Bad Hire: Prepare, Assess, Act" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/how-to-prevent-bad-hires/how-to-prevent-a-bad-hire-4af3b373877bdf4a83569079210e22827f3cbde312cfa211e183a69160e3eec91a0774cdc51a30f495967367ef338db41fbf1522076c4b18447302b948e8a84c.png">
<p>Fortunately, it’s easy for you and your company to prevent bad hires by following three steps:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Prepare.</strong> Know what your ideal candidate should have in terms of skills, experience, personality, and attitude.</li>
<li><strong>Assess.</strong> Use research, diagnostic tests, and interview skills to determine if a candidate is a smart fit. Do background checks.</li>
<li><strong>Act.</strong> Quality talent is in high demand. Be prepared to make a competitive offer immediately when you find the right candidate.</li>
</ol>
<p>By following these steps, you can find the perfect employee for any open position and set up your company for success. Let’s get started.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="bad-hire-reasons">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What are the most common reasons for bad hires?</h2>
<p>Bad hires come in several forms. Some people exude the kind of toxic negativity that can ruin a team dynamic and bring everybody down. Others are pleasant but too incompetent to get the work done. Some might be able to do the work, but are unreachable. A number of candidates lack the confidence to make a decision or complete a task without oversight.</p>
<p>When you introduce a bad hire into a team setting, the negative impacts can include overall productivity loss, lower job satisfaction rates, and even reputational damage. How do bad hires worm their way in? Here are the most common reasons people make bad hiring decisions.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Interviewer bias.</strong> A candidate shows up to an interview who seems perfect. The prospective employee fits your ideal image and similar interests. The interview goes well and you hire them. Unfortunately, they aren’t qualified for the position and your other employees resent having to pick up the slack.</li>
<li><strong>Badly defined job position needs.</strong> You haven’t properly defined the job needs and ideal candidate.</li>
<li><strong>Candidate misrepresentation.</strong> The candidate exaggerates their skills and abilities.</li>
<li><strong>Poor interview process.</strong> Your questions don’t reveal the candidate’s character.</li>
<li><strong>Not enough information about the candidate.</strong> You didn’t administer the tests that would identify the skills and character traits necessary for the job.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8 pb-8 pb-md-8">
<div class="px-3">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-md-10 col-lg-9 col-xl-8">
<div class="card shadow-dark">
<div class="card-body py-14 py-md-10 cta-c">
<div class="row align-items-center justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-md-5">
<p class="h2 font-weight-bold">Move beyond resumes, identify true potential</p>
<p>Make smarter hiring decisions using objective data on candidates' strengths, work styles, and personality traits.</p>
</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-6">
<a href="/get-a-demo" class="btn btn-success lift mx-1 my-1">
Book a demo
</a>
<a href="/free-trial" class="btn btn-success-soft btn-success-soft-solid lift mx-1 my-1">
Try it free
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<style>
.cta-c {
background-image: url('/assets/shapes/cta_c/top-de1b5d4da58973256ba9b81586d552a1aa67d208ab82a9bbbf5156c0ddd93b45110e288d59918c4dcf672680cbc167b7c1252ac663c0615a1b613b7529f90b54.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_c/bottom-grey-93c6ba601d72645c9b4519c8ba08c01244a28762c778d6d10d3d12a6454370a69ab9e025eb24019bd7448418e5667300b12d00b46f3116087889736aa2306c06.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_c/bottom-yellow-e0adc9d650a18378a5d56b4c190425863d0fb3ba67733ea4c9c408a63c851c93382998a25c4d0c8c3404f68388c416937a96176b971b9a3f7f3858376d45f159.png');
background-position: right 60px top -30px, right -20px bottom -50px, right 360px bottom 50px;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
}
@media screen and (max-width:767px) {
.cta-c {
background-image: url('/assets/shapes/cta_c/bottom-grey-93c6ba601d72645c9b4519c8ba08c01244a28762c778d6d10d3d12a6454370a69ab9e025eb24019bd7448418e5667300b12d00b46f3116087889736aa2306c06.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_c/bottom-yellow-e0adc9d650a18378a5d56b4c190425863d0fb3ba67733ea4c9c408a63c851c93382998a25c4d0c8c3404f68388c416937a96176b971b9a3f7f3858376d45f159.png');
background-position: right -20px bottom -50px, right 360px bottom 50px;
}
}
</style>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="avoid-bad-hires">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">9 ways to avoid hiring the wrong person</h2>
<p>It’s easy and costly to make a mistake. Said Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates: “Hire right, because the penalties of hiring wrong are huge.”</p>
<p>How can an employer avoid hiring the wrong person? Here are nine ways to avoid the penalties of hiring wrong.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Define your ideal candidate and be clear about your company needs</h3>
<p>Identify what makes someone a top candidate for a particular job. Before you narrow down your list of job applicants or start holding interviews, it’s best to develop an <a href="/blog/how-to-develop-effective-job-description">effective job description</a> and a list of characteristics desired in a potential employee. What might make a candidate a bad hire for your company? Will the right person be an <a href="/help/introverted-vs-extroverted-personality-types-at-work">introverted or extroverted worker</a>? Do they see the big-picture or are they a <a href="/help/delegates-details-vs-detailed-personality-types-at-work">detail-oriented person</a>?</p>
<p>For inspiration, look at the people in your office who are successful in the same position. If you’re hiring for a sales position, take a look at the personality traits of your top salespeople. What do they have in common? Depending on your industry, your top salespeople may be confident, engaging, and energetic enough to sell cars or empathetic and soft-spoken enough to serve mourners. Defining specific personality traits for each role helps you weed out disruptive or jarring personalities.</p>
<p>If you’re hiring an employee to fill a new role, look at similar job descriptions online and see what other companies seek out. This can help you formulate your ideal <a href="/features/baselines">employee hiring profile</a>.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Assess your existing hiring process and learn from past mistakes</h3>
<p>Hiring can be a waste of time. If you’re spending a lot of time interviewing people you would never hire, or worse, hiring the wrong people, your hiring process is the problem. You may be spending so much time trying to narrow down a large applicant pool using traditional criteria like experience and education that you miss the critical qualities.</p>
<p>With the ideal candidate in mind, Hire Success<sup>®</sup> can administer <a href="/personality-test">pre-employment personality tests</a> and <a href="/integrity-test">integrity tests</a> to narrow the applicant pool down to likely candidates by learning attributes you cannot uncover with a resume.</p>
<img alt="avoid hiring the wrong person" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/how-to-prevent-bad-hires/avoid-hiring-the-wrong-person-6b031f7ff7de5320e63f021aa3909d1a3083be5e0a105d5e517abb18a3a51beee87557c36770a051796219b2ae1621d9229e910843fad79f6f81c80c4da77d78.png">
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Use all available candidate sources to attract top talent</h3>
<p>Posting on a general job board can bring in plenty of applicants, but if you want to attract top talent, consider widening your search. Hiring recruiters is an effective way to lure employed candidates not actively looking for a new job.</p>
<p>To attract candidates with specialized skills, place ads on an industry-specific job board. You may also find great candidates by asking your top-performing employees in the same department to spread the word through social media.</p>
<p>Another often overlooked possibility is promoting from within. The stellar talent you need might be right under your nose. Promotion from within is great for your company image.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Look for both technical and cultural fit</h3>
<p>You need to hire people with the right skillset, but in today’s marketplace, company culture has higher importance than ever before. Consumers want to do business with companies they can relate to and expect certain behavior and values from everyone associated with your company.</p>
<p>Make sure new employees have the right <a href="/help/understanding-the-4-personality-types">personality type</a>, fit your company's image, and uphold your values. One employee carrying a swastika flag at a protest rally could undermine all the work you’ve done to build your brand. Personality testing can help you objectively <a href="/personality-test/testing-culture-fit-during-hiring">assess cultural fit</a>.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Don’t overestimate experience on account of future potential and attitude</h3>
<p>While most employers value experience, this isn’t always a good predictor of future performance. Sadly, the number of years performing a job or the number of jobs a candidate has had do not indicate the quality of their work. Workers can easily be mediocre at their jobs for decades. Some of the more charming or connected personalities can even fail upwards.</p>
<p>Conversely, an employee with great potential may have been passed over or assigned to tasks well below their abilities and appear to be mediocre when they are not. A new hire with a great attitude and the aptitude for the job may be a much better hire than an experienced person with poor performance.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8 pb-8 pb-md-8">
<div class="px-3">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-md-10 col-lg-9 col-xl-8">
<div class="card shadow-dark">
<div class="card-body text-center py-14 py-md-10 cta-a">
<div class="row align-items-center justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-md-10 col-lg-9 col-xl-8">
<p class="h2 font-weight-bold">Say goodbye to guesswork, hire with confidence</p>
<p>Try our platform for free and get unbiased, data-driven insights into candidates' personal qualities and abilities.</p>
<a href="/get-a-demo" class="btn btn-success lift mx-1 my-1">
Book a demo
</a>
<a href="/free-trial" class="btn btn-success-soft btn-success-soft-solid lift mx-1 my-1">
Try it free
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<style>
.cta-a {
background-image: url('/assets/shapes/cta_a/bolt-16743da7844bd736b93e5d1d0f8d62348d02e16d7fc2a5bddd44e45429d9477b60d0c96a4bb58efabee36e64b786c5cf6ec8368c481a579847ccb0ea5e009c42.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_a/bottom-left-3f28de6b1c82ee321212258effeedbaf18c16a067c9b145ab5d4caa30b0d0efd3077a23571213f0bbb964c7b49cf5ebbedaa06da4acee994be071f177f0e07f5.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_a/left-0bbf347e2cf6ab657d7a9c5aba897c0e737f641794804d18dbad35dc62619e506c0c9e89f946b81cbdfe0daf2e4b1eb58bbc67e2f0917303f0dd55834fcdf2c4.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_a/bottom-right-f813f054baedf3a7d5312fac2b693404d05d51d66f5751fa844870dacb9335cedb81fdcec7a3a30f9f0a5575a5b46277001f11ff2233c1f0bf381d6f3250c0ac.png');
background-position: left -20px top -20px, left 20px bottom, right 110px bottom 250px, right bottom;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
}
@media screen and (max-width:767px) {
.cta-a {
background-image: url('/assets/shapes/cta_a/bolt-16743da7844bd736b93e5d1d0f8d62348d02e16d7fc2a5bddd44e45429d9477b60d0c96a4bb58efabee36e64b786c5cf6ec8368c481a579847ccb0ea5e009c42.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_a/left-0bbf347e2cf6ab657d7a9c5aba897c0e737f641794804d18dbad35dc62619e506c0c9e89f946b81cbdfe0daf2e4b1eb58bbc67e2f0917303f0dd55834fcdf2c4.png'),
url('/assets/shapes/cta_a/bottom-right-f813f054baedf3a7d5312fac2b693404d05d51d66f5751fa844870dacb9335cedb81fdcec7a3a30f9f0a5575a5b46277001f11ff2233c1f0bf381d6f3250c0ac.png');
background-position: left -20px top -20px, right 110px bottom 250px, right bottom;
}
}
</style>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">6. Verify candidate’s information, dig into the gaps and require proof if needed</h3>
<p>Job seekers tend to lie and exaggerate their applications. During the interview process, it’s important to verify all the information you can and find out why there are gaps or omissions. While your job description may put a higher value on experience or knowledge over academics, you might want to know if a potential hire lied.</p>
<p>Candidates might also exaggerate their skills. That’s where Hire Success<sup>®</sup>' <a href="/aptitude-tests">aptitude and skills tests</a> come into play. Hire Success<sup>®</sup> can assess the true potential of your prospective hires.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">7. Don’t overlook candidate red flags and follow your gut</h3>
<p>In the rush to hire, interviewers often ignore red flags. Be aware of the signals candidates are sending and explore any concerns ahead of time. If you sense something isn’t right, trust your instincts. The following examples could be signs of a bad candidate:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>They don’t ask any questions.</strong> Lack of questions could indicate no interest, arrogance or fear that questions will reveal weakness.</li>
<li><strong>They avoid discussing any flaws.</strong> Refusing to acknowledge weaknesses could indicate lack of humility or self-awareness.</li>
<li><strong>They arrive late to the interview.</strong> While there are many legitimate reasons to be late, it may indicate disorganization.</li>
<li><strong>They are unprepared for the interview.</strong> A good candidate will understand the position, be qualified, and know at least the basics about the company.</li>
<li><strong>They don’t seem adaptable.</strong> If you mention additional job responsibilities and they object, they may never be able to adapt to change.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">8. Give yourself enough time to make a final hiring decision</h3>
<p>It’s more important to hire the right person than fill the seat. Given the cost of a bad hire and how devastating a toxic personality can be to your team, it’s better to take the time needed to attract, identify, vet, interview, and onboard the right new team member rather than settle for someone with the right technical skills.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to perform reference checks and background verification to avoid any unwanted surprises down the road.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">9. Set clear expectations for the hire and define next steps</h3>
<p>You can’t expect new employees to hit the ground running without instructions. During the hiring process, you should know their strengths and weaknesses. Before hiring is finalized, make sure they understand what the job entails and what comes next. Walk them through the onboarding and training process.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What happens when you hire the wrong person?</h2>
<p>It might take some time to realize you’ve hired the wrong person, but you’ll eventually discover the employee isn’t the right fit. You might see mistakes on the job or personality conflicts with colleagues or clients. If the signs are subtle, you and your managers might be in denial. Who wants to admit they’ve chosen the wrong person and go through the hiring process again?</p>
<p>Some managers prefer to keep an underperforming employee to avoid the hassle of starting over the hiring process. However, keeping a bad hire ends up costing a lot more time and money than you may think.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="cost-bad-hire">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">How much can a bad employee cost you?</h2>
<p>When you hire the wrong person for a job, it creates a ripple effect of inter-organizational problems.</p>
<p>Some of the most common problems are easily identifiable. For example, a dip in sales is often the trademark of a bad hire. Not all costs are easily measurable, though. A bad employee can affect the morale and productivity of your entire staff, upset loyal customers, and cause catastrophic indirect disruptions.</p>
<p>Here are some of the most common consequences and costs of having bad hiring strategies at your business:</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="financial-impacts-bad-hire">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Hiring costs</h3>
<img alt="How a bad hire can affect your business" class="img-fluid my-6" src="/assets/posts/how-much-can-a-bad-hire-cost-your-business/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-an-employee-db4e82369b8a95ed61b43356a30bac7c4d30b4590bcc0ba7a061d508a08f9d51330168702fa2205ffdcd308bf5e0b8d17f21114bcb85d474ad7c87cbacd4450d.png">
<p>Zippia <a href="https://www.zippia.com/advice/cost-of-hiring-statistics-average-cost-per-hire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that the average cost per hire in 2021 was $4,425, with the median cost at $1,633. In other words, the more a position pays, the more hiring costs. In 2023, Jobera <a href="https://jobera.com/cost-of-hiring-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> the average cost to be even higher at $4,700. CFO cost far more to hire than officials in middle management. Either way, hiring a new employee is a major investment.</p>
<p>Depending on industry and location, the average time to fill a vacancy is between 36 and 42 days. That’s more than a month short-staffed, potentially affecting every aspect of the business.</p>
<p>Dealing with the fallout of a bad hire and then starting the whole hiring and training process over is both time consuming and expensive.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="low-employment-productivity">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Low employee productivity</h3>
<p>When an employee fails to meet job expectations, it affects the entire organization's goals.</p>
<p>One employee turning in poor performance could prevent your company from meeting sales or revenue goals or meeting project milestones. Low performing employees force others to pick up the slack. To meet departmental goals, they must spend time correcting errors or helping to get another employee’s work done.</p>
<p>This has a cascading failure effect, limiting the potential and productivity of the remaining team.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="wasted-time-recruiting-training">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Wasted time spent recruiting and training</h3>
<p>When you add the cost of hiring a new employee to the cost of training, it’s a considerable expense. The time spent training a newly hired employee is an investment in both the business and the person. The average new start takes 3 months to become fully productive.</p>
<p>A hire without training or experience might cost less financially, but will require a longer adjustment period. Some applicants might look great on paper, but have the personality of a wet napkin. If they don’t fit your team’s dynamic collaboration, they won’t get the job done.</p>
<p>Hiring is a two-way street. This is a job-seeker’s market. If they don’t like your company or don’t fit in with your team, they are quick to quit. There’s even a name for the record number of people leaving their jobs: <a href="https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/summer2021/pages/reducing-turnover.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Great Resignation Wave</a>.</p>
<p>Hiring and training a new person who ultimately doesn’t fit with your team, only for them to take those skills elsewhere is disappointing, frustrating and expensive. To prevent wasting time and money on a bad hire, it’s critical to know what <a href="/blog/hiring-recruitment-mistakes-to-avoid">hiring mistakes to avoid.</a></p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="low-employee-morale">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Low employee morale</h3>
<p>Staff turnover has a detrimental effect on employee morale and recruitment. Every remaining team member has to pick up the slack, working extra hours to cover the extra workload. The negative impact can cause bad attitudes and resentment.</p>
<p>Equally, a bad fit with the existing team can detriment team spirit. A toxic work environment leads to increased sick leave and lowers overall productivity significantly.</p>
<p>High turnover can also affect the quality of prospective talent. With social media, news of a toxic work environment spreads quickly.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="damage-company-reputation">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Damage to your company’s reputation</h3>
<p>Having the wrong person in a role can affect your brand. Customers today have more ways than ever to spread the word about their experience and social media users aplenty love the shock value of a terrible service story. Online reviews can directly affect sales and a badly handled complaint can create nightmare headlines. It pays to avoid bad hires.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="lost-prospects-customers">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">6. Lost prospects and customers</h3>
<p>Negative reviews sparked by bad hires can be devastating. Poor customer service and unprofessional mistakes lead to lost revenue. Existing customers may cut ties rather than risk a repeat negative experience and new client prospects will go elsewhere instead.</p>
<p>In extreme circumstances, reputational damage could affect your vendor relationships and where you can advertise.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="calculate-bad-hire-cost">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">How to calculate the cost of a bad hire</h2>
<p>The formula for calculating cost per hire is:</p>
<p>The value of all internal recruiting costs plus the value of all external recruiting costs, divided by the total number of hires for a specific period.</p>
<p>Typically, internal recruiting expenses include:</p>
<ul class="">
<li class="list-item">Job advertisement fees</li>
<li class="list-item">Candidate assessment costs</li>
<li class="list-item">Recruitment branding</li>
<li class="list-item">Hiring manager’s salaries</li>
<li class="list-item">Employee benefits</li>
<li class="list-item">Travel expenses incurred while recruiting new employees</li>
</ul>
<p>External recruiting costs include the contractual costs of a recruitment agency, external recruiter or staffing firm.</p>
<p>Taking into account employee turnover, costs range between 100% and 300% of the replaced employee’s salary, and that more than 20% of new hires will subsequently leave the post within 12 months. The cumulative cost of hiring the wrong person can be expensive.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="bad-hire-what-to-do">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What to do when you’ve made a bad hire</h2>
<p>Finding the right person for the job isn’t easy, and having the wrong employee on your team — even briefly — is expensive. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses suffer from hiring the wrong person for the job.</p>
<p>You need to find people who are well-suited to their jobs. You need to find them the first time. Ideally, with the right team, you’ll build a working environment that encourages quality hires to stay with you for years.</p>
<p>Now, let’s talk about what to do should you make a bad hiring decision.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="apply-focused-feedback-reassignment">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Apply focused feedback or reassignment</h3>
<p>Focused feedback directs attention to the most important aspect of an employee’s areas for improvement. With extra training or a different job assignment, you may be able to save a disappointing hire.</p>
<p>If reassignment is possible, financial losses might be mitigated by not having to go through the hiring process again for that post. The investments already made into hiring and training the employee is not entirely wasted.</p>
<p>Employees don't always underperform as a result of poor hiring decisions. Trust your instincts. You hired this person for a reason. Additionally, shop within. Sometimes the best employees are already inside your organization.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="identify-9-keeping-bad-hire">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Identify the current and future expense of keeping a bad hire</h3>
<p>Poor sales, missed goals and deadlines are just a few examples of the cost of hiring the wrong person. Every missed sale, goal or deadline risks revenue loss and compounds further problems. Before losses add up to a significant problem, it’s wise to assess the situation before taking action. Your choices are to retrain, reassign, or cut your losses and a toxic hire.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="prepare-exit-plan">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Prepare an exit plan</h3>
<p>When conducting interviews and making hiring decisions, choose a backup candidate or two in case your initial choice doesn’t work out. If you can identify a bad hire quickly and act decisively, having a second choice candidate already in mind makes sense.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="fire-gracefully">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Fire gracefully</h3>
<p>If you have to fire a bad hire, it's going to be an uncomfortable conversation. The new employee knows his performance isn’t up to par, but may be defensive or even accusatory. The best way to handle the issue is kindly, but firmly. You may be surprised, the employee may have ideas about how they can improve or what training they need to get better results.</p>
<p>There are a few ways to soften the blow. Tell them how impressed you were with their interview and qualifications and explain that they were simply not a good fit for the team. Tell them that the job description calls for some other qualification. Ask them about their experience and invite input on how the team can improve. Treating an exiting employee with dignity is good for your brand image. Make it a positive interview and offer to provide a reference.</p>
<p>Of course, hiring the right person in the first place is the ideal situation, but things don’t always go as planned.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8" id="bad-hire-help">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">How Hire Success<sup>®</sup> can help limit your hiring expenses</h2>
<p>Given the high cost of hiring the wrong person, it’s worth investing in the hiring process to <a href="/blog/hiring-recruitment-mistakes-to-avoid">avoid recruitment mistakes</a>. Finding the right person the first time is a science and art.</p>
<p>Using scientifically-backed <a href="/personality-test">personality</a> and <a href="/aptitude-tests">aptitude tests</a>, Hire Success<sup>®</sup> cuts down the cost of hiring by identifying candidates with preferred traits and skills.</p>
<p>Hire Success<sup>®</sup> then produces personalized questions for each candidate, helping you get to know your potential employee better in the limited interview time. This information identifies candidates who tick all the boxes and helps you get a better idea of which applicants will shine.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comHiring the right people to fill your team is always a challenge, and it’s even harder today. But can you afford a bad hire? Hiring the wrong employee could be one of the worst things to ever happen to your company. The negative energy from one bad hire can impact your whole office space, sink your productivity, and even damage your business’s reputation.Pre-Employment Screening Process and Methods2024-01-30T00:00:00-05:002024-01-30T00:00:00-05:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/pre-employment-screening-process-methods<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Pre-employment screening can dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your hiring process by helping you and your team make informed, objective decisions about who should make your shortlist and, ultimately, who you want to hire.</p>
<!--more-->
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#what-is-pre-employment-screening">Pre-employment screening definition</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#pre-employment-screening-process">7-step process of pre-employment screening</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#pre-employment-screening-legality">Legal considerations</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#pre-employment-screening-timeframe">How long can pre-employment screening take?</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="what-is-pre-employment-screening" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What is pre-employment screening?</h2>
<p>Pre-employment screening is the process of evaluating your job candidates and determining their fit for the role before making a hiring decision.</p>
<p>It entails reviewing a candidate's resume and application materials, then using pre-employment tests, background checks, and other methods to verify their skills and the information they've provided.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Why you should always screen job candidates</h3>
<p>The minimal time and effort it takes to include pre-employment screening in your hiring process will <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">reduce your risks and save you considerable costs</a> in the long run.</p>
<p>A bad hire is a waste of the time and money spent on recruiting, training, and paying someone who ultimately leaves your organization. They can also have a negative effect on culture, morale, and productivity. With a bad hire, you may even lose customers and suffer damage to your company's reputation.</p>
<p>Employment screening is an objective, fair, and efficient way to prevent mistakes and find strong members for your team.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="pre-employment-screening-process" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">7-step process of pre-employment screening</h2>
<img alt="Pre employment screening process." class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/pre-employment-screening-process-methods/employment-screening-a12a98ee24344284bad1e87b66dc99ce9242098d7182dac3b9b704fd9ba213e86813bb85936eab3c77f26f75420a663185051c741a7033f85fa6c16c1bc12225.png">
<p>Things like checking references and performing background checks are only part of what a pre-employment screening process is. To be effective, you should integrate <a href="/resources/guide-to-employment-testing/what-is-pre-employment-testing">pre-employment testing</a> in the right spot in your process. The following time-tested steps will help you quickly find and hire the best candidate.</p>
<ol>
<li>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Review resumes and cover letters to select applicants that meet minimum requirements</h3>
<p>The first step in employee screening is to determine the minimum qualifications for the job. This will allow you to quickly sort through resumes, identify candidates who meet the basic requirements, and develop an effective shortlist. Some companies use software to perform the initial sorting, but human eyes should always be a vital part of the process.</p>
</li>
<li>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Perform initial phone screenings to refine your list of applicants</h3>
<p>After you have a list of potential candidates, you will want to do another round of employee screening through phone calls and short phone interviews. You can quickly assess a large number of people over the phone, get a feel for their personality and abilities that can't be conveyed on a resume, and avoid <a href="/blog/most-common-problems-with-interview-process">common problems with the interview process</a> that can bog you down later.</p>
</li>
<li>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Test skills and aptitude to verify qualifications</h3>
<p>Your pre-employment screening should test both skills and aptitudes. With <a href="/skills-assessments">skills assessments</a>, you are measuring the mastery of learned abilities acquired through training and on-the-job experience. On the other hand, <a href="/aptitude-tests">aptitude tests</a> measure the natural abilities and potential of a candidate. You are testing their capacity to think and reason and their facility in acquiring new skills, solving problems, and adapting to new situations.</p>
<div class="mt-6 mt-md-8">
<a href="/free-trial" class="btn btn-success-soft lift mb-1 mr-1">
Try it free
</a>
<!-- Get a demo vs. Request a demo? -->
<a href="/get-a-demo" class="btn btn-success lift mb-1 mr-1">
Get a demo
</a>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold mt-6 mt-md-8">Assess personality to ensure role and culture fit</h3>
<p>Employment screening should include a <a href="/personality-test">personality test</a> that can help you assess a candidate's cultural fit in your organization. You may also want to test candidate values with an <a href="/integrity-test">integrity test</a> to gain insight into how a person may deal with challenging choices and situations. These tests help you find people who will work well on your teams and who will be a positive reflection of your company values.</p>
</li>
<li>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Interview your top candidates</h3>
<p>Including pre-employment checks and tests early in your pre-employment screening process ensures that you use your valuable interview time on the most promising candidates. Employee screening and <a href="/workplace-assessments">workplace assessments</a> remove people who may not be great fits early in your process.</p>
<p>Working with Hire Success<sup>®</sup>, you can customize the questions on the tests you administer based on your company's specific culture, industry, and needs. You'll be able to truly fine-tune your pre-employment screening to fit your job opening and your company.</p>
</li>
<li>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Check references and verify work history</h3>
<p>This is an essential step in the pre-employment hiring process. You can make sure candidates have the experience they say they do, and you can identify red flags and possible problems they have had in previous jobs.</p>
<p>Talking to people who personally know a candidate will give you invaluable insights into who they are and what they can do for your company. You will reduce hiring risks by taking the time to perform these pre-employment checks.</p>
</li>
<li>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Perform a background check to prevent legal issues</h3>
<p>A comprehensive background check will further reduce your risks. You will also be able to verify employment, education, and licenses. The more you know about a job candidate ahead of hiring them, the lower your chances of making a potentially expensive mistake.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="pre-employment-screening-legality" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Legal considerations</h2>
<p>Your pre-employment screening needs to comply with employment law so that you are not at risk of being accused of discrimination and unfair hiring practices. Some people wonder if <a href="/resources/guide-to-employment-testing/is-employment-testing-legal">employment testing is legal</a>.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, the tests are legal, but you can run into trouble if you don't administer them fairly or use them properly. Hire Success<sup>®</sup> can help by ensuring your pre-employment screening process is both legally compliant and effective.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="pre-employment-screening-timeframe" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">How long does pre-employment screening take?</h2>
<p>Pre-employment testing doesn't slow the hiring process. In fact, taking the time to administer pre-employment tests shortens each step, while improving your overall hiring effectiveness.</p>
<p>In today's competitive job market, the best candidates won't wait for an offer. If you can't move quickly, you'll likely lose them. These <a href="/blog/why-hiring-takes-so-long-and-how-to-speed-it-up">tips for speeding up hiring</a> ensure your process is efficient by helping you identify strong candidates so you can quickly build your team with confidence.</p>
<p>We invite you to connect with us to learn how pre-employment screening can help you find and focus on the best job candidates.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comPre-employment screening can dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your hiring process by helping you and your team make informed, objective decisions about who should make your shortlist and, ultimately, who you want to hire.The Hiring Process Checklist: A Step-By-Step Guide2022-05-02T00:00:00-04:002022-05-02T00:00:00-04:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/hiring-process-checklist-step-by-step-guide<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Talent acquisition is more competitive than ever today. Employers face the tightest job market in history: low unemployment rates, high job mobility and a wide skills gap. It's more difficult to fill critical jobs. Companies large and small need to develop an efficient hiring process to attract, identify, and hire people with the right skill sets and attributes to fit your team.</p>
<!--more-->
<p>Developing a strategic hiring process checklist is key to fast, efficient hiring. Having updated job descriptions and success profiles ready helps streamline the process. Data-based technology helps you grease the wheels of your hiring process and ensure smooth, decisive action by identifying the best candidates fast.</p>
<p>Here's a hiring process checklist you can use to get on the right track.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#reasons-for-a-hiring-process">What is a hiring process?</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#checklist-for-hiring-employees">What are the steps in the hiring process?</strong></a></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#hiring-process-timeline">Average hiring process timeline</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="reasons-for-a-hiring-process" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What is a hiring process and why do you need it?</h2>
<p>The hiring process encompasses every facet of recruiting, identifying and hiring the right people. In today’s market where there are far more open positions than qualified applicants to fill them, you need a refined hiring process to find the best and brightest candidates.</p>
<p>If your hiring process is working properly, you should be able to attract a <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/what-is-an-applicant-pool-and-how-can-you-improve-it">pool of high-quality applicants</a>. They’ll have the skills and personalities best suited to the open position and avoid the inconvenience and <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">cost of a bad hire</a>.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="checklist-for-hiring-employees" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">15-step hiring process checklist for employers</h2>
<p>Your checklist should be created before you need to hire. Determine which characteristics and traits are most critical ahead of time, then keep them top-of-mind throughout the interviewing and onboarding processes.</p>
<p>How well you structure your hiring process determines whether you can efficiently identify and hire candidates who will excel at their jobs. This also determines whether you’ll waste time, money, and resources on bad hires.</p>
<img alt="hiring process checklist" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/hiring-process-checklist-step-by-step-guide/hiring-process-checklist-a225271bf83bdb1def11d374f9e58fae696f6b30fdb01cd09a46fb6a48edd5017ad4e5a9fc61f30e34093d5e6447c027fb13f36ee061ef80902578e660610a84.png">
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 1: Identify which roles you need to fill</h3>
<p>The need for new hires could stem from filling a position recently or soon to be vacated, the need to add to a team to better manage workload, or expand. Open positions may be due to new jobs added, recently vacated positions or departing employees.</p>
<p>Depending on the circumstances, you may have plenty of notice before a position opens. Responsible people in critical roles usually make an exit plan and may even help you find their replacement. However, sometimes an opening cannot be foreseen due to sickness, family issues, or other uncontrollable factors.</p>
<p>To identify which positions you need to fill, meet with your internal team to review openings. Following a hiring process checklist ensures that your time-to-fill is shortened and your process remains consistent.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 2: Establish your budget and timeline</h3>
<p>For each new position, determine the salary and any other budget considerations, such as signing bonus or relocation budget, and set up a timeline for each step of the hiring process.</p>
<p>To <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/why-hiring-takes-so-long-and-how-to-speed-it-up">speed up the process</a> and hire more efficiently, be prepared with <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/developing-baselines-the-untapped-wealth-of-information-in-your-office">baseline success profiles</a> for each critical job role. You can establish baselines by testing your top-performing employees and determining the traits and characteristics most vital to success in the role. With success profiles established, you’re ready to launch a hiring campaign as soon as a position is vacated.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 3: Create a job description</h3>
<p>An <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/how-to-develop-effective-job-description">effective job description</a> includes an overview of the responsibilities and requirements for the vacant role. You’ll use it to write an ad that attracts people with the skills and qualifications you need.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 4: Post and promote your job internally and externally</h3>
<p>When you <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/how-to-write-successful-job-ad">write your job ad</a>, your goal should be to appeal to candidates who will value their jobs, be successful and be proud to work for your company. In addition to required skills and education, your job ad should include salary and benefits, as well as details about your company culture. The best hires don’t just have the necessary skills; they are a good fit for your team.</p>
<p>During this hiring process step, you’ll need to decide how and where to look for candidates. Chances are, you already have your eye on people within your organization who show potential for advancement. You’ll cover more ground by promoting the job opening inside your company, inviting recommendations, and posting online.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 5: Administer and review applicant assessments</h3>
<p>Once applications start rolling in, it’s important to have a structure in place to assess candidates before you waste time and money interviewing unsuitable candidates. <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/employment-testing">Pre-employment testing</a> is an effective way to determine whether a candidate has the skills and <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/personality-test">personality</a> most likely to result in success on the job.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 6: Shortlist your applicants</h3>
<p>With data gleaned from pre-employment testing, you can quickly narrow a large pool of candidates down to an <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/how-to-shortlist-job-applicants">applicant shortlist</a> with real potential. Data makes it easy to identify potential hires who fit your job success baseline and meet all the requirements you need. This step cuts down on wasted time.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 7: Conduct initial phone screenings</h3>
<p>Your checklist for hiring employees should include an initial phone interview between an HR representative and a shortlisted candidate. During the phone interview, you can confirm the candidate’s qualifications, ask for information about any gaps in their resume and talk about your organization’s culture and values. If the phone interview goes well, the next step is a face-to-face interview.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 8: Perform candidate interviews</h3>
<p>In-person interviews have changed recently. Even before the novel Coronavirus, remote work was becoming more common. Conducting your in-person interviews by video call presents a few challenges because it’s harder to gauge body language and the micro-expressions that reveal deception. Whether you’re interviewing in person or via video chat, it’s important to ask <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/effective-interview-questions-to-ask-your-next-hire">effective interview questions</a>.</p>
<p>Interviewing isn’t always straightforward. Candidates have a vested interest in showing you only what they want you to see and giving you the answers they think you want. <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/most-common-problems-with-interview-process">Interviews have a lot of potential pitfalls</a> you need to know. Have your <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/hiring-solutions/conduct-better-interviews">interview checklist</a> ready and look out for red flags, rehearsed answers, and signs of deception.</p>
<p>You may want to jot down notes and impressions during the interview to make assessment easier in the next step.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 9: Identify and present top candidates</h3>
<p>After interviews conclude, your team will need to assess each candidate before making a decision. Assuming all qualifications are comparable, use your notes to further narrow down the list, and check to see if any candidate brings something new to the table. For example, a recent graduate who minored in psychology could add an extra dimension to a marketing position.</p>
<p>Compile and share notes with your department heads and decide which candidates will move forward in the interview process.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 10: Hold candidate selection interviews</h3>
<p>The candidate selection interview often involves a small panel comprised of the initial interviewer and other interested parties, which may include the department manager, team leader, and other HR department team members. Together, the team holds a high-level interview with the shortlisted candidates to settle on the best possible choice.</p>
<p>Additional input from multiple people can confirm the original interviewer’s opinion and may spot issues or inconsistencies missed in the initial interview.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 11: Perform background checks and check references</h3>
<p>By this hiring process step, you have chosen your primary candidate and at least one backup candidate in case your first choice falls through. Now it’s time to check references and look for criminal records, credit issues, and social media red flags. If your favorite candidate misrepresents themselves, a thorough background check will reveal what they’re hiding.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 12: Make a job offer and sign contract</h3>
<p>Once you’ve settled on the candidate, you’ll need to write up an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include details such as the benefits and perks available to employees. Quality candidates may consider other jobs, so make sure your offer is competitive. The candidate may want to negotiate. When you’ve worked out the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 13: Notify other applicants</h3>
<p>It’s important to follow up with applicants who did not get the job. If you keep track of people you shortlisted, you can reach out to them in the future if another position opens. Replying is a common courtesy after the interview process and may make past applicants more receptive to a future offer.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 14. Prepare onboarding paperwork</h3>
<p>Before your new hire can begin work, there’s always paperwork to do and information to collect. You’ll need to have the employee fill out state and federal tax forms, set up direct deposit if applicable, provide copies of ID and social security.</p>
<p>At the same meeting, you can go over the employee handbook and issue a security badge if necessary. Having everything prepared in advance will make the process smoother and more efficient.</p>
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Step 15. Begin the onboarding and trial period</h3>
<p>Finally, the new hire reports to work. Most employers have a trial period to ensure the employee is adapting to the job. Especially in the early stages, it’s important to make the new hire feel welcome and comfortable. Make sure they have all the equipment and resources necessary to do the job.</p>
<p>Because hiring is such an exhaustive and costly process, you want to provide everything possible to ensure the success of new hires. If you choose well, it will pay off for productivity, retention, and office harmony.</p>
<p>Create a checklist to monitor the progress of the new employee for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://humanresources.vermont.gov/sites/humanresources/files/documents/Supervisor%27s%20Hiring%20and%20Onboarding%20Checklist7_25_19_0.pdf">up to six months</a>. Review work, talk to the employee and coworkers and identify any areas of difficulty. Make sure they have the ongoing training and mentorship they need if necessary.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What’s the average hiring process timeline?</h2>
<img alt="the hiring process timeline" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/hiring-process-checklist-step-by-step-guide/hiring-process-timeline-6a0dcc8b121d0b3074d0fbeddf884d0825effd50d784c6fdbebadb9084fbf22e7d8941d4c69e17caa2209c7c6a649411874424f3645498ae0c4534315f76b6f3.png">
<p>Time-to-fill is different for each company, but you need to be aware that top talent is in high demand. If you’re in need of high-performing professionals or tech experts, you must be prepared to make quick decisions before a competitor snatches them off the market.</p>
<p>Under normal circumstances, it takes an average of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://sbdc.mt.gov/_shared/docs/Classroom/RecruitingMetrics.pdf">42 days</a> to fill a position. Today’s hiring market is not normal. In this hypercompetitive environment, your HR team needs to learn <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/why-hiring-takes-so-long-and-how-to-speed-it-up">how to speed up hiring</a> and be ready to make fast, confident decisions. A hiring process flowchart and step-by-step checklist will help you get it right.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Adopt a standardized hiring process checklist</h2>
<p>Hire Success<sup>®</sup> <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/best-recruitment-tools-for-your-hiring-process">recruitment tools</a> and services are designed to help you <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/hiring-solutions/conduct-better-interviews">improve your hiring process</a>. Using data-driven insights, they help you develop job success profiles and identify the best potential candidates, then provide <a href="https://www.hiresuccess.com/reports/personality-profile-interview-questions-sample-report">effective interview questions</a> to ensure you’re making the right choice.</p>
<p>With a robust hiring process checklist in place and data analysis to inform your choices, you’ll hit the ground running when you need to fill a vacancy.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comTalent acquisition is more competitive than ever today. Employers face the tightest job market in history: low unemployment rates, high job mobility and a wide skills gap. It's more difficult to fill critical jobs. Companies large and small need to develop an efficient hiring process to attract, identify, and hire people with the right skill sets and attributes to fit your team.Do College Degrees Impact Employee Performance?2022-03-26T00:00:00-04:002022-03-26T00:00:00-04:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/do-college-degrees-impact-employee-performance<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>When you browse job listings, you quickly notice that employers are still looking to hire college graduates for many office jobs. Most white collar job postings and many trade jobs list a bachelor’s degree or higher as a requirement.<!--more--> Many employers want new hires to have experience in addition to education. However, this traditional, cookie-cutter approach to hiring may limit your applicant pool, exclude great potential and leave you with a substandard employee whose greatest achievement was not failing for four years.</p>
<p>The key to hiring is to reject traditional methods and adopt data-driven success metrics. You can hire with confidence by using the right tools and knowledge, knowing the person you choose has the skills and traits to be successful in the position whether or not they have a college degree.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#is-a-college-degree-still-valuable">Is a college degree still valuable?</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#do-employers-value-education-or-experience">Which do employers value? Education vs. experience</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#skill-based-hiring-vs-degree-based-hiring">Skill based hiring vs. degree based hiring</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#why-employers-require-degrees">Why employers require a college degree</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#how-degree-inflation-affects-employability">How degree inflation affects employability</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#lifetime-of-college-degree">The lifetime of a college degree</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="is-a-college-degree-still-valuable" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Is a college degree still valuable?</h2>
<img alt="what is the value of a college degree" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/do-college-degrees-impact-employee-performance/value-of-a-college-degree-50dc9ef361f5a789211d4d1ce5044fdbe99464c391f89f3cf683bdbf66d7ad090ea6164562f7dd0b3b09666b12cfe83f08c0ccc241dfab2cb18e3b1d42f0e4b4.png">
<p>With unemployment at historic lows, people switching jobs at record pace, and the gig economy in full swing, you may be surprised to learn the value of a college degree is not decreasing. The data is clear, <a href="https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2021/data-on-display/education-pays.htm" target="_blank">the higher your degree, the more you earn</a>. With a high school degree, you can expect to earn about $781 per week, a master’s degree $1,545, and a professional or doctorate degree $1,885.</p>
<p>However, in some industries, other factors such as experience and skills may offset lack of education. More and more employers are relying on testing to find talented prospects who may not be as impressive on paper.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="do-employers-value-education-or-experience" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Which do employers value: education or experience?</h3>
<p>Whether employers care about college over experience usually depends on the industry and position open. To fill trade or vocational jobs, employers usually depend on skill based hiring. For example, experience is far more desirable than a degree when hiring a delivery driver or security guard.</p>
<p>However, many jobs require a certain level of education. Degree based hiring is common for white collar and high-ranking jobs, such as administrator.</p>
<p>Other job postings list experience plus a specific degree. Some may waive a degree with plenty of experience combined with the skills or <a href="/help/how-trait-values-are-determined">personality trait values</a> foreshadowing success. It depends.</p>
<img alt="Education vs experience venn diagram" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/do-college-degrees-impact-employee-performance/education-vs-experience-9afcc4d0daf2936a5edc889875645fcbd87de3009fb2ecf2ebc9ac4da0a047ee9e123c3c356c320eca7023a671fc69dd17c49ce6369cc234aed429cf600633c7.png">
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h4 class="font-weight-bold">Can work experience replace education?</h4>
<p>This is a tricky question that depends heavily on the job and applicant. If you’re hiring a cabinet maker, four years of woodworking experience is far more valuable than four years spent earning a degree.</p>
<p>The same can be true of tech workers. Bill Gates famously dropped out of Harvard to start his own business. You may be surprised to learn that Steve Jobs (Apple), Michael Dell (Dell), Elon Musk (Paypal, Tesla), and Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) are also college dropouts. Can you imagine not hiring one of them because of that?</p>
<p>These are extreme examples and not every college dropout is a brilliant entrepreneur who succeeds beyond their wildest dreams. There are still plenty of bright, innovative minds out there who can’t afford to consider college and don’t have the backing to launch a business. The problem is identifying these budding geniuses with unimpressive educations.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="skill-based-hiring-vs-degree-based-hiring" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Skill based hiring vs degree based hiring</h3>
<p>Degrees are useful and necessary for many positions that require intricate knowledge. Surgeons are the most obvious example. Surgery is not something you can learn from YouTube videos. Other good examples include accountants, professors, and lawyers. Degree-based hiring makes sense for these positions.</p>
<p>Skill based hiring makes more sense for far more jobs, including managerial positions. Another important consideration is personality; whether a new hire is the right fit for both the position and the team.</p>
<p>Bill Wednieski, Managing Director of the recruiting agency The Headhunters, gave Hire Success<sup>®</sup> some candid advice about hiring the right person.</p>
<p>“In my business, I talk to many hiring managers who don't have a lot of patience,” Wednieski stated. “They don’t want to hold anybody's hand. They want candidates who can hit the ground running. That requires experience.”</p>
<p>“And then I have managers representing very warm, open team cultures,” Wednieski continued. “They want people who fit into the culture. It’s not going to work if they hire people with the wrong type of personality. Candidly, you can't put a bull with a bull.</p>
<p>“So I screen out any candidate whose personality would clash with the team.”</p>
<p>The challenge for every human resources manager is finding candidates with the combination of skills, personality, education, and experience to be productive and successful in the job.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="why-employers-require-degrees" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Why do employers still require a college degree?</h2>
<p>College degrees can certainly be valuable, but they only represent one possible metric to determine success in a position. While degree inflation — the trend of seeking applicants with a degree for a job traditionally held by people without a degree — may introduce more educated workers, it does not always translate to more successful employees.</p>
<p>In 2017, Harvard Business School researchers <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/news/releases/Pages/degree-inflation-us-competetiveness.aspx" target="_blank">analyzed 26 million job postings</a> and found a clear preference for college degrees. To complete the report, they asked 600 business and HR professionals about their experiences.</p>
<p>The most interesting finding: “Employers generally perceive degreed and non-degreed workers in the same occupation as nearly or equally productive on many performance metrics.”</p>
<p>In fact, most reported paying degreed applicants significantly more and not seeing a difference in productivity between employees with or without degrees. So why do employers require a bachelor's degree?</p>
<p>The inexplicable drive for employees with degrees has a chilling effect on the middle class. People perfectly capable of doing jobs, often even for less, are excluded before they even apply. At the same time, it narrows the applicant pool for employers.</p>
<p>“Degree inflation is corrosive to U.S. competitiveness in two ways,” said Joseph Fuller, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School. “It slams the door of opportunity in the face of Americans with the experience to do a job or the aptitude to grow into it. It simultaneously makes it harder for American companies to find and retain affordable talent.”</p>
<p>When it comes to education versus experience, it’s time to rethink the hiring process for many positions.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="how-degree-inflation-affects-employability" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">How degree inflation affects employability</h3>
<p>For job seekers, unnecessary degree requirements limit the jobs they can apply for, even if they have the required skills and experience. And since white people and people from countries where higher education is cheap are more likely to have the required degrees, it limits their applicant pool and results in less diversity in the workplace.</p>
<p>Degree inflation ultimately chips away at the middle class. As degree requirements are added to more job postings that traditionally did not call for degrees, people without degrees are excluded. This makes it increasingly hard for people without college degrees to earn a viable living.</p>
<p>There are some encouraging signs of change, especially in tech fields. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that 47% of Apple employees do not have college degrees. The Apple initiative, <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/11/apple-expands-everyone-can-code-to-bring-more-coding-resources-to-teachers-and-students/" target="_blank">Everyone Can Code</a>, is a globally distributed learning program that begins as early as kindergarten and is used in training facilities, schools, and state colleges. The goal is to teach essential skills to any child or adult willing to learn about coding.</p>
<p>As we move further into the IoT, more high-paying jobs are opening to talented tech people who do not have a college degree. This is happening even as middle management jobs are lost to the perceived - but not always actualized - value of a college degree.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="lifetime-of-college-degree" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">The lifetime of a college degree</h3>
<p>Given other indicators of job success, you may wonder if the value of a college degree is decreasing. The undeniable answer is no. As demonstrated by the Harvard study, employers do care about college degrees and research says it pays off throughout the graduate’s lifetime. Not only do they earn more on average than most people without a degree, they enjoy more job stability.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://1gyhoq479ufd3yna29x7ubjn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/cew-college_payoff_2021-fr.pdf" target="_blank">Georgetown University study</a> showed that during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, workers with more education were more likely to keep their jobs and work remotely.</p>
<p>The same research revealed that factors other than education influence lifetime wages. Age, field of study, occupation, gender, race and ethnicity and geography all play a part. Women earn less than men, Asian and white people earn more than other ethnicities and architecture and engineering majors are the highest paid people with bachelor’s degrees.</p>
<p>To put earnings in perspective, the average worker with a high school degree or GED earns a median of $1.6 million during their lifetime. In comparison, a worker with a bachelor's degree earns a median of $2.8 million during their lifetime.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">A better way to predict employee performance</h2>
<p>The most significant hiring challenge is checking off all the boxes to give a new hire the best chance of being successful in their role. Sometimes, an even bigger challenge is determining which boxes need to be checked.</p>
<p>Hire Success<sup>®</sup> is here to help you with <a href="/blog/best-recruitment-tools-for-your-hiring-process">recruitment tools</a> to help you <a href="/hiring-solutions/conduct-better-interviews">improve your hiring process</a>. These tools enable you to build success profiles based on the <a href="/aptitude-tests">skills, aptitude</a> and <a href="/personality-test">personality</a>. You’ll find your best workers, identify candidates that best fit the success profiles, and conduct targeted interviews designed to uncover what you really want to know.</p>
<p>Use Hire Success<sup>®</sup>’ data-driven assessment tools to find out if the candidates in your application pool with the most impressive degrees are really the best fit for the job or a waste of money. <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">Bad hires are costly</a> and what makes a good hire might just surprise you.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comWhen you browse job listings, you quickly notice that employers are still looking to hire college graduates for many office jobs. Most white collar job postings and many trade jobs list a bachelor’s degree or higher as a requirement.What Is an Applicant Pool and How Can You Improve It?2022-03-24T00:00:00-04:002022-03-24T00:00:00-04:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/what-is-an-applicant-pool-and-how-can-you-improve-it<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Attracting an applicant pool is the first step to filling a position. Finding well-qualified applicants isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Because the value of the hire depends heavily on the quality of your applicant pool, it’s worth the time to ensure you have outstanding candidates before interviewing.</p>
<!--more-->
<p>How do you ensure your applicant pool is filled with the best talent? It’s not guesswork. It’s science and process. Here’s what you need to know.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#applicant-pool-definition">Applicant pool definition</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#understanding-applicant-pool">Understanding your applicant pool</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#improving-applicant-pool">How to improve your applicant pool</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#organizing-large-applicant-pool">How to manage a large applicant pool</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="applicant-pool-definition" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What is an applicant pool?</h2>
<img alt="what is an applicant pool?" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/what-is-an-applicant-pool-and-how-can-you-improve-it/what-is-applicant-pool-83ea7970d1369029831bb1dc356bc58069f4f0cccfe3947fc76720cfb69b95a8f7dd2800158620a9d0fdcf3daabe4021c751f3019fcec76e464b5437a1fd56a1.png">
<p>An applicant pool consists of people who apply for an open position. Building an applicant pool is only the first step in a hiring process filled with hundreds of applicants, many of which are unsuitable for the post advertised. That’s why organizing applicant pools can be messy without an efficient process and great tools.</p>
<p>Applicant pools are generally blind, meaning you’re seeing the resumes for the first time. This is different from a talent pool, which is a database of people you’re already interested in potentially hiring.</p>
<p>When you start with a large applicant pool, there’s a lot of work ahead to narrow your list down to a viable candidate pool with a list of qualified, suitable candidates that spell success in the open position.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="understanding-applicant-pool" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Understanding your applicant pool</h2>
<p>Filling a job with a successful candidate is challenging at the best of times — and with unemployment at an all-time low, it’s even more complex. The job market is volatile and fast-moving. Excellent candidates are snatched up fast, but hiring the wrong candidate because of a shallow candidate pool remains a costly mistake.</p>
<p>Understanding your applicant pool is more important than ever today. Here’s why:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Reduce hiring costs and time-to-hire.</strong> A well-qualified applicant pool means you won’t waste time interviewing people not worth hiring. With a smart vetting process up front, you can short-list candidates before you meet them.</li>
<li><strong>Help reduce employee turnover.</strong> Flawed hiring procedures commonly result in increased <a href="/blog/how-to-reduce-employee-turnover">employee turnover</a>. Too often, new employees are either a bad fit for the position or a bad fit for your team. In the worst-case scenario, they can hurt your company culture or damage your reputation. <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">Avoiding bad hires</a> is a must.</li>
<li><strong>Improve the quality of candidates.</strong> One of the main issues with the traditional hiring process is seeing what the candidates want you to see. You have a better chance of identifying valuable employees and not just those who appear more charming if you understand the applicant pool.</li>
<li><strong>Increase diversity in the workplace.</strong> <a href="/resources/ways-to-increase-diversity-in-the-workplace">Diversity in the workplace</a> can bring entirely new perspectives into play. Getting to know your potential hires based on personality, ethics, and capabilities before meeting them supersedes any preconceived ideas. It also helps you identify the best candidates based on success criteria.</li>
<li><strong>Add remote workers.</strong> Some areas still lack diversity and well-educated prospects, even in the United States. What if you have global customers, but your offices are in budget-friendly Kentucky? If you’re wondering how to get a diverse applicant pool and attract people with higher education, remote workers may be the best answer. You’ll also gain a much larger applicant pool.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="improving-applicant-pool" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">5 steps to improve your applicant pool</h2>
<p>Vetting your applicant pool can be time-consuming and time is a luxury. You’ll be prepared for some departures. However, it is not always possible. An accident, illness, or family emergency could pull a critical employee away. Additionally, essential lower-level workers might leave with short notice.</p>
<p>Fortunately, you can take steps in advance to ensure that your applicant pool is swimming with high-quality fish when you’re in a time crunch to fill jobs.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Be specific with job descriptions to gather the right type of applicants.</h3>
<p>The first step in finding an improved applicant pool is bettering your job postings. To craft an <a href="/blog/how-to-develop-effective-job-description">effective job description</a>, it’s important to understand the roles, skills, and responsibilities needed in the position. Your job postings should define the kind of person you’re searching for, the necessary skills and experience, and what their role will be within the organization.</p>
<p>You’ll also want to include something about your company culture to attract the right kind of personality. Some job seekers will thrive in a high-intensity setting, while others prefer a relaxed atmosphere. A good job description will discourage job seekers from looking elsewhere.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Define the ideal employee’s traits to attract the right personality type.</h3>
<p>The ideal hire for your organization needs the right skills and experience, but a highly successful employee will have specific personality traits. Your job posting can explain both the technical skills and soft skills required for the position.</p>
<p>The tricky part is identifying necessary traits. The knowledge base for this task is already under your roof. Your top employees can help you <a href="/features/baselines">establish a baseline for a successful hire</a>. Since a <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">bad hire can be surprisingly costly</a>, defining success baselines for each position can save you tons of frustration, time, and money.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Publish job postings to the most relevant channels first.</h3>
<p>After you’ve consulted your employee success baseline and crafted an <a href="/blog/how-to-write-successful-job-ad">effective job listing</a>, you should carefully consider where to place the post. One effective way of figuring out the most relevant channel is to ask your recent hires where they found it.</p>
<p>While job boards are good for general positions and Linkedin is more likely to connect you with management and C-Suite candidates, you may find the best candidates in industry-specific groups on social channels. By discussing open positions in targeted social settings, you may pull inquiries from people only thinking about changing jobs or not actively looking.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Train existing employees and maintain a talent pool.</h3>
<p>Another great way to improve the applicant pool is by maintaining a talent pool. Talent pools are a known quantity of people who have already caught your attention. Your talent pool may include:</p>
<ul>
<li>People who applied before and were on the shortlist</li>
<li>People who work for competitors</li>
<li>Employees of your organization with potential for promotion</li>
<li>Employee recommendations</li>
<li>Ex-employees who left without contention and might be willing to return</li>
</ul>
<p>You may accidentally overlook great potential. Your best new hire might already be inside your organization.</p>
<p>The key to discovering hidden talents is to give your employees the support necessary to move up in their careers. Not only does this make successful hiring much faster and easier, but also ensures your new employee is a good fit. Lower-level positions are almost always easier to fill, and employees love a career path that includes the potential for advancement without having to find a new job.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Expand your search if you can’t find qualified local job applicants.</h3>
<p>Your ideal job candidate might not be local. To find the right fit, you may need to expand your horizons and applicant pool. With remote becoming increasingly mainstream, there are benefits for employees and employers alike. If local talent is hard to find, consider updating your policies to include remote workers. It’s also a great way to get a diverse applicant pool. With no geographical boundaries, finding the perfect candidate should be far easier, and you’ll bring in greater diversity in the process.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="organizing-large-applicant-pool" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">How to organize and manage a large applicant pool</h2>
<p>Bill Wednieski is a professional recruiter and Managing Director of The Headhunters, a corporate recruiting agency. He told Hire Success<sup>®</sup> about the difficulty of managing and making a decision with a large, highly qualified shortlist.</p>
<p>"I might find six or seven or eight different candidates that are all different and unique to make a really difficult decision for the employer,” Wednieski said. “Ideally, you want to get it down to the best three or four."</p>
<p>Wednieski also talked about how timing plays a role. Sometimes employers need to fill a position immediately to avoid losing business, and it can be a real challenge to successfully fill a position in a hurry. However, long time frames may present a problem as well.</p>
<p>“I had another [hiring situation] where a long-time employee is retiring at the end of May,” Wednieski said, “If I meet a candidate on March 2 and the company is not ready to hire until May 1, how do I keep the candidate excited about this role?”. The answer to this question will depend on a number of things, such as who the particular candidate is, what position they're applying for, and how the rest of your onboarding process is structured.</p>
<p>Managing large applicant pools can be a challenging and time-consuming process. Fortunately, there are tools to narrow down a <a href="/blog/how-to-shortlist-job-applicants">shortlist of candidates</a> with the best qualifications, experience, skills, and personality traits to fill the open position.</p>
<p>Shortlisting takes place after the <a href="/features/hiring-campaigns">hiring campaign</a> produces results and before interviews begin. Some of the <a href="/blog/best-recruitment-tools-for-your-hiring-process">most efficient recruitment tools</a> you can use are part of Hire Success<sup>®</sup>’ pre-employment testing system. You can find out what potential employees can do, discover hidden potential, and gain insight into questionable personality traits.</p>
<p>Using baselines established by regularly testing top employees, you can compare applicant answers to success profiles for the specific open position. It’s like knowing who is most likely to succeed in the job and fit into your team before you meet them for the first time.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comAttracting an applicant pool is the first step to filling a position. Finding well-qualified applicants isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Because the value of the hire depends heavily on the quality of your applicant pool, it’s worth the time to ensure you have outstanding candidates before interviewing.Why Hiring Takes So Long and How to Speed It Up2022-02-26T00:00:00-05:002022-02-26T00:00:00-05:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/why-hiring-takes-so-long-and-how-to-speed-it-up<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Talent shortages and increased competition has made hiring difficult in a pandemic. Top candidates are often swept off the market quickly, meaning businesses who fail to act fast are left to choose from a smaller, less-qualified applicant pool. You’ll be able to sign the most in-demand talent by shortening your recruitment process before your competition lures them away.</p>
<!--more-->
<p>Fortunately, you can speed up the hiring process and hire the best talent on the market.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#reasons-for-slow-hiring-process">Why does the hiring process take so long?</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#speeding-up-hiring-process-is-essential">Why to speed up your hiring process</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#cost-of-a-slow-hiring-process">Cost of a slow hiring process</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#effective-ways-to-speed-up-hiring-process">7 tips to speed up the hiring process</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#tools-to-speed-up-hiring-process">Tools to speed up your hiring process</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="reasons-for-slow-hiring-process" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Why does the hiring process take so long?</h2>
<p>Hiring is often a slow, complex process. Before a <a href="/features/hiring-campaigns">hiring campaign</a> starts, you need clear knowledge of what you’re looking for in a candidate. Then you search. Then you vet. Then you interview. Finally, you have a shortlist.</p>
<p>Here are some of the most common reasons why the hiring process is so slow.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Poorly written job advertisements</h3>
<p>Before you can write an <a href="/blog/how-to-write-successful-job-ad">effective job description</a> to attract the right kind of candidate, you need a comprehensive description of the job responsibilities and a clear idea of what kind of person is most successful in the position.</p>
<p>Are your most successful employees in this role personable, high-energy go-getters? Are they low-key, compassionate people-pleasers? The language used in advertising should be crafted to appeal to the best personality type for the job.</p>
<p>Starting with a targeted candidate pool will save you tons of time spent weeding out unsuitable candidates during interviews. <a href="/personality-test">Personality tests</a> administered to your top employees can help you establish a <a href="/features/baselines">job baseline</a> for the person most likely to succeed.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Ineffective interview process</h3>
<p>Interviewing is both an art and a science. Most interviewers use the same tired questions anyone can find online and hear the same canned answers as a result. To avoid the most common <a href="/blog/most-common-problems-with-interview-process">problems with the interview process</a> and speed up hiring, you can tailor each interview to the job and ask revealing questions. This will likely give you insight into traits like integrity, problem-solving ability, and personal values.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Considering too many job applicants</h3>
<p>Having to sort through a large number of job applications is a common reason why the hiring process takes so long. Fortunately, there are many tools to narrow the list to a shortlist of great candidates before the interviewing process happens and speed up the recruitment process. For example, you can make tailored <a href="/workplace-assessments">pre-employment tests</a> part of your application process and interview only the top candidates.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Unrealistic expectations of the candidates</h3>
<p>Very few job candidates are going to be perfect, closeby, and instantly available. If you’re committed to holding out for a prodigy with a proven track record, don’t expect a fast recruiting process. If you’re evaluating candidates based on gut instinct, expect another barrier. Only a data-driven scientific approach will offer realistic expectations and a faster hiring process.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Lengthy decision-making process</h3>
<p>Top talent is always in high demand, especially so when unemployment is low. Don’t expect talented job seekers to stay on the market for long. If unnecessary procedures and red tape complicate your hiring decisions, you could end up losing the most qualified candidates. Additionally, your hiring process could get even longer.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="speeding-up-hiring-process-is-essential" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Why speeding up the hiring process is essential</h2>
<p>The pandemic has changed everything for job seekers. The last couple of years have been dubbed “The Great Resignation” because so many people have left their jobs for new opportunities. Companies are hungry for top talent, and with remote work the new normal, they can find that talent anywhere.</p>
<p>In this highly competitive market, you may wind up either having to settle for a less qualified candidate or resign yourself to a long, slow job search if you’re not prepared for fast-recruitment.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="cost-of-a-slow-hiring-process" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">The cost of a slow hiring process</h3>
<p>If you try to rush the hiring process, you may end up overlooking key aspects of a candidate and making a <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">costly bad hire</a>. Similarly, moving too slowly in the hiring process can also have negative consequences:</p>
<ul class="">
<li class="list-item"><strong>Losing out on top candidates.</strong> Top talent is a hot commodity and employers are moving fast.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Increased recruitment expenses.</strong> The longer the process drags out, the more it costs.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Reduced revenue and productivity.</strong> Your staff can only cover so much extra work. While the position remains unfilled, you’re losing money and overworking remaining staffers.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Poor candidate experience.</strong> No one likes to wait for an answer and many candidates walk away when there’s a torturous process and a long delay. You can count on frustrated job seekers to post bad experiences on social media, which may discourage others.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="effective-ways-to-speed-up-hiring-process" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">7 effective ways to speed up your hiring process</h2>
<img alt="7 ways to speed up your hiring process" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/why-hiring-takes-so-long-and-how-to-speed-it-up/speed-up-recruitment-process-eb1622024c7883aa0e1f60539b6def074d02bec980288af6ba7d051d5ab29fda3a0ee0dd369213cd616affb1c9289939814112d7e3cac6bc018e067ce61a97ec.png">
<p>With so much at stake, it might be time to rethink and streamline your hiring strategies. Here are seven ways to make fast recruiting your new normal.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Promote from within the company</h3>
<p>The BLS reports nearly <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm" target="_blank">11 million jobs unfilled</a> in the United States. With a scarce talent pool and a highly competitive market, finding qualified candidates might be a challenge. As a result, an increasing number of organizations are pivoting to <a href="https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/Pages/Recruiting-Talent-Acquisition-Trends-Great-Resignation-2022.aspx" target="_blank">internal mobility</a> and identifying hidden talents internally. <a href="/aptitude-tests">Aptitude tests</a> and personality assessments can help you find and polish hidden treasures.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Identify and eliminate unnecessary steps in your process</h3>
<p>In order to speed up your hiring process, you need to answer the question “how long does the recruitment process take at my business?” Start by getting an accurate measurement of your current time to fill.</p>
<p>Time to fill is the total time it takes to fill a position. It begins when your organization decides to fill an existing or upcoming job opening and ends with a new hire.</p>
<p>Once you’ve established how long it takes, you’ll be able to pinpoint problematic areas and pinpoint areas to shorten.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Target the right job candidates with your job ads</h3>
<p>Your job posting is the key to attracting the right talent. Information should be accurate and concise. List job responsibilities, education and experience requirements, and what kind of candidate you’re looking for. It should also be persuasive, giving a rosy overview of corporate values and culture. To reach top talent, you should also make the advertisement <a href="/resources/ways-to-increase-diversity-in-the-workplace">inclusive</a>.</p>
<p>What’s more, you should also incorporate language that specifically attracts the right <a href="/help/understanding-the-4-personality-types">personality types</a> per position. Using wording that would appeal to a risk-taking, fast-paced personality may not resonate with a detail-oriented perfectionist and vice versa. Accuracy, conciseness, inclusivity, and charm will improve your talent pool and shorten the recruitment process.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Automate tedious aspects of your hiring process</h3>
<p>One way to speed up the hiring process is to automate aspects of it with an <a href="/hiring-solutions">applicant tracking system</a>. An effective ATS can help you perform a number of tasks with ease. It helps you track your candidate’s application status, prompt applicants to take relevant pre-employment tests, view and <a href="/features/share-reports">share test results</a>, and keep your pipeline organized throughout the process. A good ATS helps you efficiently develop shortlists of qualified candidates, especially if you’ve developed a detailed job analysis beforehand for comparison.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Reach potential candidates through a variety of applicant channels</h3>
<p>Limiting your recruiting efforts to a single platform can reduce the amount of applications you receive for a position, slowing down your hiring process as a result. The more sourcing methods used throughout the process, the more likely you are to find the right candidate quickly.</p>
<p>Some of the top channels include job boards (60%), social professional networks (56%), and word of mouth (50%). Those aren’t the only options. You can also ask for employee referrals, promote from within, and post <a href="/features/job-openings">job openings</a> on your company website to help fill open positions faster. By tracking the applicant-to-interview ratio data for each channel, you’ll be able to see where your most qualified candidates originate.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">6. Improve your communication with candidates and internal team</h3>
<p>Communication with candidates should be consistent, timely, and transparent. However, that’s not always the case. Roughly <a href="https://www.hci.org/blog/statistics-rethink-your-candidate-experience-or-ruin-your-brand" target="_blank">60% of job applicants</a> never hear back from employers following their interview.</p>
<p>With improvements, you’ll be able to keep candidates interested in the position and make the hiring process faster, since candidates will be more likely to wait for a job offer. That means you won’t have to reconsider other final contenders or start over.</p>
<p>Prioritize communication with the top candidates in your applicant tracking system. Reach out to them first.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">7. Check references early in the process</h3>
<p>Checking references can take up to a week. It’s a good idea to start as soon as you have identified your shortlist of candidates. This will not only shorten the hiring process, but also allow you to get back to candidates quickly and help retain their interest in the position.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="tools-to-speed-up-hiring-process" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Tools to speed up your hiring process</h2>
<p>If you’re using an inefficient hiring process, qualified candidates can slip through the cracks, leaving you struggling to fill your vacancies. If you can speed up your hiring process and improve the overall candidate experience, you will also improve retention and <a href="/hiring-solutions/reduce-hiring-costs">cut business costs</a>.</p>
<p>Hire Success<sup>®</sup> can help you reduce your time to hire without sacrificing quality in the process. Easily establish benchmarks for any position. Use pre-built or <a href="/custom-test-builder">customizable pre-employment tests</a> to quickly assess a candidate’s skill set. Administer <a href="/personality-test">personality tests</a> to determine whether a candidate would be a good fit and share results with your hiring team in a matter of seconds.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comTalent shortages and increased competition has made hiring difficult in a pandemic. Top candidates are often swept off the market quickly, meaning businesses who fail to act fast are left to choose from a smaller, less-qualified applicant pool. You’ll be able to sign the most in-demand talent by shortening your recruitment process before your competition lures them away.How to Reduce Employee Turnover2022-02-25T00:00:00-05:002022-02-25T00:00:00-05:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/how-to-reduce-employee-turnover<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Losing valuable employees is expensive, disruptive and time-consuming. Between severance pay, temp coverage, hiring expenses and training new employees, the costs of losing staff — especially top performers — can quickly add up. If you’re like many managers, you seek strategies to keep your people happy and reduce employee turnover.</p>
<!--more-->
<p>That’s why having effective strategies to reduce employee turnover will pay for itself. Ultimately, effective retention begins with forward communication about needs and wants for both sides. Successfully doing so will be the difference between turnover and retention.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#what-is-employee-turnover">What employee turnover is</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#employee-turnover-types">Types of employee turnover</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#causes-of-employee-turnover">7 causes of employee turnover</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#ways-to-reduce-employee-turnover">How to reduce employee turnover</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#employee-turnover-tools">Tools to prevent employee turnover</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="what-is-employee-turnover" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What is employee turnover and why does it matter?</h2>
<p>When companies fill the roles of former staff with fresh hires, that's employee turnover. Most companies track the employee turnover rate periodically.</p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic had a surprising effect on employee turnover. Dubbed "The Great Resignation” or "The Great Walk Away” by economic analysts, millions of people left their jobs in search of new opportunities. Still, the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf" target="_blank">unemployment rate remains steady</a> at 4%. Some workers are finding better jobs and many are leaving to start their own businesses or work in the gig economy.</p>
<p>Employees leave for many reasons. Some losses are inevitable, but if your employee turnover rate is high, you have a costly inconvenience.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="employee-turnover-types" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Types of employee turnover: voluntary vs. involuntary</h3>
<p>Employee turnover is often voluntary and involuntary. When an employee decides to leave, it's voluntary turnover. If the employee is terminated, it is involuntary turnover. Because each type of turnover is different, tracking both voluntary and involuntary turnover can help pinpoint your problem.</p>
<ul class="">
<li class="list-item"><strong>Voluntary turnover.</strong> Voluntary turnover is when a worker chooses to leave their job for any reason. This includes new job opportunities, adverse health, helping family, emigration, and entrepreneurship.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Involuntary turnover.</strong> Involuntary turnover is often the result of termination. This includes firings, lay offs, and contractuals. Understanding why people must be fired is another important metric. If it happens often, the problem may be bad management, a toxic workplace, or practices <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">resulting in bad hires</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>While these are the most common types of employee turnover, there are other classifications. For example, an occasional employee may retire, die or vacate their position due to an internal transfer. Employee transfer doesn’t always reflect badly on the company or position. However, if turnover is consistently high, it’s imperative to know why.</p>
<img alt="types of employee turnover - voluntary and involuntary" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/how-to-reduce-employee-turnover/types-of-employee-turnover-bd1529cb749722ab8d97207dc6102e937b95c05ef40b35ad7fe40bc1ed352e0ee2f7a52fa9bb1200ac480a91c20d3f637c1a21e5027726cb51f52a4d790ea4aa.png">
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="causes-of-employee-turnover" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">7 common causes of employee turnover in an organization</h3>
<p>There are many reasons an employee may leave or face termination. Some reasons for termination are obvious. Absenteeism or theft are great reasons to administer <a href="/integrity-test">integrity tests</a> before hiring. In many cases, the reason for leaving could likely be avoided with proper retention <a href="/hiring-solutions/improve-employer-employee-relationships">management strategies</a>.</p>
<p>Common causes of employee turnover include the following:</p>
<ol>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Improper management.</strong> When employee turnover rate is high, poor management is often the cause. Managers set the tone for the workplace. Bad managers may micromanage, and treat employees badly or unfairly. They may show favoritism. This creates a toxic work environment and often results in high turnover.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Poor employee selection.</strong> In some cases, the employee is <a href="/blog/new-employee-warning-signs-you-shouldnt-ignore">not a good fit for the job</a>. They may not have the right skill set or temperament to meet requirements. Your hiring process needs an overhaul if that happens often.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Overworking employees or setting unrealistic expectations.</strong> Chronically overworked employees are most likely unhappy and unhealthy. Your workers need and deserve a reasonable work-life balance. Without it, they will seek another job.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Few opportunities for growth and advancement.</strong> It’s important to invest in your employees and offer room for professional growth. Failing to do so could drive top talent away. Many employees favor mobility over a dead-end job.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Unsatisfactory wages or benefits.</strong> Employees will be incentivized to leave your company if you’re not offering a salary and benefits package in lockstep with industry standards. Research your competition and ask employees for input to ensure adequate offers.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Inadequate training and learning resources.</strong> When new employees arrive, they need support to be successful. They may also need additional training throughout their career with your company as procedures change and new technology is introduced. Without training materials and learning resources, even an experienced employee can fall behind to change.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Lack of feedback and acknowledgement.</strong> Without sufficient feedback and recognition, employees may experience reduced morale and start seeking new job opportunities. Acknowledgement makes workers feel valued.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="ways-to-reduce-employee-turnover" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">7 strategies to reduce employee turnover for your business</h2>
<p>Part of reducing turnover and <a href="/hiring-solutions/reduce-turnover">improving employee retention</a> is ensuring staff are happy, involved, and feeling fulfillment from their roles. Strategize hiring the right people for each role.</p>
<p>When you hire the right person for a role, you avoid making a costly mistake. Bad hires can interrupt workflow for your entire team, or worse, wreak havoc on your company culture. One <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">bad hire can cost your company a small fortune</a>.</p>
<img alt="7 strategies to reduce employee turnover in your business" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/how-to-reduce-employee-turnover/how-to-reduce-employee-turnover-4749d546a281f59284cf842c31baf1d4ece9374cf0da1f174ef561f302dbefae7248d5dfcc992905bbdd05a77553c0a82ca6ad91250d66fc0002870140d4ea7b.png">
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Determine what knowledge and skills are essential to a position</h3>
<p>Before recruiting for a given position, it helps to know what skills and experience you’re looking for in a candidate.That’s only the beginning. What qualities and traits will lead to success in the role? You can identify these core traits by administering <a href="/personality-test">personality tests</a> to existing top employees in the position to establish a <a href="/features/baselines">baseline for success.</a></p>
<p>Once you’ve found hard and soft skills needed for the position, it’ll be easier to identify the candidates most qualified for the job. This reduces the chances of making a bad hire and dealing with costly employee turnover down the road.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Tailor your job posting to the kind of person you’re seeking</h3>
<p>Once you’ve collected data on a preferred candidate, incorporate that information into job postings. You should indicate skills and traits needed for an open slot in a manner alluring to the right candidate. For instance, if your tests reveal that you’re looking for a <a href="/help/understanding-the-4-personality-types#type-a-personality">Type A personality</a>, write your job post in a way that appeals to a detail-oriented, ambitious person. Personality tests give you insight into what you should say and avoid.</p>
<p>Include details about your company culture and how the job fits within the larger goals of your business. Your ideal hires’ goals, personality and aspirations align with the rest of your vision. Beyond the skill set, you want a person who will fit in without disrupting your team’s workflow.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Improve your interview process</h3>
<p>It’s important to determine your interview strategy in advance. For example, will you be using <a href="/blog/structured-vs-unstructured-interviews">structured or unstructured interviews</a> to assess candidates? What <a href="/blog/effective-interview-questions-to-ask-your-next-hire">interview questions</a> will you ask?</p>
<p>If you’ve administered a personality test per applicant, the system will automatically formulate <a href="/reports/personality-profile-interview-questions-sample-report">candidate-specific questions</a> for you. Targeted, effective questions provide insight into who candidates truly are and whether they’d be a good fit for your company.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Offer a competitive salary and benefits package</h3>
<p>Managing employee turnover and retention is often linked to adequate compensation. It’s not uncommon for employees to leave a position because of inadequate pay or benefits. This means you can reduce employee turnover with competitive salary and comprehensive benefits packages.</p>
<p>An attractive benefits package can include:</p>
<ul class="">
<li class="list-item">Affordable health, dental and life insurance plans</li>
<li class="list-item">Paid time off policy</li>
<li class="list-item">Commuter assistance</li>
<li class="list-item">Performance bonuses</li>
<li class="list-item">Health and wellness programs</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Provide flexibility and a good work-life balance</h3>
<p>A <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx" target="_blank">2021 Gallup poll</a> asked workers about remote work. Overall, 54% of employees who work remotely at least part time said they would ideally like to split their time between working at home and in the office. About 37% said they would like to work from home full time. Only 9% wanted to return to the office full time.</p>
<p>As schooling changes create childcare challenges, the demand for flexibility at work has surged. Offering staff a flexible work schedule can reduce employee turnover by promoting a healthy work-life balance. Beyond retention, these policies can also help attract new talent to your company.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">6. Create opportunities for professional growth</h3>
<p>According to <a href="https://workinstitute.com/main-reason-for-leaving-is-career-development/" target="_blank">research from the Work Institute</a>, the top cause of employee turnover for the last ten years has been insufficient career development. If you’re worried about keeping your best employees, providing opportunities for career progression is a high-impact retention strategy.</p>
<p>How important is career development? <a href="https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/pages/to-have-and-to-hold.aspx" target="_blank">SHRM reports</a> that after Indiana University Health increased its education allowance and offered more career options, they reduced their employee turnover rate to 13%. That’s compared to a national average of 20%. The average hospital saved $337,500.</p>
<p>To create opportunities for your staff, offer ongoing training sessions, career coaching services, and access to professional events. <a href="/blog/what-is-succession-planning-process-and-steps-to-take">Pre-employment personality tests</a> can also improve employee development and succession planning processes by helping you better understand each employee.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">7. Make employee engagement a priority.</h3>
<p>Disengagement drives away talent. <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/352949/employee-engagement-holds-steady-first-half-2021.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup found</a> that 74% of disengaged workers are either actively looking for new employment or watching for openings. Your retention strategy should include engagement strategies. Workers want to feel proud of their job and intrinsic to the company’s success.</p>
<p>On a personal level, you can tailor the right strategy for each employee based on the results of your pre-employment personality tests. Knowing how someone likes to receive feedback or deal with confrontation can foster a stronger employer-employee relationship.</p>
<p>In the bigger picture, responsibility is an important component of modern corporate culture. With the help of employees, participate in local or global initiatives. Charity participation fosters strong work relationships and company pride. Your employee personality and trait test results can help you decide what’s most important to staff.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="employee-turnover-tools" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Which tools can you use to reduce employee turnover?</h2>
<p>Employees are a company’s greatest asset, which is why it’s so important to have effective retention management strategies in place. The foundation for retention is laid before you even see a potential job candidate’s application, early during the hiring process.</p>
<p>With the right tools and system offered by Hire Success<sup>®</sup>, you can quickly identify and <a href="/blog/how-to-shortlist-job-applicants">shortlist top talent</a>, as well as use <a href="/workplace-assessments">pre-employment tests</a> to improve hiring and managing of your new employees. Hire Success<sup>®</sup>’ data-driven approach allows you to take the guesswork out of hiring and management. With strong hires sticking around, you’ll save both time and money.</p>
<p>Effective hiring practices are a solid foundation for any company culture with engaged, productive workers. In the process, keep remote workers engaged by seeking their opinions, including them on video meetings and reminding them of their value.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comLosing valuable employees is expensive, disruptive and time-consuming. Between severance pay, temp coverage, hiring expenses and training new employees, the costs of losing staff — especially top performers — can quickly add up. If you’re like many managers, you seek strategies to keep your people happy and reduce employee turnover.10 New Employee Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore2022-02-03T00:00:00-05:002022-02-03T00:00:00-05:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/new-employee-warning-signs-you-shouldnt-ignore<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Not every new hire is a top-performer and not every bad hire is a catastrophe. However, hiring mistakes are always costly. The productivity of your team is at stake. The sooner you can replace a bad hire, the better.</p>
<!--more-->
<p>Red flags aren’t always obvious. Spot small issues before they become big problems. Weed out toxicity before it can poison your team, tarnish your company culture, or negatively affect your public image.</p>
<p>Here’s how to spot new employee red flags and what to do next.</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#new-employee-warning-signs">10 signs of a bad hire</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#how-much-time-new-employee-needs">How much time a new employee needs to adapt</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#bad-hire-vs-bad-hiring-or-onboarding">Bad hire vs. bad hiring or onboarding</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#identifying-bad-hire">What to do after identifying a bad hire</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="new-employee-warning-signs" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">10 signs of a bad hire</h2>
<img alt="new employee warning signs" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/new-employee-warning-signs-you-shouldnt-ignore/warning-signs-of-a-bad-hire-31ee911b3b897d0606027469194ae0c834cddc507a73369b86cc46b812bc9a439a188a44d7e89392a73dc8b5749e5961fdb78dbfa557900c70d4a9fa5fc18dc7.png">
<p>Bad hires come in different varieties. Some misrepresent their skills and turn out to be incompetent. Some can’t handle the pressure. Some need constant attention. Lastly, some are unable to learn new skills or respond to developing situations. The worst bad hires drag the entire team down with negative behavior. Any of these <a href="/blog/avoiding-bad-hires">bad hires cost your business</a>. Here are the warning signs of a bad hire.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Assigned work isn’t getting done on time.</h3>
<p>If a new employee continuously struggles to meet deadlines and keep up with their workload, they likely aren’t fit for the position. This can be hard to spot, because a good team will pitch in and help out.</p>
<p>Other employees picking up the slack for an underperforming team member mean less work being done overall, and over time, resentment builds. If a new employee can’t keep up after a reasonable training period, you need to find someone who can.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. New hire isn’t sure how to approach their role.</h3>
<p>It may take a while for a new hire to get up to speed, but if they’re confused by their role or rely too heavily on others for support, they may be doing more harm than good. Effective employees know what needs to be done and work proactively. If your new hire is well-trained and still doesn’t seem to understand their responsibilities, they might never be able to move forward.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Errors and complaints are negatively impacting co-workers.</h3>
<p>Be it from co-workers, managers or clients, more complaints are just one of the impacts of a bad hire. Bear in mind, this can be subtle. These may originate with the new employee seeding discontent, target a supervisor or coworker who has been there for years without prior complaints or be the direct result of the bad hire’s inappropriate behavior.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. The employee is unable to adapt to their new work environment.</h3>
<p>Change is inevitable, especially today. You’ll adopt new software, try new approaches, and introduce radical ideas like replacing donuts with fruit in the break room. It helps when employees embrace change. Inflexible and unadaptable new employees can hold you back. The old way is rarely better.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. The new hire has a negative attitude toward projects or co-workers.</h3>
<p>Even if their technical skills are impressive, a rude employee should be approached before your company culture is negatively affected. Bad attitudes tend to spread until everyone feels angry and upset. Everybody has an occasional bad day, but it takes a special kind of person to consistently spread it.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">6. New employee is trying to take over other people’s work and is overstepping.</h3>
<p>Some people think getting ahead requires stepping on coworkers or <a href="/blog/understanding-dominant-personality">asserting dominance</a>. When a new employee is trying to take over, he may think he’s showing initiative or leadership, but what he’s really doing is being disrespectful and upsetting the rest of the staff.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">7. They frequently arrive late or call out from work.</h3>
<p>Regardless of the position, reliability is key. Employees who consistently show up late or call out may not value their new job. As a result, they could end up putting your company’s performance at risk.</p>
<p>Occasional lateness or requests for days off is normal. A pattern of behavior, especially from a new employee, is a clear warning sign. Before taking action, find out why. Do they have a conflict that can be resolved with a minor scheduling change? Find out if you’re dealing with disrespect or something personal, such as an ill child or family member.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">8. The new employee lacks a clear set of priorities within their tasks.</h3>
<p>Many jobs entail balancing several different tasks. If a new employee is unable to effectively prioritize them, they may not be an ideal match for the position. This may be related to several things: not understanding the job, poor decision-making skills or reluctance to do certain tasks. Any reason, though, impacts productivity. If it can’t be fixed with a conversation, you may have to take action.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">9. They fail to learn from past mistakes.</h3>
<p>Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone learns. If you’re stuck correcting the same mistakes time and time again, there’s a good chance you made a hiring mistake. Good employees won’t make the same mistake again.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">10. Personality and skills of the new employee differs from their interview.</h3>
<p>Interviews can be inadequate evaluation tools. You think you’re making a connection on a personal level, but your questions failed to reveal the candidate’s true personality. It’s a persona. <a href="/blog/effective-interview-questions-to-ask-your-next-hire">Effective job interview questions</a> can greatly improve your chances of hiring the right person. Without testing, that’s your best and maybe only way of asserting judgment. Personality doesn’t always jump off a résumé. For whatever reason, that can be a clear warning sign of a bad hire if a candidate isn’t what you expected.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="how-much-time-new-employee-needs" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">How much time does a new employee need to adjust to their job?</h2>
<p>Most new employees need three to six months to fully settle into their role. If a new hire takes longer, it’s important to root out the reason. You either have a bad hiring process, a bad onboarding process, or both. It’s up to you to figure out what’s going wrong.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="bad-hire-vs-bad-hiring-or-onboarding" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">How to know if you’ve made a bad hire or if your hiring process needs improvement?</h3>
<p>Examine the result of your recent hires. If their performance is disappointing or you have hired more than one who underperformed, quit or had to be fired, your process is probably the problem.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h4 class="font-weight-bold">Was the hiring process and onboarding consistent and comprehensive?</h4>
<p>Your hiring and onboarding process should be consistent and tailored to the position you’re trying to fill. If you’re hiring based on a set of questions you downloaded from the web or making decisions based on gut feelings, your process needs improvement. If you pick employees with great experience and they struggle to perform, you may need a procedural change.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h4 class="font-weight-bold">Does the new employee have all the skills and aptitude required?</h4>
<p>Unless you’re administering <a href="/aptitude-tests">skills and aptitude testing</a>, you only have the candidate’s word. Being familiar with a task is much different than being good at it. Before you hire a big talker with mediocre skills, find out what they can do.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h4 class="font-weight-bold">Is their job description clear and comprehensive of all responsibilities?</h4>
<p><a href="/features/baselines">Understanding baselines</a> for each position will help you define an <a href="/blog/how-to-develop-effective-job-description">effective job description</a>. This will attract the right kind of candidates. When you start with higher-quality candidates, you have a much better chance of hiring a productive employee.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h4 class="font-weight-bold">Does the new hire receive an adequate level of support from their supervisor and co-workers?</h4>
<p>New hires are not always welcome additions. Before you decide the new employee is at fault, interview other employees and observe team dynamics. Look for conflicting instructions from employees who have different approaches to the same job.</p>
<p>For a new employee, this can be unsettling and counter-productive. Body language is a giveaway. If a supervisor claims their door is always open, but the open door is accompanied by clear signs of impatience or annoyance, new hires learn quickly to avoid asking for help.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h4 class="font-weight-bold">Was the new employee hired at the right time?</h4>
<p>Timing is important. If a desk was vacated and the rest of the staff absorbed the extra work, the position might be unnecessary. New employees who don’t have enough work may either be unnecessary or available to take on additional responsibilities. Consider expanding job responsibilities to include more challenging work.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="identifying-bad-hire" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What to do when you’ve identified a bad hire</h2>
<p>So you’ve identified a potential problem. Maybe it’s an employee who inconsistently underperforms after six months on the job. They’re missing deadlines, their work is sloppy, and other employees are complaining. What’s next? Should you just tell them it’s not working out and start the whole process over? Not always. There are some things you can try first.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">Help your new employee to improve in their position</h3>
<p>Before taking any negative actions, try to figure out why the new employee is not catching on. It could be a bad hire. It could also be a training issue, poor skills in one area, vaguely defined responsibilities, or some other easy-to-fix problem. The hiring process is expensive. You don’t want to start that over unless you must.</p>
<p>First, directly address the problem. Ask questions, give constructive feedback, and offer possible solutions. Suppose your new hire is a hands-on learner, and your software training is strictly visual. Poor productivity could be solved with plenty of practice.</p>
<p>You may also face sensitive cultural issues. In today’s global workplace, your employees may be struggling to understand tasks in a second language, or discreetly trying to balance religious requirements, health needs, or responsibilities at home. We can find space for prayer, meditation, or breast feeding a few times a day without embarrassing people in the process.</p>
<p>Another common issue is personality type. If you didn’t understand the job requirements and hired an introverted, detail-oriented person to do a job usually done by an outgoing, big-picture personality type, that’s not a good fit. The answer may be to move your introvert internally to a department like data analysis or accounts payable.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">How to prevent future issues with new hires</h3>
<p>The best way to avoid bad hires and prevent future problems is with a proven hiring process that includes effective job descriptions, testing, and personality evaluation. If it sounds like a complicated process, it is. It’s also necessary. You don’t need to do it alone. Use a professional hiring system to <a href="/hiring-solutions/reduce-hiring-costs">cut your business costs.</a></p>
<p>Hire Success<sup>®</sup> can help you use data to improve hiring. It offers various features that work to streamline and add certainty to the process. Hire Success<sup>®</sup>’ <a href="/features/hiring-campaigns">applicant tracking system</a> narrows your search down to a shortlist of candidates suited to the open position. From <a href="/personality-test">pre-employment personality tests</a> to a lightweight applicant tracking system, you’ll not only speed up and focus your hiring campaigns, but also enjoy making the best decisions for your business.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comNot every new hire is a top-performer and not every bad hire is a catastrophe. However, hiring mistakes are always costly. The productivity of your team is at stake. The sooner you can replace a bad hire, the better.What is Succession Planning? Process and Steps to Take2022-02-02T00:00:00-05:002022-02-02T00:00:00-05:00https://www.hiresuccess.com/blog/what-is-succession-planning-process-and-steps-to-take<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<p>Succession planning is a contingency plan for the future of your company. When a key employee leaves without sufficient notice, the company could be left in the lurch. Even long-term employees may leave their jobs at any time. The pandemic, for example, caught a lot of businesses by surprise.</p>
<!--more-->
<p>Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to the loss of high-performing employees with many responsibilities. To protect your company and ensure that business can go on after the loss of a key employee, you need a succession plan to fit each job description.</p>
<p>Ask yourself this: If a key employee suddenly resigned or retired unexpectedly, would you know what to look for in a replacement? Do you have a list of the skills, traits, and abilities necessary for that role? Could anyone in your company step into the role?</p>
<div class="bg-light rounded p-4 mb-4">
<strong>Jump to Section:</strong>
<ul class="list">
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#what-is-succession-planning">What is succession planning?</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#types-of-succession-plans">Types of employee succession plans</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#benefits-of-succession-planning">When and why to implement a succession planning program</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#succession-planning-process">Succession planning process</a></strong></li>
<li class="list-item"><strong><a href="#employee-succession-planning-tools">Tools for employee succession planning</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="what-is-succession-planning" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">What is succession planning?</h2>
<p>The heart of succession planning is a comprehensive job description and a list of the skills, talents, and personality traits necessary to fill the role. With a succession plan ready, you can start filling critical roles as soon as an employee quits or long before you have advance warning.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="types-of-succession-plans" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">What are the different types of succession planning?</h3>
<img alt="types of succession planning" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/what-is-succession-planning-process-and-steps-to-take/types-of-employee-succession-planning-48a57ae2362bd960f0cc39f93a5de8e92217ed6215f2af63e686bdfab125ea456fef045f9ceb2bd592effc808663545d4c13c36446bd6f30cb48d34f52879b0f.png">
<ul class="">
<li class="list-item"><strong>Strategic leader development.</strong> The best person to fill a vacancy may already be in your organization. Promoting from within is efficient and great for morale. Effective leadership development means knowing the skills and capabilities of everyone on your staff to identify top performers and empower those with leadership potential.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Departure defined succession planning.</strong> C-Suite professionals often give plenty of notice when they plan to leave. When this happens, the organization has ample time to find a valuable replacement.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Emergency or interim succession plan.</strong> Occasionally an important leader will leave immediately. This may be due to health concerns, an accident, or a life-changing event. After a sudden loss, the organization will often choose an interim replacement to fill the job while searching for a suitable replacement.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="benefits-of-succession-planning" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">When and why to implement succession planning</h2>
<p>Because you never know what might happen, every company needs a customized succession planning definition. Consider it part of your overall strategy for growth and success rather than an event at the time of sale or new leadership.</p>
<p>Your organization will be stronger if you can identify and take advantage of the skills your employees have now while also looking for skills missing while hiring new talent.</p>
<p>You can also combine your succession planning strategy with mentoring programs to ensure that employees — especially those being targeted for future leadership roles — get the guidance they need and that people with valuable talents don’t slip through your fingers.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">The benefits of succession planning</h3>
<p>Succession planning sets your company up for smooth transitions when key employees leave. There are other benefits as well. Here are a few additional ways the succession planning process benefits your company.</p>
<ul class="">
<li class="list-item"><strong>Promotes training and development.</strong> One step in your succession planning is getting to know your employees, and learning their skills, talents, and capabilities. Once you find your hidden stars, you can train and develop their skills for promotion.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Refines your internal process.</strong> Taking a deep dive into your <a href="/blog/how-to-develop-effective-job-description">job descriptions</a> and employee skill sets can help you develop an <a href="/hiring-solutions/conduct-better-interviews">effective hiring process</a> for every circumstance.</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Identifies skill gaps within the company.</strong> Your investigation may reveal your teams’ shortcomings. Are you missing a specific skill that would enhance productivity? Is your team struggling in any area?</li>
<li class="list-item"><strong>Maintains brand identity.</strong> When you replace a major player in a hurry, your brand identity could suffer. A new CEO could have an entirely different vision at odds with your brand. To maintain it, you need chief executives with an understanding and respect for your brand.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="succession-planning-process" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Steps to implement in your succession planning process</h2>
<img alt="7-step succession planning process" class="img-fluid rounded my-6" src="/assets/posts/what-is-succession-planning-process-and-steps-to-take/employee-succession-planning-process-3b81407c28c3ccc5d85a321da887c89588a9afebd1a65c2d84875bc4e7c6a0d8bc7609f3eab4c6a66c74ab2c985ba0e011c6ea960ac29cd65bc66becfc5a908f.png">
<p>Since the future of your business is at stake, approach succession planning carefully, methodically, and well-informed. Succession plans can have different methodologies, but the end goal is always the same: to ensure a smooth and orderly transition when higher-ups depart. With succession planning best practices defined and in place, you’ll know what to do next regardless of the circumstances.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">1. Define key work positions and their roles to assess what makes them critical for the company</h3>
<p>Not every job is hard to fill. Every organization has easily replaceable people with basic work skills. However, some positions are critical to the success of your business. Important jobs drive revenue and your company’s growth hinges on their productivity. Roles like account managers and decision makers are more difficult to fill. You need people with integrity and customer-facing personality skills who will represent your brand in a positive light.</p>
<p>Company leaders, including supervisors, managers, and team leaders at every level can also affect your bottom line. Efficient managers influence performance and drive productivity while bad managers are more likely to do the opposite.</p>
<p>That’s why data-driven hiring decisions are important to your company’s health and growth trajectory.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">2. Construct success profiles for each role and identify top candidates for succession</h3>
<p>Success profiles detail the skills, abilities, and <a href="/help/understanding-the-4-personality-types">personality types</a> needed to be successful in a job. Using your most productive employees as examples (employee benchmarking) helps you create a <a href="/features/baselines">job baseline</a> of skills and personality traits to identify candidates most likely to succeed in each job.</p>
<p>You probably already have a sense of who some of your top performers are. But with <a href="/personality-test">personality</a> and <a href="/aptitude-tests">skills testing</a>, you could find some people who have the right leadership traits or to become highly successful in a particular role, but are currently under the radar. With the right career development opportunities, they’re more likely to stay with your company and help it succeed.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">3. Conduct a competency gap analysis to pinpoint which skills need to be developed for the future</h3>
<p>It’s not unusual for a company to be oblivious to weaknesses. Conducting a skills gap analysis will reveal weak areas and highlight strengths, so you can tailor training accordingly.</p>
<p>Having a better understanding of your workforce will show you where people need more training or mentoring. Ongoing <a href="/workplace-assessments">employee testing</a> will also help you understand whether your training or mentoring programs are effective.</p>
<p>As you’re developing training and mentoring programs, think ahead for future needs and consider which employees might be appropriate to step up if someone above them steps down. Train not only for the job the employee holds today, but for the role they might fill in the future.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">4. Establish succession development plans for critical work positions to future-proof your business needs</h3>
<p>What happens if your highest producer suddenly leaves the company without notice? Life-changing events happen all the time, meaning you may need to fill that position with little or no notice. If you make a mistake, your company could lose revenue, damage its reputation, or introduce toxicity into your carefully nurtured culture.</p>
<p>With a succession plan in place, you’re prepared no matter what happens. You’ve already identified others who can step right into the role and have a success profile for a vacated position. Being ready for anything gives your business continuity. Instead of scrambling to fill a critical role with anyone readily available or overwhelming other employees with important tasks they may not be qualified to handle, you can implement your plan with confidence for a smooth, seamless transition.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">5. Create development plans for individual employees to grow their skills</h3>
<p>Once you’ve identified employees for a range of roles, you’ll want to create onboarding, mentoring, and training programs to help them develop the skills they need to stay and grow.</p>
<p>By identifying the key traits and skills for each position, you can put together career plans and mentoring programs to help ensure people are trained for the future. Having clear career plans in place to help employees set, monitor, and reach goals has many benefits. Helping your employees achieve career goals and promoting from within creates a strong company culture. It also makes for a happier workforce, inspires higher productivity, and <a href="/blog/reduce-employee-turnover-rate">reduces employee turnover</a>.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">6. Establish and maintain workforce skills inventory to use in your future hiring or job promotions</h3>
<p>Finally, by testing your current workforce, you’ll probably find some people who have “hidden” traits and skills that you’re not using to their full advantage. Don’t let those skills and traits go to waste. Look for ways to use employees’ natural talents.</p>
<p>By including testing as part of your business strategy, you’ll not only improve your hiring and development processes, but help employees succeed and better prepare for the future of your company.</p>
<p>At the same time, you’ll create a skills inventory for your company. If you have a departure, you may be able to search your database for the skills and personality traits you need. You can find the perfect replacement under your own roof.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h3 class="font-weight-bold">7. Review and adapt the succession planning process to any changes within the organization</h3>
<p>As your business grows, your needs will change. Your succession plans need to be reviewed periodically to ensure each job success profile continues to align with the goals and strategies of the company. An outdated plan is no plan.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>
<!-- SECTION
================================================== -->
<section id="employee-succession-planning-tools" class="pt-6 pt-md-8">
<div class="container">
<div class="row justify-content-center">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-11 col-md-9 col-lg-8 col-xl-7">
<h2 class="font-weight-bold">Hire Success<sup>®</sup> tools for employee succession planning</h2>
<p>Successful succession planning strategy depends on knowledge. To hire and promote successfully, you need a deep understanding of the skills, aptitude, and personality traits necessary for each position. Hire Success<sup>®</sup> uses a suite of comprehensive <a href="/blog/best-recruitment-tools-for-your-hiring-process">recruitment testing tools</a> and proven data analysis to give you that roadmap to success, whether you want to develop your talent, promote from within or hire the perfect replacement for a departing shot-caller.</p>
<p>Business success lives on continuity. Your firm must survive the loss of anyone in the organization. Hire Success<sup>®</sup> has the tools to help you make that happen. <a href="/contact">Contact</a> Hire Success<sup>®</sup> today.</p>
</div>
</div> <!-- / .row -->
</div> <!-- / .container -->
</section>Kelly Cantwellhello@hiresuccess.comSuccession planning is a contingency plan for the future of your company. When a key employee leaves without sufficient notice, the company could be left in the lurch. Even long-term employees may leave their jobs at any time. The pandemic, for example, caught a lot of businesses by surprise.