The Health and Human Services industry has continued to struggle with recruitment and retention. According to the DATIS 2017 State of Workforce Management survey, hundreds of Health and Human Services executives identified Recruiting & Retention as the top trend impacting their organizations. As these executives struggle to hire more employees and retain their top performers, it’s crucial that they are putting the maximum effort into hiring the best candidates to help their organization reach its full potential. Here are some tips to avoid hiring the wrong person:
Prepare
Before the interview, be sure to put together a list of in-depth questions that will help determine if the candidate has the key skills and experiences to take on the role within your organization. Relying on typical interview questions will not give you right the information to make a decision on whether or not a candidate fits the position. Asking questions that pertain to on-the-job problems that could potentially occur when they start and how they would handle the situation may be a better determinant.
It is also important to plan ahead if you choose to have more than one person interviewing the candidate so questions are not repeated. Assigning different areas of questioning to different people based on their expertise can help you gain an alternate perspectives and to remain neutral.
Know Which Factors to Evaluate
It is unlikely that all candidates will able to meet every requirement posted on the job description. With that said, will need to determine which key factors are most important to the role you are trying to fill.
Using the in-depth interview questions you have prepared can help determine how well each candidate meets those key requirements and gives them the ability to justify their claims with personal examples. By doing so, you will have a better understanding of what the candidate is capable of and if their skills can help this role reach its full potential.
Don’t Rely on the Interview
There are numerous ways to judge if a candidate is the right fit. Employers should take into account all of the experience, accomplishments, references, and skills the candidate possesses, as well as traits such as creativity and potential for growth. It is very difficult to analyze and assess all this information through a normal interview.
Another way to judge a candidate would be to have them take a personality test, which can judge how well they will work in teams, lead others, comply with rules, solve problems, cope with stress and fit in with your organization’s culture.
Incentives to Join Your Organization
An ideal candidate will have researched your organization and have a good understanding of why they want to join your team. However, interviews go both ways, making it is just as important to have the candidate understand the organizational culture and why they would be a good fit. Make sure to think through key attractions of both the position and the organization that would make the candidate more inclined to accept a job offer.
Follow Up
If you think the candidate has the right experience and qualities to fill the role, be sure to ask if they are still interested and excited about the position. Research has shown that if employees are enthusiastic and emotionally committed to their work, they are more likely to stay with their organization. Outline the selection process moving forward and let them know when they will be hearing feedback so they are able to manage their expectations after the interview. When following-up with rejected candidates, make sure to provide them with constructive feedback to help them better prepare for future interviews.
Finding the best possible candidate can be a long and complicated process but will be worth the hard work when you end up hiring the right people, allowing your organization to retain and develop your top talent, while improving your business.
This DATIS Blog was written by Dana Ciarlariello, DATIS, on August 24th, 2017 and may not be re-posted without permission.