How to Find the Right Employee

How to attract top talent.

Finding the right employee begins with bringing the best candidates through the door. These strategies can help your company attract top talent:

Create an accurate job description.

Start the hiring process by crafting a job description that clearly delineates the position, associated tasks, and necessary experience and qualifications. Clarifying the job description increases the likelihood that only qualified candidates will find and apply to the listing. Listing information about company culture can also help applicants determine whether they’re a good fit for your organization.

Develop a strong recruitment strategy.

In collaboration with Human Resources or any other team members who participate in the hiring process, outline your recruiting process from start to finish. Determine where to post job openings (this will depend on where your ideal candidate spends time), how to conduct the interview process, and what to look for in a potential employee.

Build your passive talent pipeline.

Ideally, your talent pipeline should include both active and passive candidates. Engaging with passive candidates—those who may not be currently seeking a new job, but could be open to a strong offer—can broaden your applicant pool. Expand your company’s reach by attending networking events or leveraging career-based social platforms like LinkedIn.

Strengthen brand awareness.

Use your website and social media to increase visibility and credibility with your ideal candidates. Showcase company culture through photos of team events and initiatives, and share valuable content to establish your company as a reliable resource and industry leader.

Leverage your network.

Your current network can be your biggest asset in attracting top talent. Consider posting employee testimonials on careers pages and other recruiting-based marketing efforts, or create an employee referral program.

How to assess job candidates.

Hiring the right person for an open position at your company is no simple task. These tips will help you break the traditional interview mold to help you better assess your candidates:

Consider a pre-screening process.

Many companies have at least one method of pre-screening candidates before the interview, but a more rigorous process allows employers to efficiently identify candidates whose skills, experience, and qualifications closely align with the job requirements. Taking the time to manually screen resumes after they have passed through applications like LinkedIn or ZipRecruiter is a good first step. You can also have your most promising candidates fill out a survey, sit through a short preliminary phone interview, or work on a sample project.

Go beyond the resume.

Most candidates are well-rehearsed on how to conduct themselves in an interview and have carefully constructed their resume to land a job. When asking questions related to a candidate’s resume, get creative and ask challenging questions they likely won’t have rehearsed. Illustrate difficult scenarios for them so they can explain their approach on how to achieve a successful outcome. The goal is to understand how the individual conducts themselves in the real world.

Get feedback from your team.

Get your employees involved in the process. While you may ultimately manage this position, your team has a deep understanding of the needs of the company. They will likely work with this person closely, so their opinion is invaluable during the hiring process.

Consider their potential.

Good hiring managers know the best person for a job may not be the one with the most polished resume. Look for candidates who are eager to work for the company, ask insightful questions, and demonstrate they are natural learners.

What to look for in the right employee.

When considering a potential candidate, it’s essential to recognize that, beyond being a perfect match in terms of skills or experience, the ideal employee for your company must also effortlessly align with the organization.

Experience, qualifications, and skills.

Look for candidates with experience and potential for skill growth. Skills can be trained and transferred, so don’t rely solely on technical abilities. Consider additional factors beyond skills when making your selection.

Attention to detail.

A telltale sign that an employee has an attention to detail should be immediate from their application. If they followed instructions thoroughly, turned in a complete application with a sample and other materials as requested that are of high quality, you can assume they are detail-oriented.

Commitment to their career.

Prioritize candidates with committed career paths, shown through job longevity. However, brief job durations or frequent changes don’t always indicate negativity, as layoffs or personal issues may be involved. Avoid those who switch jobs for money alone, as their lack of loyalty can pose challenges.

Cultural fit

Assess interpersonal abilities to find an employee who fits your company culture. Evaluate their relationship-building skills with staff and managers, and assess their ability to manage clients for insights into compatibility, communication style, values, and personality.

Professionalism

Look for an employee who demonstrates they have done their research about your company by coming prepared to their interview with questions directly relating to your company. Additionally, look out for employees who bad mouth their past employers because this can be a sign they are lacking professionalism.