As a hiring manager, you have probably recruited more than a few exceptional candidates throughout your career. On the other hand, you may have also placed a few candidates in positions they were not successful in. Sourcing and recruiting talent is an extremely difficult task because there is a lot of guesswork in the hiring process. Often, candidates are hired based on the recruiter’s experience and intuition, which isn’t always the most accurate predictor of success!

This begs the question, “How do we make smarter hiring decisions?” With so many different approaches, it can be difficult to establish a standard process. That is why we interviewed 12 experts in the field and asked them to share their top tips to help take the guesswork out of hiring! Keep reading to learn about their approach and how you can better your hiring process.

Here are 12 ways you can make smarter hiring decisions: 

• Ask For A Small Portfolio
• Value Quality Over Quantity
• Thoroughly Conduct Research
• Slow Down
• Prioritize Reference Checks
• Create A Rubric
• Hire For Character And Work Ethic
• Hire A Hire-er
• Have An Idea Of What Your Future Employees Embody
• Ask Questions That Highlight Your Core Values
• Make It Personal
• Make Sure They Are Committed

Ask For A Small Portfolio

Taking the guesswork out of hiring means going beyond interview questions and resumes. One way to see exactly what you are getting is to ask for a small portfolio from your potential candidate. When you do this, you see the physical work that they have done and the data that proves they are a qualified candidate who has previously done what you are asking them to do. 

Carey Wilbur, Charter Capital

Value Quality Over Quantity

Value quality over quantity. This can go for many aspects of the hiring process, including analyzing a candidate’s work experience. Just because someone has not had several jobs in the last few years does not mean they are not experienced. Take a look at the experience itself. This also means seeking quality candidates from the start rather than gathering hundreds of resumes and having to sort through them all. 

Gwen North, Lake Rabun Hotel

Thoroughly Conduct Research

Making smarter hiring decisions often comes down to taking the time to do thorough research about the candidate. Oftentimes, hiring managers will make decisions based on a resume or maybe a resume and an interview, but going the extra mile to call their references, old bosses and even check out their LinkedIn will give you a better idea of the overall person you are hiring. 

Ryan Nouis, TruPath 

Slow Down

Hiring the right person should never be a sprint; it’s a marathon. Hiring managers can begin to fill pressure if there is a spot to fill right away, but this is how people rush a decision and end up hiring the wrong person. Slow down, take your time with each candidate and thoughtfully weigh out each option. There are always temporary options if there is a void that needs to be filled right away, but it’s worth taking your time to make a smart hiring decision that will last. 

Kayla Centeno, Markitors

Prioritize Reference Checks

It may sound small, but reference checks are an important part of the hiring process that many people forget about! The best way to find out if a candidate is a good employee is to simply ask their previous employer. Chances are, they will be able to confirm your first impressions and make you feel more confident about extending your offer.

Eric Blumenthal, The Print Authority

Create A Rubric

Create a rubric! Before interviewing candidates for an open position, I would sit down and really think about the qualities, skills and cultural values you are looking for in a candidate. After you’ve identified those, create a rubric that you can grade each candidate on. This tactic should help you separate the good candidates from the great ones.

Brian Greenberg, True Blue Life Insurance

Hire For Character And Work Ethic

These two traits are innate and imperative. There are many different skills that can be taught through education. However, in my opinion and experience, character and work ethic is what I look for and what matter most.

Jodi Low, U & Improved

Hire A Hire-er

Build a relationship with a good head hunter/recruiter (whatever you want to call them) and let them do the heavy lifting for you. They’ll screen candidates based on your needs/values and put a few of the “right” people in front of you to, ultimately, make the final decision.

Landon Mance, YourFuture Planning Partners

Have An Idea Of What Your Future Employees Embody

I always have in mind my “future” employee. In doing so, it’s easy to see I have a pattern. It’s important to know the personality and work ethics of the individual you are hiring, as the closer your energies match, the better you will be at staying aligned on business initiatives. I can always train someone on the tasks, but I can’t make them want to learn.

Karen Loomis, No Moss Brands

Ask Questions That Highlight Your Core Values

Having an established set of Core Values that speak to your company culture, climate and expectations will help you tailor your interview questions in a way that candidates will have to demonstrate alignment with your organization. Asking situational questions, where they have to give real-life examples, will give you a solid feel for who they are, the decisions they make and how they perform. When they give you a hypothetical “I think I’d do this…” type of response, redirect them and ask them to share a time that they were in a similar situation and tell you a story about what happened. Having these questions designed to highlight your core values will help take the guesswork about who’s the best fit for you and your team.

Karen Nowicki, Business Radio X

Make It Personal

Despite what other professionals might say about hiring, make it personal. In a small business, it is critical to find people who mesh with the culture. In fact, it can be one of the most important parts of hiring! A poor match can affect the entire dynamic of a team. When hiring, pay attention to how their personality will blend with others in the company. 

Chris Dunkin, Portable Air 

Make Sure They Are Committed

During the hiring process, try to be wary of the employment trap of hiring someone full-time who actually wants to work as a freelancer. The last thing you’d want is for a remote worker to be working for you but is also working freelance gigs on your clock. To avoid this, always require your remote staff to use a time tracking software that also takes random screen captures throughout the shift.

Phillip A. Lew, C9 Staff