How to Hire Someone
There’s nothing worse than spending weeks finding a new employee, only to realize you’ve made a terrible mistake. Be smart about hiring.
Up next in How to Hire & Fire (9 videos)
If you manage employees, you'll want to check out the hiring and firing advice in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- A job opening
- A help-wanted ad
- And job candidates
Steps
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Step 1
List duties & qualifications
Make a list of the tasks you need done and the qualifications you desire in a candidate.
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Step 2
Write ad
Compose an ad that includes the kind of experience you are looking for. But don’t list a salary; you’ll want to leave yourself a little wiggle room depending on the experience of the applicants.
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Let all your employees know there is a position open. Statistics show that 22% of new hires are referred by current staff.
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Step 3
Place ad
Place your ad on employment websites, with headhunters, in classified pages, and even popular sites like craigslist. The average cost of online recruitment is $373—about one-tenth of the more traditional forms.
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If you run a classified ad, list a fax number and an email address created just for this purpose. No matter how emphatically your ad states 'no phone inquiries, please,' there are always those who believe rules do not apply to them.
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Step 4
Review resumes
Review the resumes. On the ones you like, jot down a brief note or circle the details that caught your eye.
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Step 5
Schedule interviews
Set up interviews with the most promising candidates. Don’t delay, or you may lose your first choice.
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Be flexible. No candidate is going to match all of your requirements, so decide which are most crucial. Think best candidate instead of perfect candidate.
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Step 6
Arrange follow-up interviews
Arrange follow-up interviews with the top candidates so they can be screened by their potential colleagues and supervisors.
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Step 7
Check references
Before making a job offer, check the candidate’s references. Fear of legal action restricts many employers from providing much more than dates of employment for former employees, making references more important than ever.
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Step 8
Make written offer
Ready to hire? Send a written offer reiterating the terms of employment (salary, start date, vacation and sick days, performance reviews, and so on), so there is no confusion later.
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On average, it takes a company 48 days to fill a job vacancy at a cost of $3,270.
