5 Tips to Hire and Keep Great Employees!

Posted by Lisa Hart Lasky on June 29, 2020.

Newsflash!  We have a talent shortage and it’s only going to get worse.  If you have anything to do with hiring good people, you may be asking yourself, “where have they all gone?”  The truth is, there are still really great candidates out there!  The difference is how you go about attracting (and keeping) them has changed, so if you’re doing things the same old way you’ve always done them, it’s time to change it up.  Here are 5 simple tips to get a High 5 on hiring top performers:

1. Attract them!  Like a bee to honey, ask yourself, “what are we offering that would make a great employee want to work for my company?”  Do you have a cool product?  Great benefits?  Flexible working hours? Think that through, and then make sure you consistently advertise what makes your company great.   You are competing for talent right now, so make sure you stand out from the crowd.
2. Get the word out!  If you’re not advertising your jobs on the web, you’re missing out!   86% of job seekers start their search from their mobile device – aka phone.  If you don’t have an online presence and a way to capture applicant data and resumes, you’re missing out on at least 70% of job seekers.  Gone are the days of print ads for talent.  Now if you do any volume of hiring at all, you need an applicant tracking system to blast your jobs across multiple job boards and searchable web sites and have a way to track the applicants.
3. Be truthful with the candidates and reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly about the job and the company/department.  Set their expectations so there are no surprises that make them wonder what else you’re hiding, or worse yet, make them want to jump ship right away.   Develop current and accurate job descriptions.
4. Develop a strategy for interviewing.  Take your time and interview all candidates in a consistent manner.   Use assessments that match the person to the job and assess people for behaviors, abilities and interests that match your jobs –not just personality.  With that information, you really get to know the person you’re hiring including how to train them, where they’ll bring strength to the position, and where they  might struggle –if at all.  Believe it or not, candidates appreciate that you’ve taken the time to know them and make sure they’re right for the job.  They should be interviewing you as well.
5. Once you’ve made the decision to hire someone, don’t drop the ball now! Develop a plan to bring them on board with a great welcome.  Let other team members know about the new employee joining your organization.  Have their first day planned out, including a buddy to show them around and the tools available to do their job.  Take them to lunch, or have lunch brought in.  Let them know you’ve been anticipating their arrival and you’re happy they are there.   Remember, you are inviting them to your “home.”  They have no idea who people are, where things are or even some of the crazy terms and acronyms we use on the job.  So it’s up to you to play the host.  A first impression and a warm welcome are never forgotten.

Do these 5 things well and you may just have a great employee for lif