– Christine Willow is a Principal with the Chemistry Consulting Group and Chief Operating Officer for GT Hiring Solutions. She is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and a Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR), and can be reached at c.willow@chemistryconsulting.ca.
HUMAN RESOURCES – Hiring the right people for your business is probably the most important task that any owner or manager/executive undertakes and having these key people involved at some stage of the hiring process has been shown to be a key factor in successful companies.
While your HR Manager may take the lead in the process, having the owner or manager involved prior to the final decision ensures that the company values and culture stay front and foremost. The depth of the involvement will depend on the level of the position in the company, so step one should be to review the following questions:
- Who should be part of the recruitment process for this position?
- At what stage do they get involved?
- Will the interviews be conducted on a one-on-one basis or by a panel? and
- Who, ultimately, makes the final decision on the successful candidate?
While this may seem straight forward and common sense, too often we end up recruiting in the same manner for all positions. One size does not fit all and the most successful outcomes are achieved through a customized recruiting process.
After the initial round of screening followed by identification of the short-listed candidates, a combination of the HR Manager and the direct reporting supervisor for the position is most appropriate to conduct the full interview.
This interview should focus on the skills and experience that the candidate can bring to the position. If recruiting for a position that engages with other department managers or the tasks relate to another manager or team lead, these managers could be brought in once the final two candidates have been selected.
It is also at this point that either the owner, manager or other executive could be brought in to review the documentation from the interviews and have a short meeting with the candidates before any offer is made. The meeting with the owner or executive should not be another interview, but rather a meet and greet to ensure that the person is the right fit for the company.
There may be several candidates that bring the right skills and experience, but not everyone will be suitable for your workplace. Your people are the lifeblood of your company and in most cases are the ones that reflect your values back to your clients and the community. Make sure that those values match your own and that the candidate is committed to your company culture.
