“Often the best solution to a management problem is the right person.”

“Often the best solution to a management problem is the right person.”  Edwin Booz

If there is one task every business owner or manager hates more than doing taxes, it has to be hiring new staff.

Interviewing and selecting new staff, whether they are direct employees or managers, is not a process – it’s a learned skill!

Too often we see managers hurry through the recruitment ‘process’ just to fill a position and while in some cases the selection works out, more often than not it ends bad for both employee and employer.

It’s even harder when a business is hiring for managers rather than direct line employees.

The role of direct employee tends to be process driven in nature, in other words, there is a process in place to follow in order for the job to be done.

A manager’s role however, is not process based – when you’re dealing with people, there are no standard processes that exist – not yet anyway.

While the quote above may seem overly obvious, it’s surprising to see how many times the right person is NOT chosen for the job.

Effective hiring is the foundation for a thriving business, regardless of the role.

Turnover of employees is expensive, so it’s essential to invest the proper amount of time needed to hire the right person.

Many employee relations problems result from hiring the wrong person for the job, which can have a negative effect on both the morale and productivity of the entire team.

And often, employers are left wondering what went wrong when a new hire is not what they expected and lacked the necessary skills for the position.

The need to hurry the hiring process is often referred to as ‘the warm body syndrome’, i.e. just fill the role with anybody (living!).

The key message in the opening quote above is this; start with the end in mind.

You must first decide, what is the fundamental business need or issue for you to hire.

For example, if the business has poor sales, the logical choice might be to hire a sales manager.

But what if it’s not a lack of sales drive that’s causing the concerns, rather, poor administration practices.

In this case, you would be better off hiring a professional Office Manager to ensure smooth flow of operations.

Whatever the issue, clearly identifying it first will determine the type of person you need to go after.

Once you’ve profiled the role and the required characteristics of your ideal candidate, you can start the recruitment process – which is a whole new kettle of fish!

Having defined the business need (issue), helps to frame and profile the type of person who can best manage the issue and get on top of it.

Contact us today on 02 9634 5912 if you’d like us to help you with any of your recruitment requirements.