Essential Hiring Tips
(How To Hire "The Best" In the 21st Century)
The rapid growth of technologies in the Wireless and Telecom industries, coupled with a candidate-driven employment market, have left many companies critically short of highly qualified technical, sales, marketing and general management staff. And even those companies who are presently well-staffed are wondering how they will be able to attract and retain the caliber of talent necessary to successfully drive their businesses in this 21st century.
Times such as these require a combination of both fresh approaches and a "back-to-basics" methodology if your company is to effectively compete for the limited qualified talent that is available in our market, today.
Although there have been a considerable number of articles and books written on the hiring process, our focus, here, is on those elements, which experience has taught us, are essential in attracting, hiring and retaining your most important asset - your people.
Before you begin searching for qualified candidates, the following few questions should be thoughtfully considered:
Why should a highly qualified candidate come to work
for our company?In other words: What are the advantages of working here? (challenging work, cutting-edge technologies, positive work environment, opportunities for advancement, achievement recognition, competitive salary and benefits, etc
Consider all the advantages of working for your company - and be prepared to "sell" those points to qualified candidates . . . Yes, we said "sell".
Throw out the old rules and reservations about "selling" your company to prospective employees. Be assured, your competitors have already done just that. If you want to compete with them for highly qualified industry talent, you must learn how to "sell" your company's attributes and employment advantages to qualified candidates. This is particularly true at the management levels.
Is there clear agreement (among those individuals who will be part of the hiring decision) as to the position responsibilities, functions, objectives, the minimum and preferred requirements and desired candidate characteristics for the position? Are your expectations reasonable, achievable, and necessary to the success of the position? Are the specifications in written form - distributed to all who will participate in the hiring process?
If these considerations are not first adequately addressed and resolved, the hiring process is slowed down dramatically, or worse, it fails, altogether.
candidate?Unfortunately, all the solid preparation in the world will be useless, unless you have qualified and motivated candidates to interview.
Some of the most common ways to source candidates are discussed on the next page, with advantages and disadvantages of each method. The best method for any given hiring situation will depend on factors such as:
The level of the position (entry, middle management, Senior, etc.)
