When you hire new employees for your company, there are a lot of things that you would need to weigh in. Your ultimate goal is to ensure the productivity and growth of your company; therefore you need to ensure that you choose only the best people who will take your company to new heights. Sifting through applications and selecting among thousands of candidates can be extremely daunting. There are some set fields that you can look at to consider whether a candidate has the grit to become a potential employee, and these would help you make a hiring decision.
1. Education and hard skills.
While a person’s education may not always be the perfect indicator of their potential, it still plays a very important role in determining the first impression. Of course, if a person has good grades along with degrees from reputable institutions, it is simply an added incentive. Another reason to prioritise education is to check whether the degrees pursued by the candidate are relevant to the job.
Hard skills are tangible skills that should be a part of the candidate’s skill set. For example, if you are hiring engineers, knowledge of MATLAB should be a mandatory hard skill.
2. Previous experience.
You can test the candidate’s hard skills by going over his/her past work experiences. This may include previous work experience in other companies, internships, freelance projects of part-time engagements. This will help you understand the track record and exact potential of the candidate. Fresh graduates may not always have enough experience; hence you can go over their certifications and completed projects to understand their potential, and whether it will match up to your company.
Here, it is also important to check up with their references to know more about the person’s work ethic, and hear from their previous employers.
3. Soft skills.
This is usually ignored by many people, which may lead to hiring of people who may be right in terms of potential and work, but may not have the right attitude and zeal to perform. Of course, soft skills can only be analyzed in the interview itself. You should pay attention to the way the candidate speaks and maintains his/her appearance. A neat trick is to ask the candidate about his/her previous bosses, as this can easily give you a clear indication about the person’s mentality.
4. Compatibility.
This is in close association with the candidate’s soft skills. When the candidate is working on probation, it is important to notice things like punctuality, desire to be part of the team, ability to take feedback and zeal to improve. If your company cares a great deal about employee values, it is of utmost importance to hire someone who not only matches the professional requirements, but also resonates with the aim and objective of the company. We hope that these points can help you in making the right hiring decision.