Whether you are hiring your first employee or are faced with finding a replacement employee, the process of recruiting and selecting qualified employees can be daunting. Then, once you have a pool of possible job candidates, you must go through the process of reviewing applications, interviewing, testing, evaluating, etc. so that an objective, legal and appropriate selection decision can be made. From hiring a part-time, hourly employee to selecting for top management positions, following the steps discussed below will help you make an informed, objective decision. Preparing for the Interview Job descriptions.
Job descriptions result in objective criteria against which every applicant is evaluated against.
Not only does a job description list the tasks and duties required of the job, but it also outlines the requirements necessary to successfully perform the job-including the knowledge, skills, abilities and personal characteristics necessary of job incumbents. Evaluation of candidates then is based directly on whether or not they meet the requirements of the job and how closely they match up to the ideal candidate profiles. Selecting a candidate on this basis will not only help ensure an appropriate fit with the candidate and the job, but will also reduce your risk of discrimination litigation. This step allows you to draw some preliminary conclusions about the person's job suitability as well as identify key areas in which you will need to get more information from the applicant. Structuring the interview format.