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Before doing anything else, make a list of the competencies, abilities, and characteristics required to perform the role you are hiring for. Be as specific as possible and ask yourself if each part is really important to performing the required tasks. Hiring the right employees means hiring people who can do the job well, rather than hiring someone based on how they look, sound, or move. For example, while a person in a wheelchair might not be suitable for a position that requires active mobility, most positions would be suitable. Don't exclude someone until you are sure that they cannot perform the job to company standards. There needs to be a thorough understanding of the company's culture and management style before defining the proper recruitment and evaluation process. This includes a definition of the employee's style and goals. For example, a corporate culture that focuses on the bottom-line exclusively with an autocratic management style is looking for one kind of employee while a company that balances all stakeholders might prefer those who work comfortably in teams. Very often, the first exposure you have to a candidate will be their resume and other application materials. In order to make sure that you get the best candidate possible, you need to study and pay attention to the details of the candidate's application materials. There are a number of things you can glean from their application. Look for typos, spelling mistakes, formatting issues, and more. These problems can be indicative of a lazy or unqualified candidate; however, don't eliminate a candidate for a typo or two. Use this information to evaluate the candidate on the whole. Has the candidate put together a personalized application that is tailor fit to your company? Look for specific mentions of your company and anything that suggests the candidate has read up on your company. These may be evidence of a candidate who is very engaged and interested in the position. Has the candidate included all relevant information, such as dates of employment and dates of education? If they have not, they might be trying to gloss over something that could hurt their candidacy. Once you have the applicant's resume, look through it to figure out their level of education and/or training. This is particularly important for entry-level workers without much or any work experience. Make sure that their education or training is up to the standard required for the position. This may be a degree, grade point average, or professional certification. Once you've assessed their education, look for other indications of leadership, relevant activities outside of schoolwork, and awards that could otherwise speak to their character. If the applicant has relevant work experience, you should focus particular attention on the candidate's job history. This is extremely important as it will provide you with a lot of information about their ability and commitment level. Note any special achievements or awards for exceeding sales goals or breaking company records. These are all signs that the prospective employee has high standards of performance and pushed him or herself to excel. Does the candidate move from position to position very often? This could suggest they don't get along with their coworkers, or that they have a commitment issue. Has the candidate advanced in their career? If the candidate has moved up very quickly and has gained higher compensation and more responsibilities, this could be indicative of someone who is a go-getter and is top candidate material. Has the candidate had a lapse in employment or have they been out of the industry for an amount of time? There are many reasons why someone might have gaps in their resume. Make sure to get the full story before holding an employment or industry gap against them. A person with a disability, for instance, may have gaps in their employment history due to employer stereotypes, but this person may still be an excellent employee given the chance. One of the most important steps in finding the most qualified candidate is to contact their professional references. Once you contact professional references, you will be able to gather more information about the candidate's abilities and commitment. References may be able to tell you about general disposition and whether the employee consistently pushed to succeed, as well as any issues caused in the workplace like harassment or violence. Make sure to call and talk to the reference in person for the best results. Make sure to compile a list of questions for the references before you contact them.
Define the job requirements. Study their resume and application. Look at the applicant's education or training. Review job histories. Contact references.