How To Choose the Right Applicant for a Job in your Las Vegas Business

You have to determine if there is a real need to get a new employee for a specific job. Are you turning down orders due to lack of workforce? Are you planning to expand your business and you need a person to help you during the process? If so, you are indeed in need of additional employees. 

Will you require someone to work for you long-term? Do you need someone to help you with a project? This way, you can check if you need to hire a regular or part-time employee. It will be easier for you to filter out the employees. 

Conducting a job analysis will help you determine the job requirements and how they will relate to your business operations. It will also help you arrive at a better decision making when it comes to job placements. You can refer to your employee handbook if you need help identifying critical areas for consideration. 

Based on the job analysis, it is now time to write a job description. Do it in order of importance, and it must include the principal responsibilities. A useful job description should consist of a percentage of time the employee will spend on each duty. Note that the total must be equal to 100%. Also, the job description must be cohesive and must correlate with the job summary, salary, minimum qualification requirements, and other physical requirements. 

When you determine the salary for the needed position, the decision must depend on both the internal and external equity. You must assess the relevance and importance of the position and how it will affect your business. You can base it on the job description, taking into account the devoted time the employee will spend on each task. It is also useful to research industry standards. Never skip this step. This step will give you an insight into the sustainability of the job. GlassDoor and Payscale are excellent sources for salary research, as they both provide insights on how much your competitors are paying their employees for similar positions.

You can find qualified applicants via: 

Referrals from Friends and Colleagues. Before you spend money on job boards, ask referrals from friends and colleagues. They can suggest someone they’ve worked with before. Make sure that they can vouch for the individual. 

Job Search Engines. You can also utilize job boards that offer job postings. If you can, look for niche boards that specialize in your industry so you can benefit from focused results. 

Social Networks. LinkedIn is the leading business networking site where you can source qualified applicants. 

Recruitment Agencies. If you do not have time to pre-screen applicants, you can ask help from hiring agents. Securing the services of an agent is not advisable, though, if you are just starting your business as headhunter fees may be too much for you. 

You don’t have to interview every single applicant that sends in their resume. Review resumes and only schedule an interview with individuals you think are the best fit for the position. Filtering will save you and the applicant time and effort. 

Before interviewing candidates, prepare a set of questions. Make sure that you only focus on the job and how the candidate can fulfill the role. Refrain from asking any personal questions, which will not affect job delivery. Your job as an interviewer is to collect as much pertinent information during the interview. 

In addition to the answers, look for any behavioral cues to help you decide if they are the right candidate that you are looking for. While asking specific and structured questions, you can be flexible and make follow-up questions as necessary. Focus on their past performance and experience regarding the job. 

Also, make sure that the interview is short and meaningful. After the meeting, organize your notes, and input your analysis while it is fresh. 

Don’t get carried away by an applicant’s lip service. Never forget to do a reference check. This step makes sure that your applicant is truthful with the information they provided. You can call previous employers and check. When verifying, ask open-ended questions to elicit thorough answers. Ask about their key strengths, notable contributions for the company, and whether they would hire that applicant. It is also essential to take note of the things the references do not say about the applicant. 

By this time, you have probably come up with the right applicant for the job. Hire them and monitor their performance. 

Your employees are a large part of your company’s success. Never take them for granted and reward them when necessary so they can stay motivated.