What to Know Before You Hire
A primer on management recruiters
By Gene Vineyard
Management of a precast producer requires production knowledge, product knowledge, and engineering knowledge. Most top managers have come up through one of these three disciplines; production, sales, or engineering. But successfully managing a business is a lot more than that.
For example, hiring new employees takes certain skills and expertise. And like some other parts of running a business, sometimes it’s best to turn to a professional for help. Have you ever had this experience? You hire a new employee and have invested time and money into training that person, only to discover that the individual is not what you expected and you have to let them go. Sometimes finding the right employees seems like a next to impossible endeavor.
Two key questions
There are two key questions that always
come to the fore:
1. What’s the cost of an open position?
2. What’s the cost of a bad hire?
In both cases the cost is typically very high. For this reason, managers recognize that it is crucial to get it right, and promptly.
A checklist before you hire
Here is a checklist of questions you should
ask yourself before you undertake to hire.
- Have you defined exactly what you are looking for and why (what is the actual job description)?
- How will you measure the success of the person you hire to fill this position?
- What is your hiring process? Will you use testing (are there aptitude tests available to pre screen the candidates, where are these tests)?
- What questions can you use in a telephone interview to eliminate unsuitable candidates?Have you looked internally for this person?
- Have you asked yourself, “Why would someone want to leave their current position and come to work for my company?”
- Have you researched what this position pays in other companies/industries?
- How does the cost of living compare with your location?
-
Do you have some type of formal benefits package
that outlines your benefits?
- Are you willing to pay interview expenses? How is this done?
- What can you afford to pay in regards to relocation expenses?
- What is your policy on vacation and holidays?
- What is your interview process? Who will do the initial telephone interview(s)?
- When you bring the person in, who will they interview with?
- Will they interview with several individuals?
The cost of an open position includes the
cost of work not properly completed
- Will there be follow-up interviews?
- What are the critical questions to ask?
- Are you familiar with what questions are illegal to ask?
- Do you actually need to fill this position or can you spread out the responsibilities with current employees?
- Do you consider the hiring and training expenses as a liability or an investment?
- How is this job being done now?
- The person doing this job, is their primary job function suffering?
- Do you consider your employees a necessity or an asset?
Whether or not you use a recruiter
to help fill an opening, this checklist is invaluable to focus the pre-search
phase.
The Role of Recruiters
Recruiters establish contacts through
the years with both individuals and companies. Return business is
common. Indeed, it is not uncommon for an individual to be placed
by a recruiter, rise to a management position, and contact the recruiter
to fill an opening in the organization. 
What is not fully appreciated is the role of the recruiter that goes far beyond contacts. The employer wants an individual that is pre-qualified, has an accurate resume’, and is available for the position in question. In addition, the recruiter typically helps the employer with the above questions and greatly clarifies and focuses the search effort.
Candidates should be pre-qualified and have an accurate resume’
Recruiters strive to find individuals with talents, skills and experience that match the staffing requirements of their client companies. They also conduct reference checks and screen to make sure a candidate’s personality fits what the client company expects from that individual. Some recruiters even place ads for specific candidates in various trade magazines and publications. In short, recruiters save companies time and money through the introduction of pre-qualified candidates. Recruiters greatly improve the chances of a successful hire and reduce employee training.
How do Recruiters Work
Some recruiters have websites that allow
for client companies to go online and browse through profiles, post job
openings and contact selected individuals. Likewise, candidates can post
profiles, update their personal information, browse through job openings
and respond to those positions they would like to be considered for. Confidentiality
is the key word with most search firms, and as such, candidates and companies
are identified by number only.
Whether or not you decide to use a search firm is up to you. If you do, it’s good to know there are professional recruiters who can help you hire wisely!
Gene Vineyard is a principal and the founder
of CONCRETECAREERS.COM
For more information visit our website:
www.concretecareers.com
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