5 Steps for Hiring the Right Employees
by Wayne Nemeroff

5 Steps to Prevent Costly Hiring Mistakes for Your Organization

Hiring the right employees is, needless to say, a crucial part of operating a successful business. Be it a small or a large organization, poor hiring decisions can turn out to be costly mistakes for the employer. Keeping the changing work environment in perspective, it becomes a very expensive deal to have on board even a single employee who proves to be a bad "fit". However, there are a number of ways through which a prospective employee can be evaluated and judged.

1. Use Employee Assessments: While recruiting, companies generally tend to focus on the technical abilities and qualifications of the candidate. What is overlooked is the fact though a candidate may have all the qualifications for the position, he/ she may not measure up on the non-technical aspects of the job. In order to make sure that a prospective employee is in sync with the objectives and values of the organization, employee assessments should be carried out. These are based on questionnaires and inventories that focus on the suitability of the person for the particular position, by assessing his/ her style of work, personality, and workplace behavioral patterns. Besides, these assessment tools help identify the gaps between the job requirements and the employee's work styles and can also serve to help with employee development and coaching.

2. Conduct a Thorough Background Check: Cases of resume falsification are not very uncommon. According to a recent study, it was revealed that almost 10 percent of job applicants misrepresent their educational qualifications, work history and responsibilities, and even their reasons for having left their previous jobs. Carrying out a careful background check can go a long way in preventing problems later on.

3. Get an Unbiased Judgment: All too often, employers rely heavily on the candidate's self awareness. While it is true that an applicant may be extremely talented and skilled, it has also been noticed that more often than not, one is biased about his/ her knowledge and experience. Thus they may project an incorrect idea of their actual abilities and aptitudes. It is therefore advisable to always get a professional, objective evaluation of an individual's work style behaviors and competencies. And ask for project samples or demonstrations as evidence of the candidate's proficiency.

4. Provide a Realistic and Clear Job Preview: During the hiring process for a particular position, care should be taken to ensure that position description and deliverables are explained in detail to the candidate. The requirements should never be exaggerated or modified in an attempt to make it the "dream job". Neither should a candidate be left guessing about the respective job responsibilities. In either case, a candidate may develop his/ her own ideas about the role requirements, and after on boarding, any negatives or unanticipated responsibilities may lead to a resignation. This would be very costly and entail starting all over with the hiring process.

5. Do Not Hire Mismatched People: Often, in a desperate situation, an organization may hire employees who are not qualified enough to meet the demands of the job role or whose work styles are simply not a good match for the job requirements or the organization's culture. This is often done with the idea that even a marginally employee can be trained to deliver the same outputs. However, this can be a dangerous decision not only for the organization's finances, but also for its reputation. The money, time, and energy invested in training under-qualified and mismatched people are hardly worth it. It is always advisable to take any steps necessary to make sure a person is a good "fit" for the requirements of the job and the organization's culture. Mis-hires can be very costly and have a negative impact on the current employees' moral and overall level of satisfaction.

To learn how your organization can discover the "degree of fit" for hiring or retaining people, please call 1-866-774-2273.

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff, CEO and founder of PsyMax Solutions. With more than 20 years of coaching, assessment, and organizational behavior and development experience, he is committed to helping employers and individuals increase their effectiveness and maximize their capabilities. Dr. Nemeroff helps people and organizations build on their assets and over-come their liabilities by focusing on practical, action-oriented goals and action plans that tie in to tangible, long lasting results. Wayne Nemeroff may be contacted at