Hiring Right the First Time

During these turbulent times in our economy one of the most pressing decisions is to hire and retain the right people. Every small business owner needs to be aware of the financial consequences of bringing in or retaining the wrong person in your business.

The following are some guidelines which you may find helpful in interviewing prospective employees. Remember poor hiring decisions are the costliest mistakes businesses make. A poor hiring decision affects productivity and morale.

Borderline fits can create the biggest drain in your organizational resources. These are the people who do not pull their own weight, and always seem on the verge of making it. We're confident all they need is just a little more time, a little more training, a little more management help. It is these borderline employees who soak up most of our creative energies while we ponder how to tap into the potential we're so sure is there. Excellent practices and good leaders appreciate the difference between an acceptable employee and the exceptional, gifted one. Employees who are well matched to their tasks invariably demonstrate higher levels of initiative and creativity, stay longer, and produce more. Finding excellent people is hard work and it takes strong convictions to hold the quality line under stress, especially if someone leaves unexpectedly.

Prior to starting any interview get very clear on the job requirements - the skill and traits which must be present for satisfactory performance of the job. Your people are your most important asset!

The interview should be conducted in a quiet place, free from distraction. Your primary "job" in the interview is to listen and allow the applicant to do most of the talking - 80/20 principle. You listen 80% and talk only 20%. Open ended and hypothetical questions should be used most often.

The most important qualities to look for in your applicants are willingness and "trainability". Look for answers which indicate a sincere interest in contributing, rather than simply what they hope to get from business.

Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself and how did you become interested in this field. (Start off by getting to know the applicant and why they chose this career.)

2. Describe a typical day in your last job? What duties and responsibilities did you have in each of your jobs? What did you like about each job? What did you dislike about each job?

3. What do you consider your most important accomplishment in your present job and why?

4. Tell me about a time when a patient or team member was upset, how did you handle it?

5. Who is the best (and worse) boss you have ever had, what made him/her so special? (If the description of the worse boss sounds anything like you, you know that person will not be happy working with you.)

6. Motivational and Willingness questions? What are you looking for in a job and why have you applied for this position? What kind of supervision do you prefer?
Are you willing to attend seminars to enhance job training? What is the most difficult thing you have ever overcome in your life and how did you overcome it?

In any successful hiring process be prepared to share your philosophy of practice and what you stand for so that prospective employees will know whether or not this is a practice that fits them. Once hired remember TRAIN, TRAIN, AND TRAIN.

Good luck in your hiring process!

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