The staff screening process is fundamental for a company to function properly, since hiring the appropriate personnel for each position is crucial for a cordial and productive office environment. For this reason, it’s advisable not to rush to close an agreement and instead follow a series of guidelines to ensure that the hiring is positive for both parties. Here are some steps you should take to evaluate each candidate accurately and completely.
How to do a suitable staff screening
Choosing the right candidates for each position is a much more complex task than it may seem, as there are many nuances and conditions that you should consider before making a final decision. To ensure that you achieve the best possible hiring outcomes, we offer the following guidelines:
1. Define the profile you are looking for
Before beginning the staff screening, you must define with precision the profile that is most suitable for the job vacancy. You must delimit an experience level -whether junior or senior-, main skills and qualifications, academic training, work experience, salary range and personality. During the staff screening you should keep in mind that the profiles vary widely according to
the job: the qualities that you look for when hiring an accountant -expertise in numbers, with analytical and productive capacities- are different that those you look for when hiring a public relations officer-outgoing, sociable and communicative-, for example. We recommend writing a brief describing your ideal worker for the position, so you’ll have a clearer idea of what you’re looking for when you start reviewing potential candidates.
2. Psychological and cognitive tests
A written test is a good way to perform a first screening of all possible candidates. These tests should include questions of a psychological, cognitive and strategic nature, in order to have a first indication of the potential of each candidate and to have more information about their main qualities. With GoConqr’s SmartLinks, candidates have access to the test quickly and you can instantly get their results when they’re done. In this way, you can carry out the staff screening process in a productive and efficient way, instantly identifying the strongest candidates on the basis of their test performance.
3. Check references
Many people exaggerate (and sometimes lie about) their résumés in order to qualify for more positions, so it is an important human resources task to check the veracity of the CVs that come in. The best way to do this is by asking candidates for references: a letter of recommendation from their boss and the phone number to be able to call them if you wish.
4. Friendly and cordial interview
You must have subtlety and cordiality when doing job interviews, since you have to keep in mind that the candidate is probably nervous about the situation. Therefore, it’s your duty to make the candidate comfortable so that they can show their best qualities. For the first interview it’s advisable to ask more general questions, such as their work experience, strengths and weaknesses, professional aspirations and goals. During this first phase the most important thing is to identify if the candidate’s personality traits will be a good fit with the atmosphere of the office, as you already know the candidate has appropriate professional experience from reviewing the resume and references. For the second phase, it’s advisable that the head of the candidate’s department accompanies you and that the interview is more technical and specific about the position, with the aim of assessing if the candidate has the necessary skills to perform the role within the company.
5. Reply to everyone!
You shouldn’t leave anyone who has dedicated part of their time to apply for the job unanswered, both those who pass the preliminary rounds and those who don’t. For the candidates you eliminate for not having a resume that fits what you are looking for, you can have a template with the response already prepared to send them. But when you engage candidates in the interview stage of the staff screening process, you should send a personalized message no matter what your final decision is. Going to a job interview takes time, preparation and many nerves, so you must have respect for their effort and take time to answer them all.
At GoConqr, we make it easy to create and distribute engaging learning content. If you have any questions about how to improve staff screening or are interested in some of the tools we have mentioned, do not hesitate to contact our team.