Have you ever noticed some companies seem to have no difficulty finding volumes of staff, while others can’t seem to find a qualified candidate in a sea of applicants? What’s the difference between these companies?

Well, some of it may boil down to location and in other instances, it could be the size of the company. Larger companies often have more hiring resources, but this doesn’t mean smaller companies can’t find some of the best candidates an industry has to offer.

If you are an employer or hiring manager currently in search of talented and experienced staff, take a look at what successful employers always do when conducting job interviews: 

Be Upfront, Honest and Specific About the Available Position

First and foremost, you must be upfront, honest and specific about the available position. New employees will be quick to leave a job, or pass on a job offer, if they find the promises they were given and expectations they had are not met.

Job seekers want to know what your company has to offer. They want to know what makes your company different from others in the same industry. Be honest. Transparency is best. Tell them the benefits of working at your company. Be specific about the position you are interviewing for and make sure it aligns with what the person wants to do.

Know about the company’s expansion goals and plans. Make sure you let the applicant know how she or he fits into those plans, as well as room for continued education and further advancement.

Taking the time to talk with an applicant, and really listen to his or her career goals and aspirations, is a key tool in helping you determine whether the applicant could be an ideal match. Remember, it has to be beneficial for both parties. As long as you are clear about the position and any expectations you may have, you’ll be better equipped to make a hiring decision.

Don’t Always Trust Your First Impression

While successful executives may often tell you they always “go with their gut” when making key decisions, they don’t always trust their first impressions. Take hiring interviews for an example: Did the applicant arrive on time? Did the person make eye contact upon meeting you? Does he or she seem to be polite and well-mannered? Personable? These are all first impressions you may get upon meeting an individual. These are not necessary signs as to whether he or she will be a productive employee.

When you go into a hiring interview, you can’t ignore your first impression, but you can’t always depend on it either. Use the job interview to help determine if your first impression was simply a nervous applicant or if it was well-founded.

People can get nervous when going in for a job interview. It doesn’t mean their basic skills aren’t top of line. It doesn’t mean the individual wouldn’t be an extremely valuable asset to your team. Basically, you have to use the interview to try and determine, in a relatively short period of time, whether you would want the individual in front of you working as a representative of your company.

Don’t Have Superhero Expectations

It is not uncommon to find an employer or hiring manager who feels the need to conduct interview after interview in search of that one perfect candidate. While some may see this as beneficial, since it means the company is “unwilling to compromise”, it’s more than likely the opposite. An employer who isn’t willing to consider anyone other than who he or she considers as the ideal candidate, could have superhero expectations.

Maybe the employer had a previous employee who was stellar in all of his or her duties. The person could do no wrong and seemed to be able to handle any load or obstacle he or she faced. While these people do exist, what employers and hiring managers often forget is these individuals usually went through a learning curve themselves before they attained their “superhero” status.

If you come across a job applicant who meets the qualifications necessary to do the job, whether it be as a dentist, physical therapist, speech language pathologist or some other position, take the individual into consideration. You can be selective, but you also need to be reasonable.

Is the person a hard-worker? Does he or she seem to be motivated? Does the individual want to advance his or her career? Do you think the person would be a good fit with your existing staff? If so, why not give the person a try? You never know…the person in front of you might just be the superhero you’ve been looking for all along. Not all superheros are aware of the powers they possess. Sometimes they need to come into their powers over time. Don’t miss out simply because you’ve set your initial expectations too high.

Have Clear Hiring Policies in Place

This one seems like a no-brainer, but is an area many executives and hiring managers neglect. They want to bring on fresh staff and get open positions filled, however, when the time comes, they could lose potentially valuable job applicants because the company has no clear hiring policies in place.

Do you know who has the authority to approve new hires? What types of interviews are necessary before an offer can be made? Does your company require a working interview in addition to a standard face-to-face? Are you authorized to make a job applicant an offer? What details must be included in an official job offer?

These are just a few of the questions you need to have answered prior to conducting job interviews. Not only will you avoid a lot of potential questions, confusions and wasted time, you could help avoid legal trouble by having clear hiring policies in place. It doesn’t have to take long. It just needs to be clearly defined and laid out. Being able to acquire highly-qualified staff will depend on whether your company has streamlined hiring policies.

If you want professional employees, then you need to set the example by conducting business in a professional manner. Doing so will be an essential part of your future success.

For more than 20 years, The People Link has been dedicated to helping companies achieve their hiring objectives. Our focus is on finding qualified healthcare applicants to fill open positions in the Dental and Allied Healthcare industries, to the benefit of all. You can visit The People Link online or call Mya directly at 818-890-9998 to learn more about our services and obtain a free, no-obligation consultation.