Need Help? These days, your greatest competitive advantage can be the employees on your team! Look for candidates who appear bright, friendly, flexible and dedicated. They should be able to show empathy towards your customers and convey an essence of trustworthiness. Is this someone you’d hand your own car keys over to?

“Finders keepers...”? Generally, “Help Wanted” ads aren’t necessarily the answer to filling a specific position. Prowlers of “Help Wanted” ads are typically, the misfit, unemployed and those who are never happy with their career life in general. Check with your local unemployment bureau, job training or career center. Big businesses downsize everyday and let those employees go on to be retrained in other careers. Be open to the possibilities.  Do you think they may be a good fit for your organization? Remember, you want to try to find the “gems”. Even though, some may be “diamonds in the rough”, keep an open mind to what your gut is telling you about a prospective employee. Some may be worth the chance!

Check References: Don’t be afraid to ask previous affiliations. Ask for certificates of attendance, professional certificates earned, etc. They don’t always have to be industry specific, because other career influences can sometimes be helpful in examining a person for their character or work ethic. Are you hiring an employee or filling a position? There’s a difference!

Interview Openly: Don’t be so overwhelming with what you expect of them as a prospective employee. Don’t try to sell them on your business. They probably came to you by referral anyway and they have their own expectations of your business. Ask them what they think.   When you interview someone, be open to their expectations and ideas. What is it that you have to offer this company if you were to work here?  Have a standard scenario for each prospect and ask each how they would handle the situation. You shouldn’t get the same solution twice...or should you?

Salary Offer: Hmmm...You can curb an immediate $ amount request by listing what your company offers in a benefit package. Have a summary of benefit items available in your benefits package. Try listing true costs or approximate costs to your business for these items. What will the employee have to contribute on their behalf? An intuitive prospect will weigh the value of these benefits against what their take home pay might be.  

Happy Hunting! It can be a jungle out there!!

Need Help? These days, your greatest competitive advantage can be the employees on your team! Look for candidates who appear bright, friendly, flexible and dedicated. They should be able to show empathy towards your customers and convey an essence of trustworthiness. Is this someone you’d hand your own car keys over to?

“Finders keepers...”? Generally, “Help Wanted” ads aren’t necessarily the answer to filling a specific position. Prowlers of “Help Wanted” ads are typically, the misfit, unemployed and those who are never happy with their career life in general. Check with your local unemployment bureau, job training or career center. Big businesses downsize everyday and let those employees go on to be retrained in other careers. Be open to the possibilities.  Do you think they may be a good fit for your organization? Remember, you want to try to find the “gems”. Even though, some may be “diamonds in the rough”, keep an open mind to what your gut is telling you about a prospective employee. Some may be worth the chance!

Check References: Don’t be afraid to ask previous affiliations. Ask for certificates of attendance, professional certificates earned, etc. They don’t always have to be industry specific, because other career influences can sometimes be helpful in examining a person for their character or work ethic. Are you hiring an employee or filling a position? There’s a difference!

Interview Openly: Don’t be so overwhelming with what you expect of them as a prospective employee. Don’t try to sell them on your business. They probably came to you by referral anyway and they have their own expectations of your business. Ask them what they think.   When you interview someone, be open to their expectations and ideas. What is it that you have to offer this company if you were to work here?  Have a standard scenario for each prospect and ask each how they would handle the situation. You shouldn’t get the same solution twice...or should you?

Salary Offer: Hmmm...You can curb an immediate $ amount request by listing what your company offers in a benefit package. Have a summary of benefit items available in your benefits package. Try listing true costs or approximate costs to your business for these items. What will the employee have to contribute on their behalf? An intuitive prospect will weigh the value of these benefits against what their take home pay might be.  

Happy Hunting! It can be a jungle out there!!