Do you own a small business? If so, you understand the importance of hiring the most qualified people to work for you. After all, it’s likely you have a small staff and want everyone to be working together with efficiency. There are several things you should focus on while looking for an individual to fill a particular job position. Look at the first three things to focus on when hiring a new person to work for you.

The Face-to-Face Interview

Talking to a job candidate in-person can tell you a lot about the individual you may not pick up over the phone. For instance, did the person arrive on time to the interview? If so, this shows respect for you and a true desire to land the job. How is the person dressed? Is his or her wardrobe appropriate? Once again, you want someone who truly wants the job and knows how to look professional. When talking with the person take note of how easily he or she answers questions and whether the person asks any. Someone who asks questions during a job interview is definitely showing interest in the work.

The Resume

A person’s resume has a lot of important information that can be helpful to you as you make your decision. Does the person have a consistent work history? Checking on the individual’s personal and professional references can be very helpful. Where did the person go to college and did he or she graduate? If you are dealing with a college graduate, it’s a sign the person has perseverance and finishes what he or she starts. Of course, this is a desirable quality in a job candidate. Also, a resume lets you know about a candidate’s additional skills. Perhaps the person speaks Spanish or knows how to use a specialized computer program.

The Background Check

You may want to run a background check on job candidates. Perhaps you opt to look for felony statistics or other criminal records via a resource such as Intelius. A background check may be very useful if the job position is particularly sensitive in nature. For instance, the job may involve handling cash or working with young children. Getting a background check can give you peace of mind about someone before hiring that person and welcoming them into your business.

Lastly, there’s no harm in putting someone on a probationary period after they are hired. If they don’t live up to your expectations you can always go back into the pool of job candidates and see if your second choice is still available for the job.

Businesses and government agencies require workers to perform various duties within the organizations. They would, therefore, advertise the positions online or on print media and invite individuals to send their applications. Those who meet the desired qualifications are then invited for an interview and the best from the group hired to the position. Well, this is what most institutions do when they need to fill up positions in their organizations but it lacks one critical element; pre-employment background checks. Such checks are very important and they may unearth shocking details about the applicants that may make them unsuitable for a particular job. Employers should, therefore, insist on such checks before hiring and this piece highlights some of the reasons why that is the case.  

1.      To unearth criminal records.

Job seekers would hardly reveal their past criminal records when applying for jobs and it is only with a background check that employers will be able to unearth such records. A criminal history may not necessarily mean that an individual is not fit for employment but the employer deserves to know this information before trusting a new employee with sensitive files and information about the business. Job seekers should be forthright with this information and those that are not could have something big to hide. Some of the issues that employers should be on the lookout for include assaults and drug-related crimes. Workspaces are supposed to be safe and employees with such histories and characteristics may interfere with this.

2.      To confirm academic credentials.

Job seekers may also use fake certificates when applying for a job and employers that are not careful when choosing new employees may end up with unqualified workers who may not add value to the firm. Background checks are, therefore, very important to check the authenticity of documents presented by the applicants. Such checks are particularly important if the position to be filled is technical in nature. Medical personnel and programmers are some of the positions that call for pre-employment background checks before hiring so as to ensure that you end up with the best candidate for the position.

3.      To ensure due diligence.

Employers are required by law to perform background checks on all their employees for security purposes. In fact, the employers will be charged in a court of law when it is found out that they have been hosting criminals in their organizations as a result of not conducting background checks on their employees. The firm may end up incurring huge fees to defend themselves in court and this will definitely eat into the business’ revenues. To avoid such costs, employers should make sure that they perform background checks before hiring anyone to their organizations.

Conclusion.

Pre-employment background checks are very important in the hiring process. With increased competition for the few open job positions, job seekers would do whatever it takes to clinch the available positions even if it means faking the academic qualifications and hiding their criminal pasts. Background checks will reveal all these things and this will help employers make the best hiring decisions.  

Your employees are more than just members of your payroll: They are also one of your company’s best assets. When you do all that you can to help your employees thrive, you will both benefit. You don’t necessarily have to invest a large quantity of money to do this, but you do have to make a conscious effort to help your employees be their best.

Seek Honest Feedback

It’s difficult to help your employees thrive if you haven’t gained a full understanding about what is holding them back. No business is perfect, and seeking honest feedback from your employees is a great way to find areas that need improvement.

In order for employees to provide candid feedback, they need to feel safe. In most cases, employees feel more comfortable providing feedback in an anonymous manner. Print a short survey to distribute to employees, or create an old-fashioned suggestions box to place in the office.

Invest in Training

Once you know which areas need improvement, you can work on making strides in these areas. In many cases, the proper training can relieve a lot of the stress from your employees. Investing in software is great, but you won’t be able to take full advantage of the new program if you haven’t also invested in Sage 100 training.

Training sessions don’t have to be full-day events that keep everyone away from their regular duties. Instead, look for ways to scatter shorter training sessions throughout your schedule. Host a lunch meeting where you bring in a customer service expert, or take an hour on Friday afternoon to have a refresher on email etiquette.

Recognize Excellence

Few things in life are more motivating than positive feedback. Instead of harping on all that your employees are doing wrong, make the choice to recognize excellence. Employees who feel that they are appreciated will work harder and gain a sense of loyalty to your business.

Bonuses are always a great way to reward excellence, but you don’t have to abandon this idea if you are short on funds. Instead, think of other ways to reward great employees. Give the gift of an extra vacation day, give the employee a temporary break from one of her duties, or simply give positive feedback in front of other people at your next staff meeting. You might be surprised how a culture of positivity changes the attitude of your staff members.