While much advice has been dispensed to employees preparing for re-entering the workforce, not a whole lot of attention has been paid to how employers should prepare. If you’re an employer and you’re going to be hiring soon, preparation is the key to making a good decision. Finding the best person is not just about locating the best employee; it’s about identifying a long-lasting and mutually rewarding relationship. 

Here are a few tips to get your hiring house in order. While some of these may seem common sense, oftentimes the most day-to-day tasks are done with very little thought.

1. Do NOT merely glance over a resume before meeting with a potential employee. You expect the candidates to do their homework, so do yours. That being said, remember that a resume is just a tool and is always written to put the candidate in the most positive light.

2. Make sure your interview really gets at who this person is. Refrain from doing all the talking and ask open-ended questions, such as:

• Besides the income generated, why do you work?
• When the job was described to you, what part did you find interesting and why?
• How do you deal with difficult co-workers and/or customers?

3. Identify the culture of your company and share with the candidate in an articulate and transparent way. This way, you will know if your company and the candidate are a good fit.

4. Check references and verify information. Don’t merely check work dates; ask questions that will be more telling, such as:

• How did he/she add value to the company? Describe their productivity level.
• Describe their relationships with coworkers and supervision. Their attitude?
• What are the candidate's strengths? In what area(s) do they need to be coached?

5. Stay away from sleuthing on social media -- it’s nothing more than a snapshot in time. A skilled interviewer can get the same information via interview questions in person or over the phone.

If you don’t feel prepared to begin the interviewing process, an experienced staffing company can provide the initial screening for you and assist as you seek the best fit for your company.

Across the Trace network of 11 offices, we offer services in temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire for career fields such as administrative, health care, legal, accounting, light industrial, skilled trades, engineering, sales and transportation/logistics. We excel at identifying and matching talent to employers and finding cost-effective workforce solutions for our clients. For more information about Trace Staffing, please call our Macon office at 478-477-7747 or visit www.tracestaffing.com.