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How Managers Should Select New Hires and What It Takes to Keep Them

 |  6 Min Read

Turnover and hiring new employees can be both time-consuming and costly for businesses. Businesses must work to retain as many hard-working personnel as possible and make good hiring decisions to avoid a loss when training new hires. There are certain qualities companies look for when hiring new employees, which often can be discovered in the first interview.

Here are ten standout traits to look for in screening new hires:

Turnover can be expensive given the investment in training new employees, and businesses do not want to hire someone who does not have potential as a long-term hire. Recruiters should look for traits of commitment and longevity in an interviewee’s resume. For instance, a candidate with a graduate degree (such as an online MBA) or multiple certifications would indicate a passion for pursuing learning, professional growth, and long-term advancement opportunities.

Turnover can be expensive given the investment in training new employees, and businesses do not want to hire someone who does not have potential as a long-term hire. Recruiters should look for traits of commitment and longevity in an interviewee’s resume. For instance, a candidate with a graduate degree (such as an online MBA) or multiple certifications would indicate a passion for pursuing learning, professional growth, and long-term advancement opportunities.

Look for candidates who are enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. Their successes should shine through during the interview. People who love their work often stay at companies longer than those who work for the sake of the paycheck. Enthusiasm is an excellent trait for a new employee; enthusiastic and outgoing employees are often helpful to a business because they are likely proficient in operations management, enterprise resource planning, and healthcare management.

Some hiring managers may request potential new hires to complete a task or work on a project to illustrate their skill set better. An employer wants to find a self-motivated candidate, excited to be an active participant in company efforts and willing to put in the extra effort to succeed in the business. Candidates who keep their composure while simultaneously showcasing their problem-solving skills are often better prepared to work well under pressure and the responsibility that might come along with the job.

When interviewing a candidate, it is essential to measure their “fit” in two distinct ways. First, consider their fit for the position based on their knowledge, skill capacity, and ability to perform the required functions successfully. Second, measure their fit for the organization as a whole by envisioning how they would personally “fit” into the company culture. Employees who feel successful at their position and have a sense of belonging at the company will often stay longer.

In many situations, employees must function with coworkers on a project. Even if a job requires most tasks to be completed alone, there will be times when employees will have to work together. Recruiters and hiring managers usually ask potential hires how well they work as a team and what type of work environment they prefer. Some employers may even bring applicants in for a group interview to see how well they interact with several people already on staff.

Businesses want to hire motivated and driven people who will go above and beyond what is asked of them. Ambitious employees work hard to do their best in their position and often think of ways to improve their work and be more efficient, making it an excellent quality for an online HR graduate. An employee who possesses these traits is sure to have a greater chance of being considered for more challenging positions once the opportunity arises.

Hiring managers will also look for honesty and integrity during the interview. When receiving a compliment, it is commendable for candidates to share the credit with fellow employees that helped them succeed. Appreciating other employees will strengthen the group and individual morale, building and reinforcing a trusting environment. Hiring managers should look for self-assured, confident employees who take credit for their work while also recognizing the efforts of the whole team involved.

Being intently responsive shows respect and courtesy towards the hiring managers; a candidate who thoughtfully responds when being addressed, politely greets others and says “thank you” and “you’re welcome” will set the applicant apart from others who lack proper social interaction skills. It is also a key indicator of how they will interact with peers and customers once in the position. Treating people respectfully will yield better business results in every aspect of a company, especially when dealing directly with clients.

How to Prioritize Retention in Your Company

After a hiring manager selects a candidate based on the appropriate traits outlined above, the next step is finding a way to ensure that talent stays on board. Human resource managers know that hiring the wrong person for a job can be a frustrating and disappointing experience, both for the company and the new hire. With so much at stake, it’s essential that human resource personnel have advanced knowledge of the strategies and skills that make hiring and keeping winners a standard in their business, not a lucky occurrence.

Keeping the Best

Once winning talent has been brought on board, the challenge keeps them invested, engaged, and committed to the company. If truly extraordinary talent has been hired, the chance of competitors trying to woo them is high. From the very beginning of their employment, human resources can play a pivotal role in keeping the best candidates from leaving.

  • Help the Candidates Find Their Professional Passion: To keep the best and the brightest, a company needs to provide more than just money; it needs to provide a purpose. Talented people want to feel engaged in something meaningful; if they don’t feel a connection or passion for their work, their commitment to the company can wane. One strategy human resources can utilize to retain the professional winners is regularly checking in with top talent on what they like or don’t like about their work, what they feel passionate about, and what they want to do more. With that information, human resources can facilitate a discussion with supervisors and incorporate more of their passion projects into the role. Sending the message that employees can choose all aspects of their role is unrealistic, but showing concern for employees to be fulfilled by their work is realistic and practical for retention.
  • Provide Regular Feedback: Many companies mistake thinking their winning talent doesn’t need or want regular feedback. Instead, they provide yearly performance evaluations that are directly linked to compensation. But top talent is interested in growing and learning and can lose interest quickly if their managers aren’t providing constructive and positive feedback. A strategy savvy human resource personnel can use is encouraging managers to provide more regular feedback to their teams unrelated to compensation. Hence, there is a culture of development and investment in winning talent.

While these strategies are effective, the best strategy any human resource professional can utilize to hire winners and keep them is to educate them and stay up to date on new processes and trends.

The University of Scranton offers a fully online graduate degree program for human resources management that can provide the strategic training necessary to navigate hiring and keeping the best talent. The curriculum is regularly updated to include the latest strategies for effective decision-making, organizational performance, negotiating, and rewarding top talent.

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