The hiring process can be frustrating and expensive. The best way to ensure you are hiring the best person for the job is to prioritize your needs and wants in a candidate. Sure, we all want to hire that cool person who makes a great first impression, has a stellar personality, and is instant friends with everyone. But is that really what your company needs? Maybe the quiet, introspective candidate would be a better fit for the objectives of the position, work team, or customer base.
Determining the differences between your company’s needs and wants is the key. Start by evaluating your current team and top performers in the position.
Put Your Needs Before Your Wants
Think about the attributes you need in a candidate, by first, evaluating what job needs to be done and which traits are required for success. Leverage a valid assessment tool to accurately identify all priorities for hiring and stick to it as the candidate moves through the recruitment process.
It’s somewhat like searching for your dream home: You likely have a list of features you need within your home (such as three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a double detached garage with alley access). But, if that home is not in the right type of community with the right amenities surrounding it (an elementary school within walking distance, public transit, or a wide variety of community programs) it is likely, the home may not seem like such a ‘dream’ after a short period of time.
A candidate who has all of the traits on your must-haves list also may have some things from your wants list, such as the correct post-secondary credentials, a certain number of years in the field, or knowledge of a specific computer program. Most employers believe they want to hire candidates who present as more outgoing and assertive – mainly because they present well in telephone and face to face interviews. These are nice attributes (double detached garage with alley access), but are they necessary for the job you’re trying to fill (walking distance to the elementary school)?
Your needs list should encompass all of the traits your candidate must have to do the job at hand. If this person also has some of the qualities on your wants list, consider that a bonus.
Attitude Is Everything
Your ideal candidate needs to fit in with your corporate culture but must also be able to work seamlessly within the team or department for which the person will be hired. Finally, the new hire needs to have the right attitude to succeed in the job. An overall corporate culture, for example, may be relaxed, but the particular department may have different expectations of productivity because of the nature of the job (sales positions, in particular, tends to be more of a high-stress and demanding environment than perhaps data-entry).
Individuals differ in their work styles and internal motivation. Be sure that you discern each candidate’s commitment to working as part of team. Not everyone can play well with others.
How to Tell Needs From Wants
It may be difficult for you to separate your needs from your wants. You may believe that there is a candidate out there who fulfills all items on both of your lists. This is entirely possible, but it’s not probable. Instead of waiting for the ideal person to walk into your office, find someone who at least checks off everything on your needs list. The wants will come later with training and skill development.
Keep your two lists separate. Only when a candidate fulfills every item on your needs list should you refer to your wants list.
Contact us today for wants versus needs insights from our team.
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