How to hire perfect (or close to it)

Recruiting new staff can be expensive, and it’s even more expensive when you get it wrong…so what can you do to make sure you get it right first time?

The most common selection methods for recruiting new staff are (no surprises) interviews, application form/CVs and practical assessments. But are these methods the best predictor of future performance?

Whilst interviews are by far the most popular way to recruit, research shows that they’re not actually the best predictor of future performance. If you read our article last week, we gave you some tips on helping everyone shine in their interview (rather than just those people who it comes naturally to), but other than an interview what else can you do to make sure you get the best performer for your vacancy?

Have a look at the research results below (Smith et al), which show different selection methods and their predictor of future performance.

A typical unstructured interview is actually one of the poorer selection tools! And of course there is no perfect predictor to use to get those high performing people, but, if you use a variety of these methods you’ll have a much better chance at getting it right.

So make your interviews structured, and ask questions that will really test someone’s knowledge and skills as well as their values. Use work sample tests to check their ability in your vacancy, and use cognitive and psychometric or behaviour tests to find out even more about your candidates…then you’ll get as close as you can to that perfect prediction!

If you need support or advice with recruitment, including management training or any other people topic get in touch with Stanley & Davis. We run training sessions specifically tailored to your needs.