To Recruit Effectively, Define Your Company's Need First

Finding the right candidate to fill a job can be a daunting task for any hiring manager. There are a lot of variables to consider such as the candidate’s educational background, work experience, personal characteristics, potential to succeed, training requirements, cultural fit and presentation. In order to make your hiring process easier, it is important to define your needs clearly so you can filter out mediocre candidates from great candidates. Before you begin recruiting, it’s critical to define your needs first.

In order to define the job and its requirements, you should first understand two things: the primary responsibilities and tasks involved in the job and the background characteristics needed to perform the job.

One of the best ways to identify the responsibilities of a job is to look at what the incumbent employee does. Sit down with the incumbent and ask him/her how he/she spends his/her days, what tools he/she uses (such as software programs or information resources), who he/she speaks with, and the types of challenges he/she faces.

Write down the primary responsibilities of the job and then compare your list with the previous job description for the job. It is important to work with the incumbent to prioritize the list of responsibilities and make sure you did not overlook any key points. If you are recruiting to a new position, be sure to think ahead and define the responsibilities carefully.

Background characteristics such as education and work experience are two of the most critical components to consider when evaluating potential candidates. Regarding education, you should define whether the job requires a candidate from a specific type of institution with a degree or certificate, such as a vocational school or and Economics University, or whether you need someone who simply demonstrates academic success by being a top student from a prestigious institution or by holding an advanced degree in any field.

Regarding work experience, your analysis of the candidate’s C.V. should be based on the specific tasks and responsibilities for the available position. Three areas to focus on are industry experience, functional experience and large-or-small-company experience. Industry and functional experience are particularly important for externally oriented positions that require knowledge of products and competitors. If a candidate has not been exposed to all of the requirements, consider whether the candidate can learn these skills or knowledge and whether your company can invest the time and energy needed for training.

By taking the time to clearly understand the basic requirements for a job, you will be able to better evaluate your candidates on the basis of their education and experience. Knowing these things you can filter out mediocre candidates from great ones. As a result, when you do start interviewing candidates, you can focus on evaluating the more subtle qualities you need for a given position.

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