Hiring Staff: Do’s and Don’ts

4. Do prepare your questions

Brainstorm and write down your questions before the interview. Ask your questions in order from most important to least important to ensure you have time to cover everything of higher priority. Ask candidates the same questions so you can compare their answers. Focus your questions on skills they need to succeed in the prospective job. Questions that reveal their character are also important. Consider these examples:

-  How would you deal with a pushy or angry customer?
-  Tell me about a time you were stressed at work. What did you do?
-  Describe a time you found it challenging to be honest.

Avoid personal questions, but test the applicant’s knowledge of your business and the industry. General questions could include:

-  Why did you apply for this position?
-  Where do you see yourself in five years in terms of a career?
-  What can you bring to this position that other candidates might lack?
-  What’s your favorite part about [business]?
-  Why should we hire you?

5. Don’t interview applicants alone

Select at least one business counterpart to conduct the interview(s) with you. A three-person panel is usually ideal unless your business is small. Extra interviewers can help you make judgment calls and hiring decisions.

With an interview panel and multiple candidates, consider a formal scoring rubric to rank or judge applicants. Include timeliness, appearance, attentiveness, mannerisms and answer quality on the scorecard.

If other staff members can’t participate in the interviews, take each applicant on a short business tour to meet other employees. Watch how they interact, and ask your employees for their first impressions.

6. Don’t rule out applicants who lack archery depth

Your ideal hire has the skills, personality and work ethic to perform the job, even if they know little about archery. If you need a salesperson, hire a salesperson. If you need a marketing specialist, hire a marketing specialist. It’s best to hire someone with skills you need, and then teach them about archery and train them to succeed. Just make sure you fill the job quickly enough to allow proper training before you get busy.

Caution: It’s tempting to hire people you know, but it might not be the best move for your business or the friendship. Make sure the person has the skills to succeed.

7. Do allow the interviewee to ask questions

You want a good employee, and they want a good employer. Just as you’re allowed to ask questions to inform your decision, they should be granted the same courtesy to inform theirs. You’re not the only person with a choice to make.

Plus, by allowing candidates to ask questions, you might learn if they’re more passionate about the pay or the work. You might also learn if they’ve researched you and or your company, which helps gauge how serious they are about the job.

8. Do understand the position – and its pay, tasks and benefits

Be prepared to discuss the job, your expectations and compensation. A thorough job description should help you understand what you’re seeking and answer candidate questions in advance, but it might also prompt further questions. You must be able to answer them.

Be realistic about what you offer in pay and benefits. Compensation can dictate the talent you attract. Get creative to boost the job’s benefits without breaking your budget. Consider offering time off, generous discounts, and paid training and certifications.

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