Recruiting the right person for the job

What type of employee do you want for your business?

Think about the following:

• Tasks to be performed (what and how)
• Skills
• Qualifications and the need for further training
• Experience and the need to be supervised
• Responsibilities and how you will monitor their work performance
• Personality and how they will get along with your existing staff, and
• What type of employment arrangement do you require (full-time, part-time, casual, contract/vacation)?

How will you advertise?

Through:

• word of mouth?
• a TAFE or other type of noticeboard?
• the newspaper?
• online?
• an employment agency?

How will you assess each applicant?

Will you:

• conduct an interview over the phone or in person?
• contact the listed referees and ask questions about each applicants’ attributes?
• arrange for the applicants to demonstrate their skills?

What conditions are you prepared to offer?

Remember:

• what your obligations are as an employer
• not to make promises during the interview that you cannot keep as you may be unwittingly adding to those conditions, and
• that flexible working conditions attract loyalty in employees.

Make sure you put the employment agreement in writing. This will avoid any misunderstandings later on. HIA’s workplace advisers can help you in this respect.

Finally, do not forget to let the other applicants know that they were not successful.

You may have found a number of suitable candidates but were only able to employ one of them. By being courteous towards the unsuccessful candidates in the first instance, you are more likely to succeed should you choose to give them a ‘first right of refusal’ during a subsequent recruitment drive.

By taking a little time to think about the issues before you start, you are more likely to get the staff you need, who are suited to your working environment, and who are less likely to move on in the short term. 

To find out more, contact HIA's Workplace Services team

Email us