Imagine you need to employ a new staff member...

What's the first thing you do? Write an ad? Call HR? Brief an agency?

You've just made the most common mistake of managers who decide to hire: Missing the first step.

Allow me to explain...

Have you ever found yourself interviewing a job applicant and thinking "This is a total waste of time"?

Usually, you've come to this conclusion within a few seconds. Unfortunately, you're committed to carry on the interview until a reasonable time has elapsed for the candidate to believe they have had a fair hearing.

Why was this person, so clearly unsuited to the role, even sitting in front of you?

They were there because they had submitted an impressive application in response to an advertisement.

Clearly something was wrong in the process. Either

1. the advertisement was not specific enough about the requirements or

2. the application was not adequately scrutinised for a match to the specific requirements of the role.

Start your recruitment process with one simple question and I guarantee it will be much faster, easier and more productive:

"What would it take for someone to be an outstanding performer in this role?"

(Because you only want to hire outstanding performers, don't you?)

Here are three simple steps to help you define what you're looking for in your ideal candidate:

1. List all your requirements for the role (=success factors). Include

-> skills

-> qualifications

-> work experience

-> values

-> attitudes

-> motivation

-> interpersonal skills

-> task and work environment preferences

-> interests

2. Now decide which of these you must have (=essential criteria) and those which would be nice to have (=desirable criteria).

3. Are there any personal characteristics which you definitely don't want (= traits to avoid)? For example, you might wish to avoid employing someone who has a strong desire for money while lacking the personal drive required to earn it.

Now - and not before - you are ready to 'go to the market' with your requirements.

Then:

-> Get ready to receive applications that are more relevant and targeted;

-> Stick to your wish list;

-> Evaluate the success of your recruitment campaign by the quality of the candidates, not by the number of applicants; and

-> Avoid wasting time in interviews that should never have been scheduled!

Tip: Review your job descriptions to include success factors for more efficient and effective recruiting next time round.