Many business are starting to hire again, sense the economy is slowly making it’s way back up. Insight of this, it may be a good time to review your hiring practices and procedures to make sure you are getting good employees and that you are doing the best job you can to select the right person for the job and for your company.While hiring someone who remotely matches your requirements may seem the wise thing to do, if you don’t consider skills and qualifications, it will probably come back to haunt you, costing more money in the long run.Start with a good job description, you and the applicant need a clear understanding of what the job entails. A good job description will describe the duties and responsibilities specifically. Have a good application, a standard job application from an office supply store may not comply with current employment laws and will not help you get information specific to our industry.

Interview carefully. Standardize your interview questions so that each applicant is asked the same set of questions and keep good notes about the interview. Is the applicant prepared for the interview? Ask questions such as, “what do you know about this company”? If the applicant stumbles with answers, it will be obvious that they are unprepared. Ask about what it is the applicant has to offer for your business and look for specific qualities in their answers. Look for goals, remember that without goals of some kind in place, the applicant probably has no clear direction for success.

Does the applicant appear professional? First impressions really count, so if the applicant doesn’t present well, or is unable to dress the part, it’s a safe bet that they may not fit in with your team. Check references, by law it is okay to give out information if it is true and related to the job. Ask about the job the former employee is applying for, and only comment on his or her ability to perform those types of duties. Look to see if the applicant insist on bad-mouthing a former employer, listen politely and then gracefully end the interview.

There are many tips, tricks and methods that will aide you in making a good hiring decision and while these steps won’t guarantee you hire the right person for the job, they will prevent a lot of hiring mistakes.