When an employee leaves
Having to replace someone who has retired, or simply decided they want a change, can be a challenging experience for a manager. As managers typically rely on their key employees, the transition may even have a detrimental impact on operations.....
To ease the stress and raise the odds that you will find the right replacement employee, here are a few tips on hiring correctly.
Involve others
The first rule of thumb is not to conduct the entire interview process on your own. Not only are managers usually too busy to carry out the interview and selection process for every position, other employees will benefit from the opportunity to develop their interviewing skills. As the selection of the new employee will affect most of the people in the business, have supervisory staff conduct the initial interviews to narrow the selection to the best candidates. Make hiring a team decision, by encouraging their input before you make the final selection.
Understand the job
A failure to match prospects with the position often results when management does not have a clear understanding of the job function. You need an in-depth understanding of the work and the required skills to be able to attract the right candidate. Consider that quality candidates looking towards future opportunities within the company may shy away from a position if the job definition is lacking or unfocused on their chosen career directions.
The best practice is to complete an in-depth review of the job function when an employee gives notice. Discuss every aspect of the job. Once you assess the current job, you can set out the education, skill and training requirements more accurately.
Rethink the position
When an employee leaves, this is an opportunity to rethink a job position. The longer employees are in a position, the more their tasks and responsibilities may broaden and develop. A combination of new technology, a changing market, and the experience and skills of other employees could make all, or part, of the old position redundant. Or, the function may have evolved to the point where you need a person with more experience and training.
Look for the correct fit
The majority of people who leave their jobs cite a key factor was ‘bad chemistry’. Selecting the right replacement is not simply a matter of finding someone with the right job skills. Often, an excellent source of candidate is the person who already works for you. Since they already have many of the attributes that your company values, they may know someone who has similar characteristics and the right job skills. Use staff meetings and job postings to let your employees know that the company is looking for staff. Some businesses offer cash incentives to the employee who recommends a candidate who is ultimately hired. When you consider the cost of advertising or a placement agency, this incentive could actually save working capital. In addition, employee rewards encourage them to recommend a good fit, which also helps narrow the selection process.
Consider temporary staffing
When a business is picking up, labour costs can often outstrip the revenue stream. If you are reluctant to hire permanent staff, consider temporary staffing until you are better able to assess the company’s needs. You could also consider hiring a contract worker or part-time employee to fill the position during the time it takes to find a full-time replacement. Hire students part-time, or join a local secondary school, or university co-op program to give students an opportunity to learn about your business. If the position requires more experience and skills, or your employees are too busy to provide the necessary training, consider the wealth of experience that a retired worker can offer. A transition period will give you more time to find the right candidate as well as provide opportunities for your staff to train and supervise others. Covering labour shortages for a short term may be fine, but if the situation continues, you risk exhausting your valuable employees who must handle the additional responsibilities.
Succession planning
Perhaps the greatest shortfall in managing a company’s staffing needs is not planning for the inevitable loss of employees. Plan not only for the inevitability that some employees will decide to move on, but also the career development of valued employees who need an opportunity to move up the ladder of responsibility, and be rewarded for their gains in skills, knowledge and performance. Good management looks at the long-term future of the organisation to determine how the company can develop the strengths of the people already on board.
Hire right the first time
Smaller organisations need individuals who are strong in specific job skills but also have the flexibility, creativity and desire to learn new skills and work co-operatively with the entire team. The key to a successful, consistent work force in small business is making sure that employees are the right fit for your company and that includes a positive attitude about their jobs, fellow employees and the organisation.
