Before I joined the recruitment industry, I thought I knew all there was about hiring the right people. I had my own business and had hired a few people throughout the years. I followed all the logical steps, I mean what more is there besides asking some questions and having an assessment for the next potential family member? At least that was how I viewed my staff – part of my family, as my business was my life.
I soon learnt that gaps on a CV may mean more than meets the eye and are there for a reason. Further, I learnt that it is easy for an individual to put on an act during an interview but in reality they are completely different. I then learnt that I should never hire out of desperation, even if the business will lose money from being understaffed. Last, and definitely not least, I learnt that if someone is too good to be true, they probably are.
I felt like pulling my hair out!
I had no idea what I was doing wrong and I had soon convinced myself that it was definitely the low salary that I offered. I did the only logical thing I could think of- I doubled it! And what a difference that made! (She’s says sarcastically and with a little laugh) Looking back, the salary I offered was still entry level.
It took a while to make the decision, but I eventually decided to throw in the towel, for my own reasons, and join the recruitment industry. People have always been my passion and this felt like the logical next step. Within the first 6 months in the recruitment industry, I learnt a lot about where I had gone wrong in my own business. I can therefore see others making the same mistakes that I, as a business owner, was making when hiring new staff. If I could go back in time I would have gone to an agency and trusted them with growing my family.
So what have I learnt about recruiting the correct staff?
• Business owners are normally too emotionally involved or too busy to do their own recruitment and so this jeopardises the recruitment process.
• From the candidates perspective it can be highly intimidating to open up to the owner of a business. Truths can often then be hidden by impressive lies.
• The amount of time (and therefore money) taken to sift through CVs and interviewing “duds” is highly demotivating and tiring.
• A Business owner’s lack of expertise in correctly advertising, and therefore interviewing, can chase away suitable candidates without them even realising it.
• There can be legal action taken against you as a business owner for advertising incorrectly, as well as hiring and/or firing incorrectly.
As a previous business owner, I feel it is important for me to share my experience with other likeminded individuals. The next few articles will explore advertising do’s and don’ts, how to successfully shortlist and how not to interview.
There are many more benefits of trusting a recruiter with growing your family, chat to me to find out more. nicky@proappoint.co.za
Written by: Nicky Henderson
