Sapience Show Success

Sapience HR showed at the successful Business Needs & Support Exhibition held at St Mellion recently. Over 120 businesses were in attendance to ensure a lively and stimulating event. Shown here are Julia (left) & Sue at the Sapience HR stand.

Good Staff are Hard to Find

In theory it should be simple. You put an advert in the paper, you receive many good quality applicants, you select the best and they start work the following Monday - the beginning of a long and successful employment relationship. As anyone who employs staff knows, life ain’t quite like that.

Initially attracting the right staff is tricky and then being able to select from a pool of good candidates sometimes seems impossible. So what can you do to increase your chances of getting the perfect employee?

Planning. Spend some time preparing exactly what you need. What skills, qualities and qualifications must candidates have? Is the best place to advertise the job centre, local paper or a specialist magazine? Precisely what duties will this role cover? Being clear about your requirements now will ensure you attract the right candidates and save time later.

Short Listing. A large quantity of applicants is no indication of their quality. You don’t have to see them all. Given that you have spent time defining exactly what you require, select the best that most closely match your needs, and ask them for interview.

Selection. Interviewing is the most popular form of selecting new staff but also the most unreliable. However, when coupled with additional selection techniques, the reliability increases dramatically. Try psychometric testing, meet the team or tour of the work place, work tests for example typing check, work simulations, presentations or trial work periods.

Interviewing. This is not the moment to employee a candidate just because they are standing and breathing. This employment relationship may last many years and getting it right at this stage is time well spent. Highlight areas on the application form or CV which you wish to discuss at interview. Look for inconsistencies and gaps. The interview may be the only chance you get to ask the candidate questions so make sure you ask everything you want to. Spend time preparing questions relating to the specifics of the job. Remember. Keep away from any potentially discriminating questions.

With some planning, preparation and clarity about your requirements, the chances of recruiting an excellent new employee improves.

News & Comment

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) will be publishing a guide for companies who employ staff with dyslexia in September. Visit www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

Quote for August…

"No, no, no Lisa. If adults don’t like their jobs they don’t go on strike. They just go in and do it really half-assed".
Homer Simpson

Sapience HR offers effective outsourced Human Resources and Personnel services and Consultancy so that companies have the right people and systems in place to achieve their business objectives.

© Sapience HR 2007