Further to our previous post about 5 Tips on How To Recruit a Talented Finance Team, we thought we’d add some more to the list.
Everyone knows that there is an employment problem in the US, UK and Europe. Many people are underemployed, unemployed, or even over skilled and underpaid. For the foreseeable future, the employment market is likely going to remain the same. Recovery from this problem has taken over four years and still needs more time.
There has been a great deal of media attention on the job seeker. But how does a business make the right decisions when there are so many people out there looking for work? It can be overwhelming when presented with hundreds of choices for one position. The finance world has definitely taken a hit in this economy, so it’s important to find the right people if you’re hiring. There are things to do in your approach to hiring that can help make the decision easier.
Good Employees Really Matter
Making the right hiring choices is incredibly important. A quality team of employees is vital to any company’s success, especially when it comes handling corporate finances. Employees that are loyal, happy, and committed offer their companies much more than employees who are disconnected and upset with their pay or work environment. One needs to focus on hiring the right people so that your team is full of the former, not the latter.
What Are Some Tips for Hiring the “Right People?”
Finding good advice on hiring people is relatively easy on the web. Oftentimes, it’s just rehashed info and tied to the basics of hiring. Hopefully we can provide you with some good advice from a fresher perspective.
1. Trust personal networks. This is becoming increasingly more important as business gets more social with LinkedIn. Personal recommendations from your employees should be valued highly as they know the kind of person that your company needs in order to be successful. Looking at the connections a person has in the finance world can be an indication of his or her quality.
2. Take your time. Don’t settle for someone who fits requirements. When things are rough and uncertain, this is even more important. Weeding through the pool of applicants is an absolute must, especially if it means you’ll find the person that fits into your organization over the person that looks as if they can simply get the job done.
3. Look for someone who has faced challenges and taken risks. Overcoming challenges builds character and how they are handled is a strong indicator of the quality of a person and an employee. Make sure you spend time in an interview to have a prospective employee share how they have faced challenges, and let them share what they have learned from them. Also, ask about risk taking. Finance is about taking calculated risks. Use their answers as strong criteria for hiring.
4. Find the employee who displays ownership. This is probably one of the most important aspects of evaluating a candidate. In an interview or during interactions with a potential employee, try to determine how they have displayed ownership of their work and results, or simply ask them directly. It’s easy to do a job, but examples of people taking ownership of their work should be valued highly when choosing the right person for the job, at any level.
