Are you ready to recruit? What you need to know.

Article by BNI Member Peter Lawrence from Human Capital Department.

People make the difference…

An organisation needs to get the best from its people if it is to run efficiently and meet or exceed business targets. But that’s easier said than done.

How do I attract the right candidates for the job?

This starts with defining the skills and behaviours required for the role and the organisation. What is it that you are looking for the person to do? Write a Job Description and Person Specification or Role Profile to define this. Many small businesses miss this step out and go to the market with only an ill-considered idea that they need to hire. Then it goes wrong. Or they recruit someone they know. And guess what?

Defining the job role will guide you on where and how you advertise the position and be of help in the selection process itself – providing a process to choose which candidates to interview and what questions to ask.

Employer of Choice & Employer Brand

Many SME businesses know about the importance of Marketing and Branding, but this idea also extends to what your employees think about you? Why would people want to work for you? Recently I helped a small business present their story on a slide deck which we used at the start of the interview to give applicants some insight into the company and what it does and its purpose.

Any tips on conducting an Interview?

They say most interviewers make the recruitment decision with the first two minutes of the interview and then look for evidence to support their ‘gut reaction’. If this is true, then not surprising that new employees don’t always work out and sometime leave within a few weeks or even a few hours of starting. This is expensive in terms of time and reputation. Read through the applicant’s CV in advance and prepare a list of questions. Structure the interview; provide information about the firm and job role and ask questions [open, closed, and probing questions] to find out about the candidate and whether they are likely to be a good fit.

Do I need to provide a Contract of Employment?

Yes – this is now a requirement from day one of employment. This should be subject to satisfactory references and other checks including Right to Work in the UK.

Is it necessary to have an HR Record Keeping System?

e-HR systems ensure that employee records are all in one place [comply with Data Protection and GDPR regulations] and take the pain out of holiday requests. These days Cloud based systems are easy and cost effective.

What if staff leave after a short amount of service?

There could be several reasons why you’re experiencing high staff turnover, so it’s important that you find out if there’s a specific reason or reasons why employees are not staying with you. It is good practice to conduct an Exit Interview to see if there are common themes or trends.

In larger firms [20+] consider conducting an Employee Engagement Survey – if results are acted on research shows a strong link to commitment and going the extra mile.

My staff do not seem to be working very hard

In this case you need to determine what the issue is. Are people clear about what their job role is and priorities?Are there any blockers which are stopping them perform? Do they understand the companies aims and objectives and how they are making a contribution? It is important to provide regular feedback to employees to let them know what they are doing well and where they could improve. This can be formalised in the form of a Performance Management and Appraisal Process which if implemented well will drive productivity.

How do I deal with disciplinary issues with my staff?

Disciplinary issues can take many forms including unsatisfactory performance, conflicts, and absences. All incidents should be documented and recorded. It is important to keep accurate records of all disciplinary issues and ensure that these are dealt with properly and consistently.This includes all forms of communication from all parties involved, keeping an accurate history of events that can be referred to at any time.

I’m not sure how to answer my employee’s query?

An employee can come to you with a query concerning a variety of issues such as with queries on pay, perks, performance management and disputes. Dealing with these on a daily basis can take up a lot of your time.

To be best equipped to answer all queries you should aim to have access to the necessary data. Having the right HR system in place, organisations can quickly refer to the information that matters when a concern or question is raised. Contracts, wage details or previous disciplinary reports should always be to hand to make query handling as easy as possible

Should I be providing training for my staff?

“If I train people there might leave” seems to be an argument against training until you consider that “if you don’t train them, they will stay” – in other words you will be left with the least able and least prepared employees and this will reflect on your business and customer perceptions. In small businesses you might feel that you do not have the time or resources to provide training for your staff, but it should not be neglected. If employees feel they can improve their skills whilst at work, it does not bode well for either parties. Training and Development should be a key part of an employee’s journey.