Guest post by Jon Spivey

The best employees help your company to thrive and achieve its greatest potential. So to reach your potential, you must put effort into finding and choosing the best employees for your company. Consider these six tips.

Look Outside Traditional Channels

If you place a job ad, you can expect to quickly receive hundreds of resumes. Most applicants won’t have the skills and abilities you’re seeking. Career fairs can be helpful, but there’s no guarantee that there’s enough talent to choose from. Consider people in your professional network for the job. Extend offers to trusted sources for interviews, and ask your colleagues if they know anyone who would be a fit for your company. You might be surprised at the quality of the candidates available through this channel.

Consider Experience

Some experiences make a candidate uniquely qualified for a position. A person with military service could be a good addition due to their willingness to take training seriously. Those who have volunteer experience also make good job candidates because they are passionate about helping people. What is their education background? Maybe they didn’t go to a public university, but they may have attended training that would benefit your company.

Pay Attention to Details

Check the resume of an applicant thoroughly. Do they have any spelling or grammar mistakes? Consider their apparel when they show up for an interview. Are they on time for the interview? If not, you wouldn’t be able to expect them to be on time for work. Are they prepared for the interview? They should be able to talk intelligently about their resume, their qualifications, and your company.

Encourage them to Ask Questions

You can tell a lot about a candidate by the questions they ask. What motivates them? If they ask you what it takes to become a manager, then they take the position seriously. They want to excel and get promoted. If they ask about pay and benefits, then maybe they aren’t the right employee for you. The candidate who asks the right questions is definitely a candidate to keep an eye on as a new employee.

Be Transparent

When you interview candidates, you must be sure to be transparent. Be honest and open with them about your expectations. Paint a picture about the working environment at your company. Are you a company that has fun at the office while still being productive? Do you prefer to keep things as professional as possible? Make sure the candidate knows what to expect. This will reduce conflict later. Employees who are blindsided are less likely to stay.

Screen Applicants

You must perform your due diligence. Run a background check for a criminal record. Minor offenses may not be a big deal, but theft, DUI, and other offenses might make you reconsider. Check their credit scores and payment histories—are they financially responsible? Make sure to conduct a drug test. You want healthy employees who will be safe and productive.

Jon Spivey is the owner of USA Mobile Drug Testing of Atlanta, which provides 24/7 on-site drug and alcohol testing. USAMDT of Atlanta specializes in helping employers improve workplace safety with customized drug free workplace programs.

—
The Product Management Perspective: As a leader of product managers it’s important to get the right people on your team. The best person will not always have the most PM experience or the most industry depth. The software industry is changing; take the time to get the right people to build your products.