When companies hire new employees, they sometimes notice after a while that the new one doesn’t meet their requirements. If the new owner of a key position proves to be a flop, companies incur high costs. Because then all expenses for the search and selection of personnel were bad investments. However, the follow-up costs are even more serious. Sometimes, it is best to hire workers that you can trust or have been recommended to you – this may include workers from overseas. In this case you may need to look at sponsor licence fees.

Here are some tips on how to avoid such mishaps when selecting employees.

Don’t just pay attention to professional competence

When selecting new employees, attention is often paid almost exclusively to their professional qualifications. Because this can be assessed relatively easily on the basis of the (work) references and the challenges that the candidate has mastered so far. This is different for factors such as:

• Can the applicant find a connection to the company’s customers, employees or suppliers?
• Do they meet the needs of the organisation?

Determining this takes time and energy. But the effort is worth it when you think of the cost of hiring the wrong person. As a personnel manager, invest sufficient time in personnel selection.  Think about what they have done in the past and what their goals are. This will determine if they are likely to stay in the job or if they’ll want to move on quickly.

Create a detailed requirement profile

Determine in advance exactly which requirements the “newcomer” must meet. This can be done by asking the previous job holder. Also ask yourself: How does the ideal job holder differ from candidates you definitely don’t want to hire? Does the ideal candidate delegate a lot of tasks while the other does most of it themselves?

What attitude and attitude does the new employee need so that they can do what is expected of them? When formulating the requirement profile, also take future requirements into account. Because your company wants to develop and therefore you need to hire people who are likely to want to grow with you. If they have no interest in your developing company, it may be best to look at other candidates.

Don’t hold the conversation alone

Invite at least one colleague to join the conversation. Because the person who is not currently conducting the conversation can:

• Pay attention to the applicant’s non-verbal statements, which are often more meaningful than the verbal ones.
• Write down keywords.
• Get a feel for the candidates and their personalities. They can analyze whether or not this candidate will fit into the team

Follow up the discussions

Careful follow-up is also important. Add your notes after each interview. And after the interviews have ended, compile the results in such a way that you can compare the applicant profiles with the requirements profile. Before making your selection decision, rank the best applicants. Then you have alternatives ready if your preferred candidate cancels.