Planning to hire in 2014?

If you intend to recruit extra staff next year, you’ll be in good company.

A poll by the CBI reveals 51% of businesses are making plans to hire more people during 2014. This is the first time since before the economic crisis began in 2008 that the proportion of companies intending to create jobs is larger than those who are not.

And official figures from the Office for National Statistics show the unemployment rate is now the lowest for three years, at 7.6%.

Making the recruitment process easier

If the time has come for you to expand your team, you may find the prospect of finding the right people to join you a little bit daunting, so here are our tips.

1.      Write detailed job descriptions

Work out exactly what tasks and duties you want your new member of staff to perform and include them in the job description. This way everyone will know where they stand and you can use the job description to help you select candidates with the right skills and experience.

2.      Interview at least three people

Try to interview a minimum of three potential candidates so you can compare them with each other, as this will make it easier for you to work out if they are suitable. But don’t go crazy and interview everyone who applies for the job, as this will be too time-consuming. Set clear criteria for the job and whittle the candidates down to a manageable shortlist. If your office or business space is busy or noisy, you can hire one of our meeting rooms to make sure you can concentrate fully.

3.      Prepare and listen

Before the interview, think about what questions will help you to decide who to hire. Hiring someone is not just about finding someone with the set of skills or experience you need, you should also find out about their personality. Will they get on with you and/or the rest of your team?  

It can be tempting to dominate the interview by talking about your company and the role, but make sure you take time to really listen to the answers your candidates gives you. Make sure you ask the same questions to each interviewee and take notes. You can then use these when you’re deciding who to employ. 

4.      Take your time choosing the right candidate

Don’t panic and employ the first person who comes along, or the person who seems the friendliest, just because you are busy and need an extra pair of hands. If you rush into hiring someone you could end up stuck with an employee who doesn’t fit into your team. If you think you’ve found someone but you’re not sure, you could always give them a work trial or a temporary contract first, so you can find out whether they are right for the job. And if you are struggling to pick between two people, invite them back for a second interview.

5.      Get professional advice

If you are finding the hiring process difficult, or are struggling to find the right person, consider approaching a professional recruitment company to help you.  Also, if you have not hired staff before, or if you are hiring staff on a different type of contract, it is worth speaking to an employment law solicitor to make sure you follow all the necessary regulations.