As you know, employee referrals are one of the least expensive, most efficient ways to recruit job applicants. Better than that, referrals who are hired are more likely to be above-average performers and stay on board longer because they already have a friend or acquaintance on your staff.
Here’s a few tips to make referrals from your employees even more effective:
The competition for employees is frenzied, so how can you make your recruitment ads stand out from the crowd and attract the types of people you want? Here are some suggestions:
Performance reviews are a universally dreaded exercise. However, regular feedback is required to build an engaged and committed team.
Here’s a way to skip the forms and awkward conversations and simplify the process. Begin by asking yourself this one simple question: “Would I hire this person again?”
If the answer is “yes,” write down why. Are they dependable, and self-controlled? Are they focused at work? How can they improve? Share your answers with the employee. They’ll appreciate the feedback and be motivated to earn more positive reviews.
If the answer is “no,” ask yourself, why? Did you make a hiring mistake? If it was a poor hiring decision, you’ll first need to have an honest discussion with the employee about their future with you. Then, improve your hiring systems to avoid future mistaken hiring decisions.
If it wasn’t a hiring mistake, ask yourself, did I do everything possible to help this person succeed? Did they have the training, tools, and equipment needed to do their job? Did I provide the culture and leadership needed to motivate and inspire? If you didn’t provide them with what they needed, now you know what you need to do. Share what you’ve learned with the person and what you’re planning to do (like provide additional training). They’ll see that you want them to succeed and be more likely to improve.
How questions are all well and good if you’d like to find out about a person’s training and experience. For instance, “How did you learn to do that?” or “How would you go about doing this?”
However, if you’d like to learn more about how the applicant thinks and, therefore, whether or not the person is a good fit for the job, ask: “Why did you learn to do that?” and “Why would you do it that way?”
If your organization requires uniforms for its workforce, during the hiring process, it’s a good idea to ask: “Do you have any objections to wearing the required uniform?” and to then explain some of the benefits uniforms provide for the organization and its employees. For instance:
A courageous boss tells his people:
Do you have the courage to tell it like it is? It’s the only way you can build a team whose performance consistently excels.