Hiring Managers know the struggle of making the right decision when faced with numerous potential candidates. 

It can be overwhelming to navigate through the hiring process and find the ideal candidate who truly fits your organization’s goals and values. However, there is a principle that is often overlooked in the hiring process that will help you: “knowing what you want.”

Often when the decision is made to hire someone, either for a newly created position or to fill a vacant position, an order is given to place advertising to begin finding candidates.  But, too often, there’s no thinking about precisely defining the attributes of your ideal candidate.  

Without this understanding, it’s impossible to communicate to the candidate audience what you want and you end up with a weak pool of applicants.  Or you will struggle making a good choice among the candidates you do consider.

Think of it as if you are marketing a product. If you were to launch a new product, you would define your target customer in great detail so that you can use messaging and media that are likely to find them and attract them to your offer.

In hiring, the product you’re selling is the opportunity to perform a specific role in your business, so you need to define your ideal candidate accordingly.  

By clearly defining the behavioral attributes you desire in a candidate, you can craft your ad copy to  attract better qualified candidates and tailor your interviewing tactics to the role you want to fill.

It takes some discipline to follow this step in the hiring process.  That’s why building a system to follow helps ensure that you won’t forget or skip this or any other steps necessary for a successful result.

For your next hire,  reflect on and document the most valuable behavioral attributes for this position. Focus on the top five that are critical for success in the role and in your culture. Write it down to gain clarity on your expectations and make well-informed decisions when assessing candidates. 

This will increase your odds of success, not just in terms of your candidate’s performance on the job, but for cultural fit and retention over the long term.

This approach will empower you to hire candidates who not only possess the necessary skills but also align with your goals and vision.