Skip to main content

Understanding how to hire an employee is important if you want to find the best person for the job, especially if you're considering hiring a remote employee.

Whether you work for a small business with only a few employees or a large company with a full HR department, you want to make sure you follow the proper procedure in finding a new employee. What are the steps in the hiring process?

How to Find Employees

Post on Job Listing Sites

There are sites you can use to recruit a new team member. Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Monster and Workopolis are just a few. Multiple postings should get you a good number of job applicants.

Post on Your Company Website

You may find your best prospect internally by posting on the company site or job board. Current employees check this often to see if any other opportunities are available. Plus, you draw in a potential candidate looking at your site which is beneficial, especially if they are already part of the industry.

Related: Candidate Sourcing Tips

Ask Your Employees to Spread the Word

Employee referral is a great way to share a job opening. People who are linked throughout the industry and have connections outside the company may find someone with the perfect qualifications and may just be the right person. As an incentive, consider starting an employee referral program to thank your employees for increasing the talent pool.

Attend Networking and Industry Events

Networking to be part of a larger industry opens doors to establishing relationships with people who are the best of the best. You may become privy to knowing who is available when opportunities come up in the job market.

Stay up-to-date on all things HR & leadership.

Stay up-to-date on all things HR & leadership.

Attend Job Fairs

Being part of a job fair helps you find eager applicants who are already looking at your industry. You may find people who are new to the industry or are looking to change workplaces.

Post Flyers

Flyers let people know what is available and might find prospects outside the regular frame of reference.

Connect to Google for Jobs

Google is another great way to find potential employees. Google's breadth of both employers and employees allows you to find someone that fits your position.

Try Social Media Posts

If you use social media for your company, post the open position there. People who follow your account will like and share the post so you advertise beyond the immediate circle of social media users.

Try Social Media Ads

Social media ads are paid promotions that take the advertisement for your job opportunity up a notch. It expands the base of people who will see it.

Contact a Recruiter or Staffing Agency

Whether comparing recruiters vs an employer of record vs staffing agencies, they all have something in common. They do all the leg work in advertising and vetting potential candidates. It costs a bit but saves time and energy.

How To Hire Employees Effectively

While anyone can hire an employee, you want to do it effectively. Knowing how to hire good employees is critical to company success. Whether you are hiring a part-time or full-time employee, the process should be approached in a professional and process-driven manner.

Step One: A clear job description

Know what position needs to be filled and what you can offer a potential employee. A clear job description along with knowing the employee incentives you can offer makes hiring the right candidate easier.

Step Two: Advertise the job posting

Advertise your job posting. Write up an effective ad using marketing details and a call to action highlighting the benefits of working for your company. Then, post it to social media, recruiting sites, and company websites, ask employees or, hire a recruiter.

Step Three: Determine the top candidates & Interviews

Narrow down the field of applicants. Read through resumes and pick your top three to five people to interview. Have back up people as maybes. Schedule interviews and begin the process of narrowing the field down more. Once this is done, choose the best person for the job.

Step Four: Provide a clear job offer

Once you have the best candidate, make them a job offer in writing so nothing is miscommunicated. Describe the company and what you offer. Be clear about pay, benefits, vacation, and sick time. Be ready to negotiate as the offer may not be accepted right away.

Step Five: On-boarding & Orientation

Plan to onboard your new hire. Fill out new employee forms and make sure orientation activities are efficient and welcoming.

New hire forms include payroll, tax forms, employment forms, personal information, and emergency numbers along with confirmation of ID. On-boarding and orientation are the final steps in the hiring process.

Should The Whole Team Be Involved In A Hiring Decision?

Yes and no. While the final decision lies with the new hire’s manager and HR, team input is good. The people who make the end decision should have input from those who will work with the person. Teams can contribute to the job expectations, team needs, pros and cons of candidates, and best fits. If a team contributes to the decision, they have a buy-in once the choice is made. 

Related: Maintaining The Candidate Experience Through Rapid Scaling

How Long Does The Hiring Process Usually Take?

It should take anywhere from one to three weeks to hire someone, depending on the industry and the complication of employee checks. It takes less time to hire for the retail or service industry in contrast to hiring a professor or engineer. No matter what the field, if you take too long, the company begins to look disorganized and ineffective so the sooner, the better.

How Many Rounds of Interviews is Normal?

One to three rounds of interviews are normal depending on the level of the position and the field of work. For an entry-level position, fewer rounds are needed compared to upper-level management. Keep in mind that too many rounds will turn off employees as the lack of information and clarification becomes frustrating.

Summary

Professionalism is paramount when it comes to hiring. Knowing who is the best fit not only for the position but the whole company is important.

A good employee sets the tone of the department and the quality of its work. Knowing how to hire employees effectively and efficiently is great for the company and those that you hire. To keep up with the best practices in staffing, check out our list of staffing conferences to check out in 2024.

Get More Hiring Insight:

Sign up for the People Managing People newsletter, tips, tricks, and support can help you hire employees effectively and retain and develop your staff. 

Related Articles

By Finn Bartram

Finn is an editor at People Managing People. He's passionate about growing organizations where people are empowered to continuously improve and genuinely enjoy coming to work. If not at his desk, you can find him playing sports or enjoying the great outdoors.