Getting the “the right people on the bus, in the right seats”, according to Jim Collins, is a tricky endeavor in general, and even more so with seasonal or temporary positions. Below are a few pitfalls even seasoned managers fall into when looking for the perfect new-hire for summer and beyond.
1. Small Talent Pool – Take the time to build a candidate pool with a number of potential employees who meet the needs of your organization. If you don’t have several qualified candidates, your pool is too small. Don’t “settle” because even a bad hire for a seasonal position can be costly.
2. Jumping to Conclusions – Take your time reviewing resumes. A quick glance isn’t enough information to understand if a candidate has what it takes for the job. Be fair, and discover the truth behind a resume.
3. Cultural Fit – All too often hiring decisions are based solely on experience and skills, when hiring for the correct cultural fit is just as important. After all, few terminations are the result of wrong skill sets or experience.
4. Forgetting Legal Requirements – Hiring a new employee, whether full, part-time or temporary, means fulfilling a number of state and federal requirements. For example, all new hires must complete Form W-4, appropriate state tax forms and a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification). Employers must also report all new hires to the appropriate state agency and provide all new hires with a Notice of Coverage Options, as required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
5. Inadequate Reference Checks – Many times Human Resources conducts reference checks, but it is actually more fruitful if the hiring manager does the digging. This allows them to speak frankly to peers about the candidate and hopefully get candid and honest responses. One crucial question we suggest posing is “If you could have Joe work on your team again, would you hire him?” While the answer matters, it’s more about the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) that is noteworthy.
6. Lack of Orientation and Training – Job failure is directly linked to the lack of a well thought out orientation and new hire training process. Employers should prepare existing employees by informing them of the assignments the new workers are hired to complete and the resources available to help them get up to speed as quickly as possible. In addition, part-time and temporary employees should generally receive the same training as other new hires, especially in the areas of anti-harassment, nondiscrimination, safety, and other important workplace issues.
Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.