In Search of the Right Employee

If you’re looking to hire the best employees for your business, you better think about picking up the pace. The situation isn’t critical yet, but the U.S. Department of Labor has sent a warning shot over the bow of many employers with its recent report that a 3-million-worker shortfall is expected by 2012, with the total number of jobs expected to jump nearly 15 percent over the next decade while the workforce only grows by 12 percent. The reason? Call it the Baby Boomer Bust. By 2012, there will be more employees exiting the workplace revolving door than entering it. One in six workers is currently over the age of 55 and that part of the labor force is on the pathway to retirement. This is bound to make the challenge for hiring the best employees an extremely competitive environment. “Making the right hiring decision is more important today than ever before,” writes Del J. Still, in his book High Impact Hiring: How to Interview and Select Outstanding Employees. “I don’t have to tell you about the impact of smarter competition and globalization of today’s businesses …” So the pressure will be on human resource managers and hiring and development personnel when it comes to recruiting the top talent for their companies. And those companies will likely have to adopt trends to satisfy those potential hires in order to secure the best workers. There are many ways to separate the quality hire from the so-so candidate. Here’s a look at some of them: ■ The Slouch: First impressions can mean everything, especially when you’re out to hire someone. Whether you’re looking for the vice president of operations or a fry cook to fill the night shift, you want someone with a good attitude. Reading the body language of a potential hire is a good method in weeding out the slackers. First, check the handshake. Firm is good. Limp is bad. Regardless of whether it’s a man or woman, a person who’s confident uses the handshake as a positive form of interaction. A prospective employees posture and clothing also send signals. Bad posture sends the signal that this person lacks energy, confidence, and enthusiasm and doesn’t project well in front of others. Sloppy dress, meanwhile, is an immediate red light. The growing trend for business over the last decade is to lean toward casual attire, but that’s completely inappropriate for a job interview. Unless you are interviewing that fry cook for the Taco Bell job, you should expect candidates in a professional line of work to show up for their interview in a suit during the first meeting. There are exceptions, of course, but the job candidate should recognize that they should err on the formal side when it comes to the interview, with polished shoes and a professional appearance. ■ Employees are Job 1: Barring an economic collapse, employees of the future are bound to have more choice when selecting a job. Companies are going to have to find and retain the cream of the crop by offering a workplace that puts employees on more of a pedestal. The company culture is going to have to adapt by offering more benefits, perks, and respect toward employees. ■ Hire a Pro to Find a Pro: You may think hiring an employment agency cuts into your bottom line, but it may just have the opposite affect. When you use an employment agency, the potential candidates are streamlined for you, saving time. And time, of course, is money. There are both online and the traditional off-line firms that offer these services. These agencies should utilize technology in combination with the standard methods of recruitment and advertisement in order to customize to an employers needs. ■ Changing face: The look of the American worker is going to change over the 20 years. More women, Latinos and African-Americans will join the workforce. A workforce that’s more diverse will mean employers will need to recognize this fact and adjust to that marketplace in order to retain consumers of their products.