How to Know if That New Hire Will Work Out?

Hiring a new employee is a risky — not to mention expensive — process. When a new hire doesn't work out, your company must absorb the costs and start over. Although it's impossible to make a perfect decision every time, you can take steps to screen candidates and find the best possible fit.

Add Cultural Requirements to the Job Posting

For many companies, cultural fit can make or break a new hire. A lone wolf is unlikely to thrive in a collaborative environment, while an ultra-social person might feel isolated and alone in a team full of highly independent workers. If your company has a strong, established culture, head off problems by including cultural requirements in the job posting. Work with the team to define the most important elements of the office culture. How do employees communicate and work together? Do workers embrace a social atmosphere? Are most projects solo affairs or group efforts? Add each point to the posting to give applicants a clear picture of the corporate environment.

Add a Group Interview

Team dynamics play a key role in the success of a new hire. A person who doesn't work well with your existing employees can cause rifts, lower morale and sabotage productivity. To increase the chances of finding a person who fits in with the team, add a group interview to the final round of the hiring process. Invite the closest colleagues and supervisors, and ask them to be active participants. If possible, schedule time for casual conversation. After each interview, ask employees to provide feedback and share any reservations about each potential new hire. This process demonstrates respect for your existing employees and makes it easier to weed out unsuitable candidates from the start.

Get Specific

In some cases, a candidate's true passions, abilities and motivations are different from the things they present on a resume and cover letters — often out of a lack of self-examination rather than intentional deception. For employers, this deviation can cause significant problems down the line when you discover that a person's self-perception may be inaccurate. Spot these problems in advance using specific questions. Before a job interview, list the top three qualifications for the new hire. During the interview, ask multiple questions about each item, coming at the topic from a different angle each time and asking for examples. Look out for responses that raise red flags or indicate that the candidate's stated preferences and skills are not aligned with reality.

Finding the right employee for your company can have a direct impact on the bottom line. By defining key success metrics and involving the team from the beginning, you can save money and time and increase your chances of finding the best new hire on the first try.

Photo courtesy of Hershel Baltrosky at Flickr.com