Following on from last week’s blog I wanted to delve further into getting the best people for the job.

The ‘war for talent’ is real and it is going on right now. Great people are approached day in, day out by recruiters working for your competitors. Talented people don’t grow on trees, so when you find them, appreciate them, talk to them, and hang on to them.

What’s the hidden cost of your talent going to the competitor? Factor in recruitment costs, time of management involved in the decision, potential loss of client relationships, down time involved in training the new recruit and organisational knowledge that the person takes with them.

That’s why it’s so important to make the right hiring decision. Finding the right person comes down to a little more than luck.

How can you find the right person for the role?  Every job has key skills essential for the role.

The key skills for the role are very important. For example: If you are hiring a sales manager, the last thing you want to end up with is someone who is analytical and hates talking to people. You want them to have strong influencing and relationship-building skills.

This list provides a sample of some commonly used ‘Key Skills’ along with definitions to help you find that great person!  These can be used to form the basis of your selection criteria and interview guide.

HR Gurus top Key Skills list.

Problem Solving – Uses logic and systems to solve difficult problems; probes all sources for answers; can see hidden problems; is excellent at analysis; looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answer.

Customer Focus – Is dedicated to exceeding the expectations and needs of customers; acts with customers in mind always; establishes and maintains effective rapport with customers; gains trust and respect.

Patience & Listening – Is tolerant with people; listens and checks before acting; tries to understand the issues before making judgments and acting; is sensitive to others. Practices attentive and active listening; has the patience to hear others out; can accurately restate the opinions of others even when he/she disagrees.

Influencing & Negotiation – Can negotiate skilfully in tough situations; wins ground without damaging relationships; gains trust quickly.  Persuades, convinces and negotiates to gain acceptance; adjusts style to suit those being influenced; persuades others openly with integrity and wins cooperation.

Directing Others – Is good at establishing clear directions; sets stretching objectives; distributes the workload appropriately; lays out work in a well-planned organised manner; maintains two-way dialogue with others on work and results; brings out the best in people; is a clear communicator.

Dealing with Change – Can easily cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.

For more information on the ‘how-to’ of Recruitment and Selection contact HR Gurus on 1300 959 560.