1. Recruitment of a vacant or new position requires a Job Description, so you can articulate the minimum experience, skills, and educational requirements. Candidates deserve a clear picture of the expectations of the position. – see blog on Job Descriptions
2. Develop a Profile about your organization, to help candidates get excited about the possibility of working for you– see blog about Recruitment and Executive Searches
3. Refer to our sample Profiles to get started, and then describe the best aspects of your unique organization– see RFF website sections of current and past Executive Searches
4. Determining which candidates to interview requires a fair and logical process. Review the resumes and develop a grading process or checklist to identify top candidates – see blog on Reviewing Resumes
5. Interviews of candidates should follow a structured format. Options include one-on-one, meet-and-greet, panel interviews, writing assignments, etc. Encourage interviewers to take notes, to ensure fair assessments – see Tips for Interviewing blog
6. Reference and background checks need to be conducted once a selection has been made after interviewing candidates. You will want to check some of the following depending upon type of positions – credit check if appropriate, colleges degree verification, certification verification, criminal and civil court check if appropriate, driving check if they are driving employer’s vehicles. Calling references should be both supervisors and subordinates.
7. Once you hire a new employee, conduct an onboarding process to ensure the new employee has all the resources they need and can see how their position fits into the organization —— therefore, how they fit into the organization! – see Tips on Orientation & Onboarding
8. Onboarding is not a one-day program of filling out forms and setting an employee up at a workstation. It means following through with them for the first week, first month, first 3 & 6 months — all the way to their first year! –see Tips on Orientation & Onboarding
9. Onboarding includes taking the person to lunch for the first day of work and introducing him or her to someone who can be a mentor – see Tips on Mentoring
10. Mentoring is a great way to develop leaders in your organization – see Tips on Mentoring
11. Performance evaluations should not be once a year – periodic feedback and adjustments enable employees to meet expectations and standards – see tips on performance evaluations
12. A yearly formal performance evaluation can be used to determine compensation increases for great performance as well as address performance gaps – see tips on performance evaluations
13. A performance evaluation process should include annual goals for the employee, division, and organization; incorporate initiatives with ongoing duties– see tips on performance evaluations
14. Goals and objectives help all employees get on the same page to move the organization forward. Everyone deserves to know how they can contribute to success – see tips on goals and objectives
15. A goal setting process should start with a brainstorming session by all members of the team, followed by prioritizing the goals based on solid data – see tips on goals and objectives
16. Why do organizations need Human Resources systems and policies? – Because they ensure fair practices and without them you could be sued for discrimination, sexual harassment, etc. – see tips on Sexual Harassment Prevention, for example.
17. It is critical that all organizations have an employee manual that is updated regularly. Clear, documented policies provide the framework for maintaining a work environment that is respectful and complies with labor laws – see tips on Why your business needs a HR expert
18. If you want to retain your great talent you need to make them feel welcome on day one and remind them how important they are to your organization, your mission, the people you serve, and other employees. High performers often burn-out. Stay Interviews can assess if employees are engaged and still happy with their work – see tips on stay interviews
19. Another method to keep your talent is to help them take on leadership roles, which includes providing training and guided experiences in being a supervisor or project leader. Develop a succession plan to identify your next leaders – see tips on succession planning
20. If you are selected to be that new leader, you need to understand what will be expected of you and what resources are available to help you succeed – see tips on new leaders/new executives
