Hire Like HubSpot: 7 Factors to Consider Before the Hiring Process

It’s time to hire! Bringing new faces to your company can be an exciting experience, but it’s crucial to have a hiring plan in place when considering potential candidates. Having a preemptive strategy will not only smooth the hiring process, but it will also ensure you have made a thorough decision and are confident about who will join your team. 

Launching a recruiting process needs to be highly organized from the beginning.  Establishing a clear set of goals to be completed by the end of the venture is a key factor when it comes to beginning your search. A member of your company team should be assigned with tracking the progression of said goals and housing them in a location that is easily accessible and can be documented. Staying up to date with this information is key!

Before recruiting there are a few things to keep in mind…

1. What is the value to the business?

When considering hiring for more positions, you would be remiss if you didn’t anticipate the added benefits of this new hire. You might be looking for someone to fill a position because you are lacking in a particular department or your employees are overwhelmed with their workload and you need a fresh new set of hands. Whatever the reason, asking the question of how hiring a new team member will improve your business, and planning for any possible gaps in the future or new roles that could stem from this position is significant in the hiring process.

2. How urgent is the need?

Setting a timeline to go along with your goals helps with efficiency, but establishing the timeline for your hire depends on the urgency in which the position needs to be filled. Based on if you need someone in two weeks, or two months, this will determine when you announce the opening, how long the window is open for applications, and the length of the interview and selection process. Identify your urgency early, so that you can take the necessary steps and also communicate the message to candidates. It boils down to your decision of whether you should rely on your own inbound strategy or rely on a recruiting partner to make that hiring choice in a timely manner.

3. How much risk is involved in making this new hire?

Now that you have considered the value of the new hire, it’s equally significant to flag any implications of making this new hire. Will this new hire stretch your budget? Will you have to offer more training for this person or the rest of the team in order to bring everyone to the same level? You may also want to take into account the risk to inbound recruiting, specifically candidate experience. You don’t want to start recruiting without creating a thorough plan, or else you could be left with a pool of candidates and no clarity on how to take action. 

4. Is your team aligned on the ideal candidate?

Making the vision of the ideal candidate clear in your job posting will not only attract qualified applicants, but it will ensure that you are making the most of the hiring process. You do not want to waste time interviewing candidates that are not suitable for the decision because of your lack of clarity. Be sure to involve the opinions of your internal stakeholders so that they are on board with who you are looking to hire and how they would be the best fit for the company. Having a universal consensus on a candidate among everyone involved in the company will create a more cohesive work environment because there will be more faith in the abilities of the new hire. 

5. What is the best way to promote the candidate search?

You’re ready to announce the job posting! Here is where you will decide the channels that will give you fruitful responses. There should be an emphasis on multi-channel, such as career page boards, LinkedIn, e-newsletters, social media, and utilizing the company's network. Announcing on more than one channel ensures that you are optimizing the number of eyes on your job posting, while also targeting your ideal candidates who are already plugged into your network or are on your radar.

6. Who is responsible for interview logistics?

Don’t neglect the interview logistics. Appoint someone who will be tasked with reviewing resumes, reaching out, and booking interviews. By streamlining the process with one or two people, you can ensure consistency in how candidates are evaluated and will also adhere to your timeline. 

7. Who is in charge of the onboarding process?

Just like the interview logistics, specifying someone to be in charge of  the onboarding process will create further organization. Identify the new training plan and evaluate how this new hire will impact the business as they go through the training. This will also be a good chance for you to identify any flaws in the onboarding process.

Overall, it's better to have a strategic plan in place when approaching the hiring process. You are ultimately looking to increase the revenue of your business, so candidate selection matters! Executing a great hiring process that is well organized, time efficient and produces amazing candidate experience is tough! Make sure you plan ahead and get your team to buy-in. Make sure you have a recruiting partner you can lean on for questions and best practices. Now get out there and build your team!