Tips for Hiring a Technical Professional
Hire with Confidence
In today’s economy, companies need to make the most out of every hire.
No employer wants to hire, train, and invest in an employee, only to have that
person leave (or be let go) within a short time. Fortunately, there are ways to
increase your odds of making a “good hire” with a higher chance
of long-term retention.
When considering a candidate, it is important to evaluate all three of these key areas:
Skills and Industry knowledge–Can they do the job? How long will they need to ramp
up before contributing in a meaningful way?
Shared culture and values –Will they fit in with the team? Are they a good match
for the department? How well do they align with the overall company culture?
Potential for future growth – Will they be able to “grow” and adapt as the company
evolves? Has their career so far shown growth and improvement over time?
Navigate the Generations
For the first time in American history, four different generations are often working side-by-side in the workplace. To attract, hire, and train diverse employees (and keep them engaged and productive), we’ve outlined some useful comparisons to keep in mind.
Understand the Mindset
“One of the most fundamental shifts in the labor market over the past 20 years has been a progression away from a “live to work” mentality to “work to live” mindset. The very best talent simply demands better for themselves, and will gravitate toward companies and opportunities that are employee-centric—respecting employees as individuals with lives and interests far beyond the workplace.” *
Our research indicates that the top five most important considerations for job-seekers before accepting an offer are:
- Compensation package (pay and total benefits package)
- Location/commute distance
- Work-life balance
- Career growth opportunities
- Company culture and values
Understanding these considerations—and being able to articulate how your company fulfills these needs during an interview—is critical. Remember, candidates are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them.
Try Behavioral Interviewing
Over the past decade, Behavioral Interviewing techniques have become popular as a way
to predict success on the job. Simply stated, Behavioral Interviewing involves asking candidates
to answer interview questions by citing examples in their past, rather than describing what they
“would do” in a hypothetical situation. Answers to Behavioral Interviewing questions can illuminate
both fundamental questions (“Can they do the job?”), as well as valuable attributes like mindset,
soft skills, passion, and cultural fit.
Start by focusing on past accomplishments and challenges, and ask for specifics.
Consider requesting multiple examples of the same concept, or ask the same question
from different angles. The examples below are a great place to start.
Tell me about a time when you…
- Completed a recent project/job that… (involved a key piece of equipment,
software, material, etc.) - Screwed up. (Note how they learned from their mistakes.)
- Were especially productive at work. Why? What were the driving factors?
- Experienced a success recently, something you were particularly proud of.
- Had to deal with a difficult team member (or manage a difficult employee).
- Had to make a difficult work decision. How did you assess your options?
What determined your decision?
