"Once again, I hired the perfect person, I thought, and he's turned out to be a nightmare. Why is it so hard to hire the right person?" Sound familiar?

Hiring the right people is not as simple as it sounds and as a consultant that has interviewed thousands of people over 20 years, there are always new techniques to learn.

Unsuccessful hiring is every manager's number 1 problem. They don't teach you how to recruit and interview in high school, university, or even at London Business School!

Managers who invent their own approaches to recruitment and selection (most of which are risky), not only waste time, but also produce a 50% failure rate on average. And, in tough economic times like these, getting your company's house in order from a talent perspective is of paramount importance if you are going to survive the storm.

I read a great bit of research conducted by Geoff Smart and Randy Street , co-authors of Who: The A Method for Hiring, on how to solve the problem of unsuccessful hiring. Here are the 7 things they learned that managers can do to improve their recruitment and selection success rates:

1. Write a written "scorecard" with quantifiable outcomes you expect a person to deliver. It's time to be precise — not fuzzy.
2. Identify what elements of your culture you must have in candidates.
3. Source the best candidates using your network and think twice before over-relying on ads, job boards, and recruiters.
4. Consider paying a much bigger referral fee to your employees who source Top Candidates who are hired.
5. Select the right person by conducting at least one extremely thorough, 3-hour, chronological interview. Really dig in.
6. Watch out for red flags like: candidates who don't take responsibility for past mistakes, or who speak poorly of most of their bosses.
7. Sell to candidates by remembering the 5 Fs that candidates really care about:
   • Fit (with your company)
   • Family (support for joining your company)
   • Freedom (to make decisions)
   • Fortune (and glory)
   • Fun

There are several other things I have learned and share with my clients every day.  The most important being don't rush into a decision without all the facts.  Too many managers still go on "gut instinct" that in 50% of cases turns out to be a kick in the gut.

Recrion is a specialist in Recruitment Strategy – we are happy to share our whopping 80% hiring success rate with you.  Call us on 01780 484910 and visit www.recrion.co.uk to find out HOW we do it!