Building a Winning Team – Part 2: Screening Employees

As any business owner knows, hiring the right employees is essential to the success of the company. Not only do they need to have the necessary skills and experience, but they also need to be a good fit for the company culture. Screening employees is one way to help ensure that you find the best candidates for the job. There are a variety of methods that can be used for screening, such as interviews, reference checks, and skills tests. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to choose the one that best meets your needs.

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Screening employees

Hiring the wrong employee can be costly and time-consuming. A bad hire can mean lower productivity, more staff turnover, and a drain on company resources. Pre employment screening is a good process to ensure you avoid hiring the wrong candidate.

Review resumes and cover letters

Usually, candidates perform for a position by submitting a resume and cover letter. Oftentimes this is the first interaction between the hiring manager and the potential employee. The importance of pre employment screening with a resume and cover letter is because they will tell you about the candidate’s past roles and experience, and why they applied for the role.

When you’re reading over the resume, look out for the candidate’s skills, previous jobs, and the amount of time they spent in these roles, career progression or lack thereof. When you’re looking over the cover letter, consider if the letter has been written clearly and in a concise manner, and if there are spelling or grammar errors. Most importantly, ask if the cover letter conveys an understanding of the job they’re applying for.

Calling references

Checking references is an important step in the hiring process. After all, a resume can only tell you so much about a candidate. References are usually not included in a resume until they’re requested. References are a vital piece of information for informing you about the candidates. Ideally, these references should be relevant to the job and come from managers and peers rather than personal contacts. This is because a reference from a former employer can give you insights into a candidate’s work ethic, skills, and abilities. If the reference is from a manager or peer, you can be sure that it’s an unbiased opinion.

Of course, not all references are created equal. The best references are those that are relevant to the job and come from people who have worked closely with the candidate. So, when you’re screening candidates, be sure to ask for references from former employers and colleagues. By taking this extra step, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision about which candidate is the best fit for the job.

Phone interviews or video interviews

The importance of pre employment screening is to see the persona of the employee, how they conduct themselves, and if they’re suited to the job. Specifically, phone interviews allow employers to hear the candidate’s voice and get a sense of their communication skills. Video interviews provide a visual component that can be helpful in assessing the candidate’s appearance and body language.

Ultimately, what matters most is that the employer has the opportunity to ask questions and get to know the candidate. This screening process also serves to see if the candidate is available for the position, as in some cases they may have secured another job since they applied for this position. As long as the interview is conducted in a professional manner, it can be an effective tool for screening candidates.

Psychometric Testing

Once these Phone or Video interviews are completed, the next part of the pre employment screening process is to conduct psychometric testing. Doing this testing will allow you to identify the potential candidate’s motivations and behavioural characteristics. These can help provide you with further information that may help in the selection process. Bramwell Partners are accredited REACH Ecosystem professionals and are able to provide you with a comprehensive report on the behaviours and characteristics of your candidates.

In-person interview

Once you’ve selected your top three candidates, they can move on to the in-person interview. This pre employment screening is essential as you meet the candidate in person and removes any distractions that technology may have. This stage will give you a better idea to see if the employee will be a cultural fit. Not only that, but this is an excellent time to see how well the candidate communicates and if they would be able to articulate themselves in front of clients. Is the candidate professional? Do they have good eye contact? These are key things to consider when meeting someone in person for the first time. By the end of the in-person interview, you’ll have a strong idea of who your top candidate is and if they’re worth moving forward with.

Bramwell Partners are leading HR consultants

Building a strong team is often easier said than done. Fortunately, Bramwell Partners are leading HR consultants who can help you identify the key ingredients for success. We will work with you to assess your needs when building a winning team. With our expertise, you can feel confident that you have the best possible foundations for success. Seek our human resources consulting services today to learn more about how we can help you build a winning team.

Build a winning team with Bramwell Partners

Bramwell Partners is a leading provider of HR consulting services, and we can help you create a customised process to screening employees that will help you find the best candidates for your company. Contact us today to learn more about our services by calling 07 3630 5695 or by getting in touch online.