Hiring and keeping good employees is a challenge that most small businesses have, a challenge that is costing business owners more than you might realize. One study done by the Center for American Progress indicates that for low paying jobs (under $30,000 per year) the cost to hire is 16% of annual wages. That means that a $10 per hour position costs the employer $3,328! When put into the perspective of real hiring costs, it’s clear why improving hiring practices is good business. We spoke to an expert to learn some basic tips that can really help you to hire staff members that are the right fit for you.

Beth Smith, President at A-list Interviews and author of the new book, “Why Can’t I Hire Good People?” understands this pain all too well. A former longtime restaurant owner herself, she uses her professional interview training and past lessons learned to help businesses hire effectively. She shared some of her hiring tips with SilverEdge:

• Make sure that the candidate sends you a great application. Look for spelling and grammar errors. Those people who REALLY want the job will take the extra 5 minutes to proof their work.
• Screen for scheduling. If the candidate that you are interested in can only work nights, but you need them for days, that won’t work for either of you. Or, if your candidate wants to work the summer, but will be gone for the entire month of July, does that fit your schedule?
• Don’t oversell the job. One BIG reason that people leave their job is because they didn’t know what they were getting into. Make sure that you give the candidate as accurate a picture of the job as you can, and include the good, the bad and the ugly.
• Don’t fill the position until you know that you have the right candidate. It is less expensive to leave the position open for a while than to hire the wrong person.
• Keep your mouth closed, and your ears open. If you are talking more than you are listening, you will miss something. This is the time to hear what they have to say, and write it down word for word. You can review their comments later.
• People are always asking me what questions to ask, and I say the questions aren’t important. What is important is that you have the list of questions ready to go before the interview, and to ask the same questions in the same order to every candidate. Then, you are comparing apples to apples.
• Do NOT talk yourself into hiring a candidate. If you are hesitating, then honor that hesitation.
• Finally, never hire someone on the spot. Give yourself a few days to think about the decision. You will be surprised at how often you will be able to verbalize a hesitation if you just sit on it for a bit.

Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be on your way to making better hires. The Marketing 360 Payments team is prepared to guide you through the point of sale system options that will be most effective in smoothly managing employee turnover as well. We’ll help you maximize the capability of your POS system so you can focus on growing your business. Contact a Marketing 360 Payments representative for an appointment. Learn more and sign up for your free trial.

 Originally published June 21, 2017