For many small businesses the consequences for making a bad hire can be severe. The opportunity cost of having to hire all over again and then retrain is significant, compared to larger businesses making a similar mistake.
While you can't control people you are able to control your process. If you have a hiring process that is haphazard (changes each time you hire) you are increasing your chances for employee fallout. If you aren't large enough to have an HR department then you need to work hard to create a process that helps you achieve what HR would be there to help you do.
Job descriptions are a must and you should take time to make sure that they are accurate and spell out what you want from that position.
You need to find a way for your company to track and maintain contact with candidates. This is very important if you are still using a folder on your computer's desktop or an actual filing cabinet. Applicant Tracking Systems are being used these days by companies of all sizes...
Most importantly have a defined process from the time you receive a resume all the way through to onboarding. This process should serve your needs and also have the candidate's experience in mind. Train your decision-makers and all involved with the interview process to be able to follow it and make sure it is standardized. By doing this you will come up with all the things you feel are important to do when making a hire and you will make sure not to skip steps.
If you are unsure about what you should have in your process you should reach out. We would be more than happy to set up a quick call to share some pointers...
