Hiring the Right People Presenter Kathy Campbell, Chemeketa Community College

Maintain a good reputation as an employer When you have a good reputation as an employer, you are more likely to attract the best candidates for positions. Having a competitive compensation package is a good start. How does location serve you or not serve you well? Does your school have a reputation for appreciating a work-life balance? What additional perks do employees receive at the school? In the community? Do employees stay for a long time or do they leave in a short time? Do (most) employees feel like they are treated well? What do employees like about working there?

Fine Tune the Job Description How detailed is your job description? Is it up to date? Does it reflect the skills and abilities you are looking for? Are you focusing on what the potential employee can do for you or what your institution can offer the candidate? Or both? Include what you expect in education, experience and training--up front. Include enough detail so the person knows what the job entails. Don’t forget “other duties as assigned”

Embrace digital trends and social media A lot of people want to work for companies that keep up with the latest technical trends. Do people apply online? How’s that working? Companies have to stay ahead of the curve in order to retain employees and attract new ones. Many people post professional profiles across different online platforms(linked in, facebook, twitter) The way people behave in these settings can give you a good idea of how they might interact with your employees. You might want to check them out. Your office employees most likely will.

Be proactive with your recruiting efforts Where are you advertising your positions? Locally? Statewide? Nationwide? To specific groups of populations? Do you post job openings on list-serves? Do you open your jobs internally first or both internally and externally simultaneously? Be willing to pay to have your job posted to an additional list-serve Do you know of individuals that you would like to inform that you have a job opening? Know what your organization will pay for in the process (travel, etc.)

Improve your interviews Make sure you have an interview committee that understands your needs and how the person in the position will fit into the company culture. Allow sufficient time for each interview. Look for good questions and use them. Ask some open-ended and scenario questions. Let candidates interview you, too. Make sure you allow time for the candidate to ask you some questions about the job and about why you like working there.

Look for more than skill You can teach employees how to operate equipment or handle paperwork but you can’t teach them responsibility, respect and commitment. Skills can be acquired, but personalities cannot. The best job applicants are good at making decisions. They care about other people, and they know how to work as members of the team. These are qualities you should always look for regardless of a prospect’s resume and skill set. Make sure they will fit into your existing team.

Look and listen for red flags If you notice body language that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t dismiss it as interview jitters When your direct questions get unclear answers, pay attention Are people your most important asset? No, the “right people” are Whether someone is the “right person” has more to do with character traits and innate capabilities than with specific knowledge, background or skills Trust your instincts When in doubt, don’t hire—keep looking