An 11-step guide to attracting and selecting the best staff

Bringing structure and discipline to the recruitment process will deliver better results than ‘just having a chat’ with candidates and choosing people on instinct, writes Kriss Will.

A poor recruitment decision can have a major impact on a firm, particularly in smaller firms where the whole firm can feel the effects of someone who is not able to do the job they were employed to do. A good recruitment decision, by contrast, can create a great experience and make such a positive difference. The important steps in a good selection process are worth reiterating as all too often one or more of these are overlooked by busy partners who want a role filled as soon as possible.

Taking shortcuts sometimes works, however in my experience the failure to stick to good process often results in longer-term issues for the employer and the employee. The aim is to recruit someone who can do the job and who is a good fit with your firm, and someone who enjoys the role and your firm. This is the recruitment win-win we all want to achieve. Embracing the following steps will increase your chances of success.

1. Be clear about who can authorise recruitment
It is important to be very clear about who in the firm has the authority to decide to start a recruitment process and who has the decision to employ someone. In smaller firms this may be all partners, or the final say may be delegated to one particular partner.

2. Identify what is needed to make the person a success in the role
Identifying what a person needs to do successfully in a job allows you to assess what is really needed to make the role a success. Does a lawyer with ‘3 years plus experience’ actually mean you will attract candidates who can run conveyancing and general litigation files with minimum supervision? Is ‘well presented with good communication skills’ really all it takes to be the right person for a busy receptionist role?

Failure to define the success factors makes it more likely that you will attract the wrong sort of candidate, be swayed by less relevant factors and misrepresent the real role. And keep the success factors to a minimum – creating a list of attributes of the perfect candidate will limit your field considerably. Stick to the ‘must haves’ and treat other positives as a bonus. The approach of identifying the key success factors also reduces the risk of unlawful bias creeping into your selection process and decision-making. You are less likely to unconsciously disregard someone based on stereotypes if you are focused on the success factors and not on characteristics such as age or cultural background. Ask your current staff for any ideas they have on how an existing role could change, or get their input on the essentials for a new role. They can provide good insights about the exact needs and may even offer to take on some of the responsibilities to make their own roles more interesting.

3. Think about how to find the likely person
There are a number of ways to attract potential candidates, including the following options.
• Direct advertising using SEEK – this can be very effective, particularly when your firm is known and has a good reputation. The cost is not high and you can use the ‘screening questionnaire’ to put in questions that each applicant has to answer before they can apply. Such questions could include: ‘Please tell us about your receptionist experience’, ‘Tell us why you are interested in this role’, ‘We are a small firm with eight people – what are your thoughts on working in a small team’, ‘What salary are you looking for?’
• Print media advertising – your local paper can give you access to people who are not actively looking on SEEK, but who happen to notice the advertisement. It can also raise your firm’s profile in your community. Advertising in the state daily newspapers (e.g. The Age or Herald Sun, The Sydney Morning Herald or The Courier-Mail) is not as effective.
• Word of mouth through sector and employee networks – tell everyone, including your employees, that you are looking for someone to join your team. Think about who you know who might be interested or who might know people who are. Ring them up and let them know you are looking. An email to friends and family might also elicit good candidates.
• The firm’s website – often people will go here for further information and to get a feel for the firm. Make sure you have some information about what it is like to work in your firm and, if possible, include employee testimonials about what they like about the firm.
• Recruitment agencies – they are a good option if you want to outsource the search for and initial screening of candidates. You need to weigh up the value for money. If you are going to engage a recruitment agency, negotiate the cost up front and be careful to ensure that the guarantee covers the probation period (now six months for employees).

Regardless of the approaches you take, make sure you always include the key success criteria and ask people to address these criteria in their application letters. Require all applicants to provide a current resume which provides a summary of skills and details of previous employment.

4. Use the success factors at all stages of the selection process
Identify the success factors in any job advertisement, brief for recruiters and/or message to staff and others. Add to these what it is that makes the role interesting and what makes your workplace a good one. No matter how the candidate comes to your attention, always use the key success factors in selecting who you will interview. Thinking that someone recommended by a friend is automatically a good fit for the role is often misguided. Before you interview applicants, create a list of open-ended questions which address the must-have success factors and ask candidates to explain how they can demonstrate that they have this experience and qualities. If you have used the SEEK screening questionnaire, use the information gathered to help tailor specific questions.

5. Make the interview positively memorable
It is important to refrain from interrogating candidates, but equally do not ‘just have a chat’. A balance of structure and free-flowing conversation works best. Conduct yourself in a way that will make the candidate like you, like the firm and want the job. A candidate may be unsuccessful, but you still want them to speak favourably of their interview experience. They will certainly be asked by others about how the interview went, so give them a positive story to pass on.

By having a written outline of questions to follow, you will make sure that you remember to ask the same questions of each candidate. In addition to the success factor questions, I suggest you include questions about the person’s ideal next role, why they are looking to change jobs, how they think their referees would describe their strengths and weaknesses, what salary range they are expecting, if they have any long periods of leave planned for the coming 12 months, and get them to confirm they are able to work the days and hours required in the role.
I also recommend that the person who is going to be working directly with the candidate be part of the selection interview at some stage. Candidates are naturally eager to meet the people with whom they will directly work, and vice-versa.

6. Think about other selection activities
An interview will tell you something about a candidate, however it is worthwhile considering other ways to allow the candidate to demonstrate their skills so that you are not just relying on the interview answers. A second interview with other people may provide useful additional insights. An activity which allows the candidate to show their skills is often useful (e.g. asking them to comment on a case, provide simple advice to a set of circumstances, order a number of items in alpha/numerical order, copy type a memo or proof a document). Some firms also find a lunch or social outing is a good way to allow the employee to demonstrate their social skills.

7. Reference check thoroughly and broadly
Too often the reference checks are overlooked or under done. I recommend you conduct reference checks yourself rather than outsourcing these to a recruiter. Again, ask open-ended questions that address your must-have success factors. You can also obtain useful information by including some general questions such as ‘How can I get the best out of this person?’ and ‘Putting yourself in my shoes as the future employer, is there anything you think I need to know about this person’s conduct or performance?’ You can seek permission from a candidate to conduct reference checks with previous employers, including people the candidate may not have specifically identified as referees. One way of doing this is to ask a candidate to give permission for you to conduct reference checks with people from past employers who you as the potential employer deem relevant.

I also think it is important to ascertain the relationship between the referee and the candidate to ensure that the person providing the information has worked directly with the candidate and to be aware of any personal relationship that may exist and influence the responses. I remember in my early HR days receiving a glowing reference for a candidate, only to discover some time later that the referee I had spoken with was first and foremost the mother of the candidate.

8. Make selection decisions using the important information
Assess if a candidate can deliver on the success factors. If a candidate does not meet these, they are not the right person for your role, no matter how charming or how keen they are for the position. Too often thoughts like ‘they are the best we’ve seen’ or ‘they were soooo nice’ unduly influence the final decision. It is much better to wait until the right candidate comes along than to quickly recruit someone who ‘is not quite right, but we need someone’.

9. Make an offer of employment
All offers of employment should be made in writing and must be signed by an authorised person prior to the offer being made. A phone call to say an offer of employment is on its way is a good way to check that they will be comfortable with the salary level (if not confirmed in the interview) and to welcome the person personally. Remember that an offer of employment is only accepted once the signed letter of offer is received. Once this has been received and you have confirmed that your new employee has handed in their resignation to their current employee, it is good practice to ensure all staff are informed about the appointment of the new staff member, their role, their background and the start date. I suggest opening an employment file for each employee and storing the relevant paperwork on this file. Storing these files in a secure location means that information is kept private and is easy to locate if needed.

10. Be ready for the new employee
The purpose of induction is to assist the new employee to quickly integrate and become a productive member of the firm. An appropriate induction will make the new employee feel positive from the start. Too often the small things like a desk set-up and login for the computer are forgotten, which can make your new employee feel a little unimportant. Crucially, this includes having work ready to get them involved from day one. A checklist for what is needed for a new employee and who is going to do this can be useful in larger firms where there are regular new employees. I suggest that the direct supervisor or manager of the new employee be responsible for ensuring the new employee receives the appropriate on-the-job training, introductions and information to be successful in the role. This person is also responsible for providing on-the-job feedback in the first week and then on a monthly basis.

11. Use the probation period to set the person up to succeed
You have made your choice and they have started in the job, but the successful hire does not finish there. The probation period is like an extension of the selection process – it is when you get to see your new employee put into practice the competencies you believe they have. I think it is important to set expectations early (in line with the success factors) and be diligent and committed to providing feedback in relation to these within the first few weeks.

Feedback is really important for new starters – positive feedback helps them to build their confidence, and constructive development feedback provides the guidance they need to improve. Do all you can to make it work for you and your new employee so that the time you have invested in the recruitment process is not wasted and the win-win is achieved!

Kriss Will is a law firm management consultant and the founder of Kriss Will Consulting. She can be contacted at kriss@kwillconsult.com.au.