Hiring Staff can sometiimes be a daunting task, so Neil Kitchener, Director of Northampton recruitment specialist Impact Recruitment has put together 10 top tips for finding the right person for your vacancy.

1. Compile an accurate and detailed Job and Person Specification for your vacancy.

2. Place a precise advert giving brief job description and salary plus all benefits.  Give deadline for all applications and state first and second interview dates where possible.

3. Begin by inviting all candidates to send CV's (do not be dismissive, good candidates often have shocking CV's and vice versa.

4. See as many people as possible for the first interview.

5. Invite top three candidates back for second interview all on same day so that you can compare.

6. Score all candidates on an interview matrix. Management and sales personnel may require profile testing.

7. When using an interview matrix, honesty, (not cheating, lying, stealing etc. genuine with pretension) usually scores highest with self descipline (smartly dressed, arrived on time, orderly, and self controlled) coming second.

8. Before making the final decision ask yourself three questions.  Can they do the job? Do they want the job? Will they fit in?

9. Take up reference in respect of successful candidate, asking candidate first for their permission to do so.

10. Initially, make successful candidate a verbal offer giving them a chance to discuss any reservations with you.  If candidate accepts the position, send out an offer letter together with two copies of Contract of Employment.  One for the candidate to retain and one for their personnel file when they commence employment.

Of course, if that seems like too daunting a task, there's always the alternative of putting the whole thing in the hands of the experts at Impact Recruitment.

Impact Recruitment is at Burlington House, 369 Wellingborough Road, Northampton NN1 4.  Telephone 01604 239555 or visit the website www.Team-Impact.co.uk

Source: Business Times October 7th 2007