For many, Easter is a blur of bunnies, pastels and children racing through egg hunts. With so many eggs out there to choose from, it can be hard to know which egg is the best and to choose it before someone else does. It’s like when you have job candidates in front of you and you want to find the one who is just right for your company. We have put together four tips to help you choose your new hire.
1. Be Wary of the Prettiest Eggs. While these ‘eggs’ may look good on paper, the candidate may not have the right skills to do the job, or worse – they might be hard boiled –no candy or real skills on the inside. As an employer you need to discover what the candidates offer beyond what they can put on their resumes, or the friendly way they conduct themselves in the interview. You don’t want to get fooled by a good interviewee and end up having to start the interview process over again in a few months.
2. Get to the Candy. Ask questions that help you understand the core of the interviewee. Uncover the candidate’s work style and the skills they have beyond their technical qualifications. Consider the skills IT employees need, like collaboration, writing, listening and the ability to communicate clearly.
3. Envision the eggs in your basket. You’ve created the office environment, chosen a basket, and now you have to make sure that a new egg would fit in. Share the company culture during the interview and be sure that the potential new employee understands and appreciates it. You don’t want someone working in Easter grass that would rather be in tissue paper.
4. Most importantly, don’t forget your Peeps—your employees—the treats that you still get to eat, even if you don’t find the perfect egg. Let them in on the process and help them decide what they need in terms of personality, or what kind of candy would go well with their marshmallow goodness. And even though 65% of people eat their Peeps head first, try not to bite your employees’ heads off when they are giving you their opinions.
While the employee egg hunt may not be as much fun as running around in the beautiful spring-like weather we had on Saturday, it will be more fruitful (or should I say candy-ful) if you take these tips to heart. Remember that while the best egg may not be hiding in plain sight, you probably shouldn’t hire anyone who shows up in a bunny suit.
