Improve hiring for your Agency

INTERVIEW BETTER. HIRE SMARTER.

There’s nothing that does more for company performance than hiring great people.

Yet, for many agency owners, hiring feels like a black box.

You spend a ton of time and resources selecting and interviewing candidates, making offers, and onboarding new employees. Then, six months later, the candidate-turned-employee you were so excited about turns out to be a total disaster.

So, what are you missing?

Hiring doesn’t have to be a black box. It’s a skill you can learn. Here’s my advice on identifying, attracting, and hiring the best people for your team.

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Hiring FAQs

Why can’t I hire good people?

Hiring is a skill that needs to be developed. For the best chance of success, you need to invest time in a deliberate and structured process.

When we rush our hiring processes–only looking at a few candidates, failing to dig deep and be skeptical in the interview phase, making assumptions about our candidates’ skills and abilities–it’s easy to choose the wrong person for the job.

For tips on how to build a successful hiring process, check out our article, Most Common Hiring Mistakes and How To Avoid Them.

What questions should I ask during an interview?

A good interview process should include three stages: a phone screen and two face-to-face interviews conducted either in-person or virtually.

In the phone screen, quickly assess the capabilities and fit of the candidate to determine if it’s worth continuing the process.

In the first interview, review the candidate’s work history looking specifically for what they liked/disliked about each role, how they interacted with their team and supervisor, and their accomplishments.

In the second interview, focus on cultural fit using behavioral interview questions to understand how the candidate might behave in various situations common in your workplace.

If you’re looking to shake up your interview process, check out our article, Do You Interview Like a Detective or Like a Cheerleader?

How do I streamline the hiring process?

If by “streamline” you mean abbreviate, the answer is: you can’t. Every step in the process is important. That doesn’t mean you can’t make the process more efficient!

The biggest delay in any hiring process is finding mutually available times to interview. If you want to make the process more efficient, set aside blocks of time each week for hosting interviews.

The hiring process starts with defining the role and outlining the skills and experiences your ideal candidate should bring to the table. It ends with an enthusiastic and well-planned onboarding process. To learn about the intervening steps, check out our article, What Happens When You Skip Steps in the Hiring Process.

What should I do if an employee is threatening to quit?

If an employee is threatening to quit, you need to get to the bottom of why in order to figure out how to respond. Is their threat a protest to get you to pay attention to their needs and desires, or are they fed up with one foot out the door?

If you’re receiving these kinds of threats, you need to develop or refine your system for employee feedback. Employees should be able to communicate concerns about pay, workplace culture, advancement, and other common issues before they are so frustrated that they are ready to head out the door. For more on this topic, check out our article, What To Do When Your Employee Is Threatening To Quit.

How do I avoid hiring the wrong person?

To avoid hiring the wrong person, invest time in the hiring process.

Slow down and follow a structured process – clarify the role and ideal candidate, make sure you know the market price for the job, cast your (targeted) net, conduct a thorough and standardized interview process, and select your top candidate, check their references, and extend a strong written offer. It’s a lot of work, but these steps will help assure that you hire the right person for the job. Check out our Most Common Hiring Mistakes and How To Avoid Them article for more tips.

Why aren’t my offers being accepted?

If your offers aren’t being accepted, start by checking your online reputation and making sure your compensation is reasonable.

If you can check those boxes, reflect on how you’re selling the opportunity. Did you extend a formal and enthusiastic offer with the salary and a list of benefits? Or, did you send an email with very few specifics and a general, “we’d like to offer you the job if you’re still interested”?

Candidates want to receive clear and formal offers that show off the benefits of the job and communicate your excitement about welcoming them to the team.

If you’re having trouble closing candidates, check out our articles, 8 Reasons Why Your Candidate Turned Down Your Job Offer and Closing the Deal: How To Make a Job Offer Your Top Candidates Can’t Resist.

All Articles on Hiring

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Apr 20 2023

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Nov 13 2021

Creative Agency Owners: What Are the Most Common Hiring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them?

Nov 05 2021

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Improve hiring for your Agency

INTERVIEW BETTER. HIRE SMARTER.

Just Released

BEST OF

Hiring FAQs

All Articles on Hiring

Download the Complete
Hiring Sample Bundle

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Sitemap

Resources

Guides

Best of the Blog

Improve hiring for your Agency

INTERVIEW BETTER. HIRE SMARTER.

Just Released

BEST OF

Hiring FAQs

All Articles on Hiring

Download the CompleteHiring Sample Bundle

The only email you'll look forward to!

Sitemap

Resources

Guides

Best of the Blog

Download the Complete
Hiring Sample Bundle