by Luke Fortune

Created on: March 04, 2007   Last Updated: May 01, 2007

Finding good employees, no matter what industry you are in is definitely a challenge. No matter what position you are hiring for, there are three factors you should keep in mind at all times. You should consider the person's experience, the person's problem solving ability, and the person's fit with the organization.

A person's experience seems like a very obvious item to check off your list, and it is. But you should also consider the quality of that experience. An internship versus a full time job, a large company versus a small company, length of employment experiences, etc. As a screening item, experience is a good first step. It allows an employer to gauge how well a candidate may do in his or her organization. It also gives a snapshot of what the candidate can bring to the company.

A candidate's problem solving abilities may be apparent in the resume, listed in the experience category. However, the candidate should take the time to demonstrate that skill in their application, letter, or resume. Too often candidates rely only on the list of experiences to sell themselves. Demonstrating problem solving skills in that list will show you how much thinking the candidate is willing to take. No matter what the position, candidates who think and can solve problems without help are pure gold. Look for demonstrations of thinking in the resume. Does the candidate list any situations he or she solved a problem? Did he or she manage a particularly stressful and problematic project? What does the candidate's references have to say about problem solving abilities? Can the candidate demonstrate problem solving skills to scenarios given in the interview?Look for the answers in the candidate's application materials.

The third criterion is fit. This is often the most overlooked aspect in hiring a candidate, and one of the most important. A company or organization has it's own culture; it's own feel. Would the candidate fit well in the atmosphere of the company environment? This fit is an important indicator of how successful the candidate will be in that environment. A bad fit will only lead to confrontation, misunderstanding, and tension among workers. Look for the candidate's ability to be flexible and a willingness to assimilate into the culture of your company. If a candidate has a good fit, it may be enough to make up for lack of experience.

A combination of experience, problem solving skills, and fit will net you, the employer, the best candidate out of a hiring pool. If the pool is poor, don't think that you are limited. Re-open a search, expand the candidate pool, and don't settle. If an open position is important enough to fill, it is important to find the best candidate for the job.

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