Let’s talk about what it takes to get a new person hired. I’d like to recognize that it is a LOT of work to prove that I need a position created and then follow through - you can use this as a checklist to figure out where you are in the process...
In order to hire someone - I have to:
Notice that there is a gap where me or my staff is falling behind - sometimes it’s hard to notice this and we just keep trudging along until we are drowning.
Review my current workload and start to think about how I can justify why I need a new hire.
Explain, in very concrete and metric-driven ways, what is being left undone or falling behind because my team can’t get to it.
Sort out whether this a new position or another one of the same positions that I have available in my department.
Decide if I need a new skillset for that position and the lab and therefore looking for someone with different education, experience and qualifications.
Create a job description if one doesn’t exist or review the current one and modify it, if it has drifted over time, and also fit it within the current HR guidelines.
Develop a pay range with HR or explain what I have in my budget for hiring - or worse, I have to beg for money for a position (please let it not be from grant funding).
Determine impact of Benefits - the money isn’t just what I’m paying to the new hire, it’s also the potential for overtime, health insurance, retirement benefits and all other benefits, so the dollar amount that I’m requesting is well above what I am paying for the work. This is also known as total compensation i.e., the cost to the company for the work that a staff member does.
Once approved, determine where to advertise the position, which is especially difficult if it’s in the Cellular Therapy field as there aren’t many potential hires and my search needs to be nationwide.
Screen all of the applicants if my HR team isn’t comfortable asking the right questions but if I only have a few to review, that’s still time taken out of other projects and responsibilities - Job Assessment for Managers
Prep for the interview by reviewing all the resumes, determine if they meet the qualifications
For candidate moving ahead in the coming up with relevant, thoughtful, and useful questions for each candidate
Call to arrange interviews or hope that Human Resources is checking for scheduling with me and the rest of my team.
Conduct the interview and then survive the actual interview process, which is a lot for someone who is an introvert and still wants to get my regular work done - trust me this is stressful for everyone involved.
Review all of the successful applicants with the team to see if the applicant is a good fit.
Summarize the applicants and determine if any of them will suit the position that I have open.
Phone for recommendations if required by my company.
Give my final recommendation to HR so that they can move forward with the hiring process.
Prep for onboarding - of course this is a topic for another blog!
Personally, I prioritize cultural fit if all other skills are equal, as I want my team to be cohesive and collegial, so I rely heavily on the opinions of my team. They are the ones spending the most amount of time with the successful candidate. I also want to hire people who are smarter and more skilled than me - so that I can trust them to do their jobs. Once I’ve found that person, I can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s probably taken me six to eight months to get to this point… and that’s if everything goes smoothly.
I hope this helps explain the process. Of course, your institution may vary - have you had to do anything special to get someone hired? Have any tips to share to make hiring less painful?
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