Drawing a precise picture of the perfect employee is a difficult task. Each company has their own vision for what would be their perfect match. However, there are undeniable universal qualities that are common to most employers.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of valuable qualities:

- Autonomy

- A good sense of priorities management

- Team player

- Great relation with superiors

- Performance

Beyond these examples, the right employee will be the one most motivated by the tasks he accomplishes, love his work atmosphere, have similar vision and values than his coworkers and paid at his true worth with good working conditions. The employers will need to set up everything necessary to keep that employee.

There’s no miracle solutions to guarantee that the candidate will be the best employee available on the market. However, the employer has to use all the tools he has in his possession to better his chances and not have to start the hiring process again.

A thorough analysis of the resume is the bedrock of a good and smooth process.

Secondly, it is crucial to be able to validate as a whole some key elements. For example, the reasons behind the candidate wanting to leave his current employment, or for leaving the last one. It is also the time to validate the major skills that employers are looking for, as well as salary expectation. It will bring into perspective if the candidate matches the employers’ expectations. Finally, a phone interview will verify those key elements.

Now that you’ve assured that everything is positive, the next step will be to conduct a face to face interview. (Download our Job Interview Step by Step Grid) It is the perfect moment to validate the personality of the candidate and if there is high compatibility with the company.

At this stage, conducting a psychometric test will help the employers have a better understanding of the candidate’s cognitive capacity, as well as his personality and behavioral tendency.

If the results are once again positive, it is time to get references from past experiences to validate elements like the reasons for leaving, the relationships with the coworkers, level of motivation, leadership and initiative and any other information that would be relevant.

To avoid any surprises, employers can ask the recruiter to conduct a criminal background check as well as medical examinations. If the employer follows this process, he will be more success in his hiring process and the risk for mistakes will be relatively low.

Risk behind hiring the wrong employee

The employer can’t base his decision solely on skills and experiences. It is crucial to look further to understand the motivation of the candidate for leaving his current position or simply why this new challenge would be interesting for him.

If the candidate’s only motivation is the salary, it is best to let it go. However, if the candidate is looking to further his career with more responsibilities and new opportunities, to flourish personally and professionally, this is someone you should look further into.

It’s also important to make sure the candidate will fit right in with his colleagues and the company’s values. Not every single candidate will suit one particular employer.

No employer is safe from making an ill choice during the hiring process, occasioning an important amount of negative consequences for the company. First of all, it is costly. The hiring process, training and process to replace the candidate are all invested hours for the supervisor, colleagues. It can reach thousands of dollars. With the right candidate on the first try, there’s a lot of money to save, making everyone happy in the process.

There can also be impacts on the team. If the candidate is not capable of doing his tasks properly, it can impact the global performance and bring discouragement and frustration for the other team members. It can cause friction in the office and it will be difficult for the supervisor to efficiently deal with the problem at hand.

If the candidate is performing well in his responsibility, the outcome will be completely different. If he feels well integrated and satisfied with his day-to-day tasks, he will be motivated at work and offer better performances. Furthermore, if the candidate is well performing, it could help motivate the rest of the team, and bring a direct impact on the results for the company.

If an error is made during the hiring process, it could affect the supervisor’s credibility, leaving him having to find rapid solutions for the situation not to get worst. In the opposite scenario, the right choice of candidates could lead the other employees to have more confidence in their supervisors and relationships could significantly improve.

The relationship with clients can also be affected. If the candidate isn’t capable of creating or maintaining the trust with the clients internally or externally, it could result in the image of the company being tarnished. The right employee will be able to create great connections with every client, which will help the company’s operation run smoothly.