Do you have any problem employees or people you'd like to replace but haven't had anyone available to fill their roles? Show me someone who creates headaches for the management team and I'll bet that much of this could've been avoided during the hiring process. Why are poor hires made? My bet is because the dearth of qualified talent has led to hires made out of desperation. Now that the economy is slowing, we're seeing firms get rid of poor performers and investing more time in the hiring process to avoid making the same old mistakes. Here are a few tips for hiring that will work in good times and bad.

Avoid hiring unemployed candidates. The slowing economy might mean more resumes, correct? Think about who gets fired first. Will firms let their best people go or will the rid themselves of the dead weight? The best candidates are those who are gainfully employed. They tend to stay longer when they make job changes and present far less risk than the jobless. Keeping your interviews to this pool of candidates can improve your chances at making better hires.

Treat candidates like you would treat a client. Do you make interviewees sit in your office for two hours before meeting with them? It happens. I've seen firm managers forget about interviews they've scheduled. Think about the impression this leaves with the recruit. Would you expect to win a project if you did this to a client? Why shouldn't a potential employee be treated with the same level of respect?

Sell the firm even if the candidate will not be hired. Recruiting is marketing and candidates will develop a perception of your firm based on they way they're treated in the interview process and word of mouth travels. What if you want to hire this candidate down the road or what if they go to work for a prospective client? Even if you don't want the candidates, it's best to have that person thinking positively about your firm.

Check references. More often than not, firms are so desperate to hire, they often try to take shortcuts and this often fails. It's good to talk to former supervisors, co-workers, and a client or two if possible. This will help you make an informed decision to hire or pass.

Get back to candidates when the hiring decision has been made. This is the top complaint we hear from candidates we're trying to recruit. They won't go to work for a particular firm because they never heard back from them for a job they interviewed for in the past. Don't let this happen to you. Even if you don't want to hire someone, it is important to close the loop. Candidates will have a lot more respect for firms that do this than firms that don't.



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