Hiring Staff

Hiring Staff - Some Practical Advice

People are the most important asset of any business, particularly those with a large proportion of regular customer interface, such as pharmacy. So, investing wisely in recruitment should pay dividends for your business in the long term.

How to get that all important right person

First - define the role. Outline what the key responsibilities and duties are and then produce a job description detailing these in related groups. This will help determine what skills, experiences and personal attributes you are looking for in your applicants.

Recruitment comes down to sales so don't be afraid to make a hard sell on the benefits of the job. Carry out some simple market research with pharmacy colleagues and then decide what level of salary will be offered. Also highlight any other relevant benefits, financial and non-financial, such as bonus payments and training opportunities.

Once you have reached this point you will need to decide how to generate applications. You could use conventional methods such as local advertising through newspapers, job centres and specialist recruitment publications. However, you should also consider networking as a means of spreading the word through the grapevine. There are also recruitment consultants who can offer a highly specialised and effective service, tailored to your individual needs but these incur a fee, so check this up front.

Once you have placed the advert and applications start to come in, be prepared to filter out all those that do not meet your specified needs. You should try to make a shortlist consisting of the top six candidates to interview and a back up list of say four, just in case. It is important at this stage to be ruthless with your choice. Take every application on merit and shortlist strictly according to your original objectives.

The Interview

The interview is one of the most crucial parts of the recruitment process. It is likely to be the first time you meet the prospective employee so make sure you are fully prepared to gain information on all aspects of the person.

Before the interview it is wise to decide on the venue to conduct the interview - will it be on site in an office within the pharmacy or will it be at a hired office location nearby? You should also develop a formal interview structure before the interview takes place - use open questions to help gain as much information as possible.

During the interview be sure to set the scene. Clearly explain all aspects of the job, making particular reference to your aims for the post and how it fits into the wider pharmacy market.

As the interview develops it is important not to make assumptions. Question your candidates on any qualifications and ask for further evidence to support their claims. Also pay particular attention to past experience - gauge their level of capability and question any unusually long gaps in their employment history. In particular, you may want to find out how many sick days have been taken during the last two years in order to determine their reliability.

As part of the interview process you may also want to set a practical test. This will depend on the position you are recruiting for. Simple tests in areas such as English and maths can provide a lot of information about your candidates.

Choosing the right person

With the interviews over, a decision must be made. However, do not pick the best of a bad bunch, it is better not to employ than to employ the wrong person. Try to imagine your chosen candidate in the role with the team around them. Ask yourself does their personality fit, as this is often just as vital as skills, experience and capability.

Once you have made your final decision, you should make a formal offer of employment via telephone with a formal letter of agreement as official confirmation. It should be clearly highlighted that your offer is subject to a specified probationary period of say three to six months and satisfactory references - make a point of following up all references from employers in writing immediately.

Also ensure your candidate does not require any specialist work permits - ask for P45s, P60s and birth certificates, if necessary, in order to double check. Also once they have agreed to accept the job, start to draw up a formal contract of employment. You should seek legal advice on this, if no contract already exists.

Finally, put aside some time to welcome your new employee to your business. Carry out an induction to help introduce them to the company and other members of staff as well as any important procedures, such as health and safety. You could also provide a mentor to help ease them into their new surroundings and then monitor their progress during the set probationary period.