Finding and hiring the right people is one of the toughest tasks we do in business. It can cost thousands of dollars to recruit, interview, hire, and orient a new employee. Start with the best possible tactics to find the right people to join your team.

In the first part of this article, I shared the initial steps to a smooth hiring process, from posting the job opportunity to a successful in-person interview. Now, let’s dig into Second Interviews and beyond.

The Second Interview

When you’re lucky enough to have more than one applicant who’s a good match for your open position and it’s time to start the elimination round, invite them back for a second interview. This time, you can ask the applicants to perform tasks that are specific to the job and confirm that their skill level matches their claims.

For example, I had an applicant indicate on her resume that she could do a certain task specific to the healthcare field we were in. When I asked her to demonstrate on a particular piece of equipment she was unable to accurately complete the task. That showed me, of course, that she had embellished her resume. We would have made a big mistake if we had hired her assuming she was trained and ready to go in the most basic of skills for the position.

Another way to make the right decision on an applicant is to allow time for a tour, if applicable, and a chance to spend a little time with their future coworkers if hired. This gives the applicant a chance to see what the work environment is like beyond your office and to meet the rest of the group. Leave the applicant with a trusted staff member to answer questions they might have or simply give them a chance to decide if this is the right place for them.

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I clearly remember I had an applicant I was prepared to hire at the end of her second interview. While she was there, I asked her to stay for about an hour and watch our flow of patient care. I told her it was a typical day at our office, so she could get a sense of what her job would be like. Afterwards she informed me that she’d like to “revoke her résumé.” It turns out that the pace of our practice frightened her, and she doubted she had the stamina to work that fast. Wow! That would have been a bad hire.

When in Doubt, Lunch

This may sound like an awkward option, but it works. If you can’t make a final decision on an applicant for any particular reason, maybe your gut is telling you to go slow. Invite him or her for a casual lunch with you. If possible, take one to two employees from the team with whom the applicant will work with if hired. This setup allows a much more casual and friendly conversation to take place. More importantly, it lets you see table manners, graciousness towards the server, and a common sense in social-business settings.

If the new hire will be taking clients to dinners, sales meetings, or social gatherings, this step can be a huge deciding factor in his or her ability to get the job done right.

Give Updates ASAP

As soon as you know that an applicant is not the right fit, let them know. A phone call is nice, a letter is good, an email is acceptable, but please don’t leave them hanging. Remember, the applicant is now a walking billboard for your business, and you need to treat them with respect even if they didn’t get the job. It’s likely they’re on pins and needles waiting to hear back from you.

There are many ways to tell someone they didn’t get the job. My favorite is a kind sentence that thanks them, “However, we found someone else more suited for the position.” I end it there. If really liked the applicant and wish we could have hired him or her, then I will add the sentence, “We’ll keep your resume on file in case something else becomes available.”

The “You’re Hired” Call

For the lucky new hire, I always phone them and say, “Congratulations,” and arrange for the start date. One more important step remains. If there’s anything that I was concerned about in the interview, now is the time to firmly state my position.

For example, let’s say the applicant had a lot of absences at a previous job. When you checked references, they said she was a great employee, but she missed a lot of work. During the second interview, I’ve talked to the applicant about it, and she assures me that she was going through something personal last year, but that is all done now. Getting to work on time will no longer be a problem. I may take her at her word, but on the hiring call, I may say, “Now, Rachel, I just want to emphasize again that accepting this job means that you’ll arrive to work no later than 7:55 daily for an 8:00 o’clock start. We’re clear about that, right?”

Then, I will document in her personnel file that we agreed to her being prompt. If it proves to be a problem in the first 90 days, we have something to refer back to in the counseling conversation.

End the call by setting up the expectation of the on-boarding process that awaits them. When explained properly, you should ease the first day jitters.

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It’s really rewarding when you find a great person to join your team. However, the secret to finding good help is more than just luck. The secret is careful preparation in order to rock the entire interview process. Every hire is an important addition to your team. With the right interview strategy in place, better results will happen.