At what level should you be hiring?
It can sometimes be difficult to confidently ascertain what level you should be hiring at. Are you time-rich but tight budgeted? Do you have quotas which need to be met from the off, or are you in a position to hire and mould someone to fill the gap in your team? Do you need someone to bring their own experience/knowledge, or are you in a position to do the teaching?
Answer our quick and nifty questionnaire below to determine what level your next hire should come in at!
Why are you looking to hire?
a) We have a problem which needs solving, fast. 10 pts
b) We’re replacing an employee who has left the business. 25 pts
c) We’re growing, so we need someone who’s hungry to learn. 50 pts
More important than anything is understanding the circumstances which led to, and the reason behind, this vacancy you’re currently trying to fill. If you answered A, you’re most likely looking for a specific skillset, or experience in a certain area. It’ll be difficult for someone without to come in and get the ball rolling immediately.
B speaks for itself – you’re aware of what worked well, not so well and anything in between with whoever was doing the job previously, so you can base your candidate profile on this.
And as for C? If it’s a case of business growth and your intentions are less set in stone, there’s room for some flexibility in the profile you’re going to be looking for. Could a fresh graduate be just the ticket?
Where does your salary budget for this role sit in the market?
a) Money is no object – I need someone who can do the job, now. 10 pts
b) I’m interested to see what I can get for the budget I have. 25 pts
c) My budget isn’t huge, but I have time on my hands. 50 pts
To be frank, budget is one of if not the most crucial factor when undergoing a recruitment campaign of any scope. There needs to be a strong correlation between expectations of the candidates you’re hoping to attract and the competitiveness of the salary on offer.
All of this depends on where you’re at as a business, the time you as a leader – or another dedicated staff member – has to spend onboarding a new starter, and the type of role you’re trying to fill; are you in a position to invest more money into someone who could truly hit the ground running? Alternatively, can you make up for what you lack in budget by implementing a killer training scheme and investing time into nurturing this person?
Speaking of which…
What sort of training do you have in mind for this individual?
a) Little, initially. They need to be confident in what they’re doing, but we’ll be here to provide support and resources. 10 pts
b) We will support ongoing training, but we need skills to build upon. 25 pts
c) We’re looking for a fresh mind to cultivate! 50 pts
If you need this person to carry a number from day one, you’ll want to hire someone with experience, possibly contacts to draw upon, and likely from a specific sector – answer A.
If you resonated more with answer B – of course, training when it’s needed is a given – then you need to be looking at profiles/backgrounds which include at least exposure to the role in question.
And if C jumped out to you? Well, with the right investment of time and training, you won’t go wrong in hiring someone with no bad habits and a clean slate upon which to work.
So, what level should you hire at?
If you scored 30-50 points:
Your needs are specific, your profile more narrow; you need a more senior hire. Someone who knows and understands your industry and/or the role they’ll be undertaking. In this instance, it’ll be easier to tell from a CV whether someone is going to be suitable, so put your all into engaging and networking with your target candidates online.
If you scored 50-100 points:
Whilst you require a basis upon which to build, your target candidate profile isn’t as strict as above. Hiring someone at junior to mid-level, who already has exposure to a working environment, means at the very least they’ve proved their work ethic – so bring them on board and have them build a long-term career with your organisation!
If you scored 100+ points:
A graduate could be just what you need! What they lack in experience they make up for in drive, enthusiasm and hunger – to learn, to progress and to prove themselves in their first career move. If your business has the capacity to nurture and support someone in these early years, it will pay dividends in the future.
Certus Graduate source top percentile graduates to build high-performing sales teams on behalf of our clients. Head to their LinkedIn page @Certus Graduate for more content, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team in London to discuss our innovative assessment techniques and recruitment strategies for grad schemes and entry-level roles.
