Steering Clear of Hiring Hot Water

As the auto industry rebounds and unemployment continues to improve, you may be among those expanding your workforce with new hires. If so, now is the time to evaluate your processes to identify the best possible candidates while screening out those who may be problems waiting to happen. Hiring the wrong employees can not only cost money, it may also get you into hot water when it comes to separating them from employment down the line. 

To maximize your recruiting prospects, here are three crucial considerations every hiring manager should keep in mind:

1. Stay in bounds when conducting an interview.  Advise managers to develop a written list of questions to be used for each particular position. This will help steer away from questions that are not allowed or that might lead to lawsuits. 
2. Complete a thorough background check, but be careful about obtaining and using social-networking information.  
3. Get properly introduced. A 90-day (or other) introductory (or probationary) period sometimes serves as a final step in the hiring process, and should be treated as an on-the-job interview. 

Throughout the hiring process, hiring managers must trust their gut when it comes to determining whether an applicant is qualified, teachable and willing to accept supervision.  An effective hiring process can result in quality employees who enhance the company’s reputation and key relationships. By implementing these and other best practices in hiring, employers are more likely to have a dedicated and productive workforce for years to come.

This article appeared in the July 2013 issue of Autograph, a publication of the Dallas Fort Worth Metropolitan New Car Dealers Association.