Personnel hiring is one of the most common concerns for employers. Am I hiring the right employee? Will you be able to meet the demands of my company and the position offered? A good Human Resources professional will be able to make the selection according to criteria that benefit your company. However, not all of us have an HR department.

If you are the one who has to make the selection of personnel, take a look at these  tips to hire the right employee and not fail.

1. Focus more on attitude than skills

Yes, it is clear that the skills of a worker are essential to be able to perform a job correctly. However, teaching someone new skills (as long as we see potential) does not take as much work as, for example, transmitting the right attitude. Thus, a  good attitude, optimism, desire to learn and train  will be much more recommended than an applicant with 10 skills to perform a specific job.

2. Question of habits

If you are looking for someone with a lot of potential, but with questionable habits, thinking that they will be able to adapt to the company and change, you are wrong. The applicant, the person you see, is exactly the person you are going to have working for you. If you think he is very prepared, that he has an enviable CV, but it gives you the feeling that it is not very formal. Do not hesitate, it is not the person you are looking for.

At this point, feelings also  need to be left out . Hiring someone simply to be a friend or friend of an acquaintance is not a good way to create a competent work team.

3. Look at what we already have

A good way to make the best selection of personnel in a company is to look at what we already have in that company. You have to look carefully at your template. Your strengths and skills that you think would be missing to add to the team. Always write down those qualities and base yourself on them to select the right person judiciously. There are occasions when introducing two similar profiles in a work team can be counterproductive, as there are personalities that clash a lot.

4. Always try first

References are important, yes. But they are not everything. Don’t just stay with them. When in doubt,  always establish a trial period . A period that excludes your company from responsibility towards that person if in the end it does not turn out to be what you think. You can include daily simulations, with concrete situations, as an extended part of the interview. 

5. Learn to listen and read between the lines

Interviewees can talk a lot at times. They are nervous and want to give the best of their versions. Listen to it carefully. Try to  analyze how you behave in different settings, such as work or even family . Learn to read between the lines to stick with the important phrases, those that will determine the personality of the applicant and shed a little light on their skills, both professional and social.

6. Don’t underestimate good humor

Finally, something that may not seem important, but it can be key in a company. The candidate who cannot laugh easily, especially at himself, will be bored. Perhaps he can become uncompromising. A good sense of humor  will create a much healthier work environment . A more open communication with the rest of the employees and, therefore, a strategic piece to put everyone in a good mood. We all know that working happy and with a big smile is always more productive, right?