As many small businesses grow, so will their need to hire more employees. Hiring employees can be a painstaking process. Up to one-half of small business owners admit their hiring process can take up to one month! That could add up to many headaches!

As a business owner, you strive to make the best decisions, ones that won’t impact your company negatively. This mindset trickles into every area within your business, including when the time comes to hire new employees. By following the steps outlined below, you can reduce the potential for error while increasing the likelihood of finding qualified candidates.

Create the job posting

Make it short and concise when writing the job description. Use recognizable and relevant job titles. When listing the job responsibilities, you don’t need to use fancy wording; list the necessary skills requirements. Avoid wasting time by having candidates answer a set of screening questions. This helps by eliminating any applicants who aren’t qualified for the position upfront.

Advertise the job opening

Post your open position on various platforms. Use both internal and external platforms to maximize your reach to the broadest audience possible. You can do this through social media outlets, job boards such as Indeed, LinkedIn, or Monster, or by attending job fairs and networking events. And don’t look past any existing employees you may have as well. By hiring from within, you already have a good sense of the current employees’ work habits and capabilities to know whether or not they would be a good fit. And they, too, will have a good understanding of your company’s standards and work culture.

Review the applications

You’ll need to review the applications to narrow your options to only the top candidates. Do your research. Look at relevant work experience and special skills or training they may have had. Contact their references. Browse through their social media accounts. Can you find any inconsistencies? Anything you can do to understand better who they are will help determine whom is the best fit moving forward.

Make introductory phone calls

Before holding an in-person interview, have an introductory phone call first. Use this time to further get to know the candidates by determining their backgrounds, work history, and what interests they have in working with your company. If you did your homework beforehand, you’d be better able to confirm what you are being told during this time and will be less likely to get misled.

Schedule an official interview

Next, you will want them to come in for a face-to-face interview. This will allow you to get one last chance to feel them out. Clue into their mannerisms and overall personality traits. How well will they fit into the current work dynamic? During the interview, include interview questions with both open and close-ended questions. Not only is this an ideal opportunity for you to determine the candidate’s suitability, but it also allows them to feel out the space and gives them some insight into what working for your company may be like.

Make your final decision

Once you’ve conducted all the interviews, it’s time to decide. Take some time to review their strengths and weaknesses. If, during the interview process, an applicant had the chance to meet and conversate with your current employees, ask for their opinions as well. Not only should you have the ideal candidate in mind, but it’s also wise to include one or two backup options if your top candidate ultimately turns the job opportunity down.

You can now extend the job offer to the highest qualified candidate! There are many decisions to be made when running a business. Some will cost you, while others will bring in continual success. And that runs across the board, along with deciding whom you should hire. But carefully considering and following these steps will make the process simpler.