It seems that hiring managers everywhere find themselves in a bit of a quandary. On one hand, most claim to have personal “secrets” of how to find recruits and hire the best candidates, and on the other, many hiring managers still complain that they can’t find the right people. So which one is it? Well, the reality is, top prospects are not easy to find. After all, if they were, Top Prospect Group wouldn’t be in business. Have no fear, we’re always here to help. In the meantime, here’s an opportunity to get yourself acquainted with our top 5 hiring tips to help you identify and hire the best potential fit for your company.

#1 Write a concise, targeted job description. Speak with your recruiter if necessary to refine it according to trends in the marketplace. Detail both the required technical skills and the required soft skills, and be sure to include in the “pluses” any skills that would provide for additional value in your group or organization.

#2 You also get what you pay for. We know this is a typical cliché, but when it comes to talent, it’s as true as the day is long. All companies are looking to cut corners here and there, but don’t do it with important hiring decisions. The facts are in and they indicate that while you’re looking the other way initially and paying lower than market rate, often it will come back to bite you in the behind because your lower salaried folks are much more likely to leave early. This means, by simple math, that you end up costing yourself more in the long run by paying less upfront.

#3 If you think you have found the self-described, proverbial “perfect candidate”, odds are, you haven’t. Why? There is no such thing as a perfect candidate. In truth, there are many reasons to like a candidate—strong background in the business industry, great personality for company culture, terrific resume, etc., but still, there will always be something that doesn’t match up. For example, this “perfect fit” could be out of your budget salary wise, or maybe this person lives in a different part of the country and decided not to relocate. Whatever the case, keep your expectations in check. This does not mean that you lower your standards, but determine what aspects of the role are most important. When you consider all of the prospects, companies tend to hire people who they want to work with every day who are proactive and adaptable to learning new things.

#4 If you believe you found the right candidate, then hire that person! Yes, extend the offer quickly. It’s easy to overthink your choice and compare candidates with your other top recruits, however, this can often lead to analysis by paralysis where by the time you decide on the person you want, him or her says “no thank you” because they’ve accepted an offer elsewhere (let’s hope it’s not with one of your competitors). The longer you wait, the larger the pile of work is that needs to get done and the more deadlines will get missed, and the unhappier the people on your team will be who have to pick up the slack

#5 Feedback is king in any search. We know that you are busy, however providing timely feedback only helps in your search process. It allows us to keep the best candidates interested in your role, ultimately allowing us to get you the person you want before they accept another role, allows us to refine our search according to the feedback saving everyone time, and allows your organization to look good in the eyes of potential candidates.