What to Ask Every Potential Hire to Submit When Applying

Are you starting the hiring process at your company soon? Hiring new employees can be extremely stressful, especially if you have a history of hiring employees who weren’t a good fit for your company. Here are a few things that you should ask every potential hire to submit when applying to your job posting.

A Resume

First, you should require every potential hire to submit a resume when they’re applying to your company. A resume will help you to learn a lot about an individual. A resume will help you to learn about the history of their education, experience, and skills. It might reflect other jobs that require the skills and experience that you’re looking for in a potential hire. 

It will also help you to learn about their writing and organizational skills. A messy resume with lots of grammar and spelling errors might indicate that your potential hire isn’t well educated or doesn’t take sufficient time on their job applications. Make sure that you know what to look for in a resume before you start screening applicants.

References

Next, you should ask all of your potential hires to submit references as part of your required job application. References are usually contacts who have worked closely with an individual and could speak to their skills, talents, performance, and character. Character references can help you feel more comfortable about hiring an employee. 

When you speak to the references of a potential hire, you can learn more about their personality, work ethic, and weaknesses. This knowledge might not be demonstrated as obviously when you’re reviewing a resume or interviewing a candidate, since they can give expected and rehearsed answers. References can help you to find the best candidates for your company.

A Portfolio 

Finally, you can require your potential hires to submit a portfolio as part of the application process. A professional portfolio contains materials that showcase past projects your candidate has worked on. This portfolio can help to showcase their skills, qualifications, training, creativity, and work ethic. You don’t have to work in a creative, artistic, or visual industry to require a portfolio. However, if your industry doesn’t require a portfolio for applications, consider requiring your potential hires to write a cover letter. This can help you to learn more about them, their goals, and their intentions for a career at your company. A cover letter can also reflect a candidate’s ability to analyze, write, and communicate, which are essential skills in many jobs.

So, as you’re writing up your job postings and starting the hiring process, remember the tips in this article. Make sure that you ask every job candidate to submit a resume, references, and a portfolio. This can help you to find candidates with the best experience, skills, and temperament to work at your company.

Did you enjoy this article? Here’s more to read: Benefits That Every Employee Demands From Employers