Hiring the right people can often be a nightmare task, and even after a tough selection process, you can never be really sure that the person you choose is everything they seem to be. There are steps one can take to reduce the risk of hiring the wrong candidate and when the position involves working in a team, it really is important to get it right. If you are faced with recruiting new staff, here are some useful tips to help you make an informed decision.

• Enlist Professional Help – A recruitment agency can definitely take the headache out of the recruitment process, especially if you are looking for key staff or management level, and by briefing the agency as to your requirements, they will screen applicants and give you a shortlist of suitable candidates to interview.

• Request a Background Check – It is always wise to be sure, and if you request a pre-employment DBS check, this will cover a criminal record search and also verify all previous employment history, including dates of employment, position held, and details of any training. There are online agencies that are authorised by the British government to carry out DBS checks for employers and licensing bodies. The peace of mind you will have, knowing that your new team member is everything you hoped, and with an honest background and a high level of integrity, they will fit in with the rest of the team.

• The Right Personality – While qualifications are important, your new staff member will have to work with your other employees, so look for someone with a good temperament, and who is a good communicator and likes a challenge. Often, personality is overlooked, and when things don’t work out, it is often due to a personality clash with other staff members.

• Ambition and Drive – It might be difficult to ascertain this from an interview or two, but by asking the right questions, you can get an idea of a person’s energy levels. If, for example, you asked the applicant how they would like to see themselves, 5 or 10 years from now, the answer might be indicative of how confident and ambitious they are. You can design a set of questions to determine ambition and drive, and perhaps an informal chat after the interview might reveal more about the applicant.

• Honesty and Integrity – These qualities are what every employer looks for, and it can be difficult to determine a person’s true character in a short time, but if you request a DNBS check, then you will have enough information to make an informed decision. Of course, a lot depends on the job itself, but if it involves a high level of trust, then requesting a background check is the wise thing to do.

Hiring the right people for the right job is never easy, and with online agencies who can carry out discreet background checks, it does give an employer an added sense of security.