When you are looking to increase the size of your learning and development (L&D) team, finding the right candidates is a must. A single bad hire can be detrimental to your organization, harming productivity and decreasing the odds that you will achieve your goals.
While there is no such thing as a universal perfect hire, as each companies’ needs vary and every vacancy is unique, there are candidates who are an ideal fit for each role. If you want to win the right candidates for your training team, here’s what you need to know.
Understand Why You Are Hiring
Before you start looking for a candidate, you need to have a deep understanding of your needs. This allows you to determine precisely what the new hire needs to accomplish as well as how they integrate into the team or the company’s big picture. Each L&D professional brings something different to the table, and many of them are highly skilled. However, if their strongest skills don’t align with your needs, they may not be the right candidate for this specific position. For example, if your main goal is to develop training programs to close skill gaps in your organization, then you need to find an L&D candidate who can help you create an effective plan to achieve those goals. If you are replacing a previous employee, then you need to determine which skills they possessed that were important to the team and if there were any shortcomings you would like to avoid this time around. When you know the kind of L&D candidate you need to target, you can change your vacancy announcement to find those professionals. Similarly, you can adjust other portions of your hiring process, such as the questions you’ll ask during an interview, to hone in further on critical traits and areas of expertise.Decide if You Need Permanent or Short-Term
As you prepare to find the right candidate, you need to decide whether you need a full-time, permanent employee or a short-term consultant. While both can provide you with quick results, each is best in certain situations. For instance, if you are refocusing your culture on learning and expect to have training program development needs that extend beyond six months, including creating new programs and updating existing ones, then a permanent hire may be the best fit. Alternatively, if you have a single training option that needs to be designed and delivered or require a special skill for a particular project, a consultant is more cost-effective. By understanding which option is the best fit from the beginning, you can target candidates who are open to those opportunities. This speeds up your hiring process as you won’t accidentally waste time on job seekers who aren’t willing to accept the kind of position you want to offer.Create a Competitive Edge
L&D professionals are in-demand, meaning companies need to compete for the best and brightest. If you want to stand out from the competition, then you need to differentiate your business from those around you. Along with a competitive salary, having a robust benefits package is helpful. This can include basic offerings – like medical, retirement, and vacation time – as well as financial incentives, such as performance bonuses and merit-based raises. Similarly, creating opportunities to develop professionally is enticing to top performers, as most of them appreciate being able to learn and grow.Are You Ready to Win the Right Candidates?
By following the tips above, you can find the perfect candidates for your needs. If you are looking for highly skilled consultants, the team at Clarity Consultants can connect you with leading professionals. Contact us to learn more about our services and see how our L&D hiring expertise can benefit you.
