As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease across Atlantic Canada, there is an increased need for employees to return to work. 

With the offering of the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), many companies have had the ability to bring back workers earlier than anticipated.  However, with the extension of the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and lingering fears related to a multiple waves of COVID-19, some companies are finding it difficult to bring back existing employees or source new ones

Given the several months of less than optimal operating conditions, the pressure for most businesses to perform has never been higher. Ensuring the right positions are being filled with the right candidates is essential to getting back on track. Despite this, many companies are reacting to this pressure by making hiring decisions quickly and without proper screening tactics, which often results in hiring the wrong employee.  

Making a bad hire can be costly to any organization, but it goes far beyond recruiting costs.

Factoring in on-boarding expenses like training hours, loss of productivity, loss of recruitment time, incentives, and benefits; one wrong hire can cost an organization 1.5x – 3x of the employee’s annual salary. This means that if an organization makes the wrong hiring decision for an employee who earns $50,000 per year, the organization will incur direct and indirect costs of $75,000 - $150,000.

Given that most small to medium sized businesses have to be extremely budget conscious as a result of COVID-19, many of these companies simply cannot afford such an expense. 

This is why hiring the right candidate has never been more important.

While there is no exact science to ensure you hire the right employee every time, there are best practices to incorporate when trying to source your next employee, including the following:

  • A preliminary phone interview will help clarify if the candidate has the minimum experience and qualifications for the position. This helps eliminate candidates that do not meet the job requirements early on.
  • During the interview, dig deeper into the candidate’s skills and abilities. Asking a variety of situational and behavioural type questions gives you insight into how the candidate may react in future situations. Interviews should ideally be completed in person, however virtual interviews using Zoom or Skype are also great alternatives given Covid-19 restrictions.
  • Complement your screening procedures with a candidate assessment. Assessments can help measure a variety of metrics including candidates’ competencies in certain areas, how well they’ll fit into your organizational culture, personality traits, and areas of strength and opportunity for growth.
  • Reference checks. Companies can sometimes jump the gun when they feel they have found the perfect candidate. Employment reference checks and a criminal background checks can provide insightful information when making a final decision on a candidate.

At Integrated Staffing, we specialize in recruiting the right candidates for companies every day. Our experienced recruitment team can screen candidates so you can take the guess work out of choosing the right future employee. With hourly billing options and flat rate recruitment fees, Integrated Staffing has flexible alternatives to help businesses bridge the gap back to regular operations while keeping hiring costs low.

As companies begin returning to daily operations, we’re proud to be a recruitment partner for both temporary and permanent staffing solutions across Atlantic Canada.