Everybody knows the importance of choosing the right employees. For most organizations, human capital is the most critical investment. Without harping too much on the importance of attracting employees, let’s get down to the brass tacks of building a recruitment policy that’ll help you attract and retain employees.

Stay tuned to the following:

• The decision to hire is just the beginning of a process. Not an end.
   
• Start the process of getting the right employees by sticking to basics. Spread the word around – to your customers, vendors, friends, and employee-referral programs and networking sites. Become a member of job sites and log on to job boards and hiring forums.
• Decide on the scope of the job. Craft an error-free, key-word rich job description that is apt for the search engines and the job sites. To get better results, make it as informative and specific as you can. Gather the right inputs from the respective department or project heads, and freeze the final copy after 3 or 4 iterations. This will go a long way in attracting the right candidates. Make sure the job description includes the job title, company name, location, whether it’s a full-time or part-time position, job responsibilities and requirements, the skills you are looking for, any certifications and educational qualifications that are a must-have along with a brief description of the company. If your HR policy permits include a word about the pay..
   
• Be clear about how you would want the candidate to apply for a job. Should they email or fax or call to fix an appointment, or should they enter their details into a form on your company website? Give clear instructions.
   
• Decide how much you want to pay. Check if there are any specific minimum wage requirements within the company or the vertical, for that position? Take a look at the industry standards and compare it with how your organization would measure up. And finally decide on the pay, based on the availability of resources and the premium their job profile may command. Make sure you plan for a competitive salary, a bonus & incentive compensation, health care & life insurance benefits and position-related benefits.
   
• After short-listing and screening, the questions you ask should be crafted, to get the right person for the job profile. Begin with open-ended general questions, then throw open a few behavioral problems and then close with a few skill-based questions. If you have a technical round, then reserve the job-relevant technical queries for this round. Jot down your remarks, body language and your hunches about the candidate, in a worksheet for later reference. Brief them about the next steps and when they can expect to hear from you.
   
• Reduce the risk and liability of hiring a wrong employee, by conducting background checks before choosing a candidate.
   
• Promote professional development with appropriate training to enhance potential and a clear plan to climb up the ladder within the organization.
   
• Create a positive culture and environment. It is more important for someone to perceive these intangibles, once they are within the environment than when they admired your company’s brand-building efforts on the billboards.
   
• And above all, appreciate the value they add to the organization. Consider adding an employee profit-sharing program.

A satisfied and happy employee is your best word-of-mouth advertisement for attracting the right employees you’re looking for.