Ramping up: best practices for bringing on new employees.

• Author: Webb, Gaylen
• Position: EntrepreneurEdge

Tera Sunder, chief people officer at Nelson Laboratories, occasionally hires people to work in the company's "clean room," a super sterile environment that requires up to an hour to suit up before entry. Inside, team members are isolated for hours. "It's not the place for an extrovert that needs social interaction," she says.

Finding people that fit the work environment is often as important as finding the necessary technical skills. "You may have two candidates that are equal in their technical skills, but one candidate hits the nail on the head in terms of fitting into your work culture. That's the one you want to hire." Your goal should be to hire the person who has the technical skills and can say to you, "This job is exactly what I am looking for."

So how do you find and hire a person who has the skills and personality to fit your company culture?

1 START WITH THE JOB DESCRIPTION

Kimberly Barton, HR advisor for the Employers Council, a private nonprofit management resource for businesses, says employers should have clear, written job descriptions for each position. The description should identify the essential job functions, the skills and proficiency levels required, and also describe the work environment--such as how much time the employee will work independently without direction or if the job involves customer contact and for how long.

"Having a written job description provides clarity for the employer and employee" Barton explains. "You will be more certain about the type of person you are looking for and the description will help you avoid discrimination issues." Further, she says written job descriptions will help you measure performance.

2 DEFINE THE "EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION"

What will you propose as the value to the employee so that the hire will be a win-win situation? "What will the employee gain by working for the organization?" Barton asks. Further, be honest with the candidate so he or she can make the right decision, too. "If you sell something the job is not, your employee will leave," says Sunder.

3 LOOK FOR DIVERSITY

You may be tempted to hire people with personalities similar to yours. Don't do it--that stifles innovation, says Sunder. Look for people with a broad range of styles and skill sets. There is power in diversity.

4 NETWORK

Before placing help wanted ads, network. "Some of your best people will come from the referrals of people you trust" Sunder explains. If referrals don't work, do your research and...