Strategic business decisions typically occur after long discussions, research, and most importantly, collaboration.  The addition of a new team member is just as vital as the decision to take on a new project, if not more.  You are investing time, money and energy when hiring, so making sure you have made the right choice is essential.

Hiring is often viewed as a top-down process – the people at the top make the hiring decisions, while those towards the bottom are the ones who provide the on-boarding and training.  Hiring should be a collaborative team event though; one where all those who will be impacted by this hire are involved in sourcing, deciding who to hire, and onboarding the selected candidate.  After all, why not get a stamp of approval from those who will actually be working with this new hire, before hiring them?

Team collaboration has proven effective for multiple reasons:

• Smarter hiring: Multiple reviews and screening of candidates helps to get a more holistic view of the candidate, as one person will see attributes that another might miss.
• Improved retention rates: Candidates who have the opportunity to engage with staff from all levels of the organization will be able to gain a better understanding of company values and mission, increasing the likelihood of a better fit.
• Increasing employee engagement and trust: Empowering teams to participate in hiring decisions shows that their opinions are valued, which in turn increases trust in the employer and engagement in the workplace.

Team members who collaborate to help make hiring decisions should all be well versed in the company culture and core values.  A firm understanding of company fit and role fit will go a long way in recruiting the right candidates.  Ensure that all team members invited are on the same page and willing to participate.

• Give them the HR polish: Keep staff up to date and informed on policy around interaction with candidates.  Be sure to review with all participants what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate interaction with candidates to avoid any potential blunders.
• Encourage open and honest communication: Collaborative hiring is only effective when people provide honest feedback.  If team members are simply saying what they think management wants to hear, their feedback is not valuable.  Encourage team members to be honest and respond to their comments letting them know you value their opinion.
• Provide guidance: Monitor your teams’ participation and interaction.  Provide assistance to those who seem to not participate or are not participating in a suitable manner.  Demonstrate with specific examples or directly ask for their feedback are ways to increase appropriate participation.

Make smarter hiring decision using collaborative hiring – it’s not only good for the hire, it’s good for the team.  

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About Melissa: Melissa is the Client Success Manager with Qwalify, a talent management platform transforming the candidate experience and talent engagement experience. 

Original post appears on Qwalify's Official Blog.