With 2015 only a few days away, many of us are partaking in the traditions of reflection and resolution.  Personally we may reflect upon the major events in our life over the past 12 months – a big move, a new job, an amazing vacation.  But we also inevitably reflect on what we’d like to change and turn that into our resolutions – to take daily vitamins, save money, or visit old friends.

This organic process of reflection and revolution is revitalizing for the individual, but should also happen for companies.  Maybe you’ve been in the midst of reflection all month and are finalizing company resolution (or goals) for 2015.  But as you consider all the factors of your 2014 successes or shortcomings, remember to reflect on your hiring practices this past year.   Your team’s growth and engagement (or lack thereof) makes a huge impact on your business.

To help you reflect, we propose the following questions for you to mull over:

Did I feel frustrated or confused by our hiring process?  Frustration and hiring often seem to go hand in hand, and it’s understandable.  There is often a lot of pressure to fill a position, never mind filling it with the best person possible.  Knowing where to find the right talent, how to sort through resumes, and how to still make a great hire when an offer is rejected isn’t exactly intuitive.  How do you feel about your hiring process this last year? Do you want to go through it again soon? If not, it’s time to make some changes.  Applicant Tracking Systems can help you get organized and utilizing resources like assessments and interview guides can make the hiring process more fluid.  We promise hiring can be less about headaches, and more about welcoming great people to your team.

Did we have the talent we needed and are they still around?  It’s hard to do great business without great people backing you up.  Big initiatives may fall short if you don’t have the numbers or the skills on your team to put in the work.  Should your company have hired people this last year? If you did, were those people the right people?  Are they still working with your company?  Making hires that will stay around for the long haul to help your company is essential but hard to measure by just looking at their skillset.  Including your company values and culture as an integral part of the hiring process will help you find candidates whose professional values and goals align with your company.

Is my current team actively engaged in our company goals? Keeping your turnover rate low and your team actively involved in their work is building toward long-term success.  When you work to align company and employee goals – through open communication and purposeful planning – your team is more likely to stay engaged and bring their best for the company.  What did you do in 2014 to track annual, monthly, and even weekly goals for your team?  Were people held accountable?

We hope that you can learn from any hiring pitfalls of the past and make meaningful resolutions for the future!  What 2015 resolutions is your company making?

This post was originally published on the CareerPlug Blog. 

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