Orlando, Fla.—Hiring the Right Employee can be considered an art. The kind of art that could make or break your business. Recruiting and developing talent contributes to your organization’s productivity and growth. Without talent, an organization can’t succeed reaching its maximum potential.

In order to do so, it is critical to get the right leader in place. They are the ones that driven by a clear mission and a focussed strategy, will help you put the pieces together — making adjustments, assessing the risks and being your eyes and ears safeguarding the established standards for your organization. Deciding what tasks to outsource and what to hire an employee for may come down to whether the work lies within your business’s main areas of strength and whether that function is needed on a regular basis. What’s more, vendors often have more knowledge and experience than someone you can afford to hire.

At the time of hiring your staff, the first thing that probably comes to mind is to seek for candidates with a lot of experience or big-business credentials. Although it sounds like a fantastic idea to implement practices and strategies that have already proven results and minimize the process of trial and error, the downside is how much is this person expecting to earn versus what you are willing to invest.

If you are just starting a small business where no jobs have been set yet, everyone may end up doing a bit of everything. Small companies often do best with flexible candidates who are used to smaller environments. In many cases, the ideal candidate can operate with a great deal of autonomy and doesn’t require hand-holding. As your company grows, you may need to start structuring, creating different positions which will be held accountable for performing different tasks. In certain cases, recruiters can be especially useful for hires that you need to make quickly or senior positions. Also, helping you create an accurate structure based on your business’ needs with job descriptions among many other details.

• Be the employer people want to work for, providing a good benefits package, setting the right compensation level, and creating a strong employer brand.

• When writing the job description, talk about the person who will achieve the most success while in the position. Include your company’s personality and culture to make sure there is a match.

• Use the Word-of-Mouth technique and make sure you capitalize on employee referrals. Candidates who are referred by existing employees are often more knowledgeable about your company and, if hired, they stay for longer. Some companies even create employee referral programs.

• Conduct a structured interview that lets you compare the responses of the different candidates utilizing the same questions and criteria for evaluation.

SHRM Essentials of Human Resources provides insights into the standards for knowledge, strategies and competencies required of effective HR professionals around the world.

The program provides tools you can immediately put to use in your organization:

Human Resources. Gain a clear understanding of the HR function.

Talent Acquisition. Develop important skills for attracting and selecting employees.

Total Rewards. Learn the key elements of a total compensation system.

Learning and Development. Obtain an understanding of orientation, development, and training.

Performance Management. Discover the purpose and process for performance evaluation.

Employment Law. Enhance your ability to apply key HR legislation.

We know, it is much easier said than done, and there is always a chance to hire the wrong person, which can bring a lot inconveniences and unstabilize your workplace’s atmosphere.  The good news is that —with time, you will learn to detect what could be considered “red flags” much easier, and soon enough you will have mastered the art of hiring the right staff.