A careful, studied approach to filling job vacancies will pay off in the long run.

Recruiting. If you are like most business owners this word strikes fear and loathing all the way through the soles of your feet. It can be time consuming, difficult and even costly in many ways. So let’s help by providing a few tips on where to go and how to accomplish this chore a little easier. After all, you want the right recruit, not just a seat warmer.

No. 1: Know What You Want
You must have a clear understanding of the skills, talents, experiences and education levels you want in the person you are recruiting. Take a realistic look at the position. What do you really need? If the job calls for someone to take phone calls or write up orders, an advanced degree and 10 years of sales experience isn’t necessary. At the same time, if you need an experienced salesperson to not only service current customers but drive strategic new markets, you need that college grad with 10 years’ experience. Write out your criteria in a clear form using a job description format. You can find free job descriptions and information on how to write them at www.en.wikipedia.org or www.jobaps.com.

No. 2: Have A Plan
How many times do you contemplate how you are going to approach a client for a sale or plan out the material you are going to present? This process is similar to recruiting a great candidate. It is easy to find a body to fill a chair, but you want to hire the best person for the job.

After you write a job description, strategize how to get the right candidates. You can put an ad in the newspaper or on Craigslist.org or search engines such as Yahoo Hot Jobs, Monster or CareerBuilder. You could also network with your local Chamber of Commerce or another professional group to get the word out. The most costly plan is to solicit help from a paid recruiter or headhunter to do the search for you. This type of service provider can make recruiting so much easier, as they do the search and provide three to five candidates for interviewing. They also can be contracted in a contingency or retained mode. But they will charge 15-35 percent of the projected annual salary for the position.

No. 3: Execute The Plan
No matter which plan you use, it’s important to stick to the strategy. Keep working on the plan. It costs money to start and stop the process. Once the word is out to the public you are seeking to hire, keep it going. Make time at least weekly to review all résumés, conduct phone interviews and set up candidate interviews. Once you have two or three candidates you like, be sure to do a second interview. This way you verify your perception of the person. It is always a good idea to have everyone that has a stake in the success of the candidate interview him or her prior to extending an offer. That way everyone feels like they have ownership of the decision about the new person.

No. 4: Run Background Checks
Once you have your ideal candidate selected, call references and conduct a background check. There are services that can help with this process, one of which is www.bestbackgroundchecks.com. Or you could ask other business owners in your area for their experiences with background check services. For a more complete picture, ask for names and contact information for three business references, a couple peer references and a personal reference. Also remember you can have the background service check not only for criminal activity but for education, job and credit verification. Background checks will cost you anywhere from $25 to $200 depending on the provider and what services you need.

No. 5: Make The Deal
After you have planned, interviewed and performed a background check you will want to extend an offer. You should have a good idea what you can pay for the job, if the pay is competitive in the market and if the candidate is willing to take the offer beforehand. If in doubt, make a call and ask about the candidate’s expectations. You do not want to make the offer from an unknown position, but from a place of knowledge and power. If you can’t meet the candidate’s expectations, then you have the wrong candidate. He or she may take the job, but will keep looking. If the individual is not committed to you and your organization you will double the time, effort and money spent to find a new recruit for this position. Remember, it costs up to half of a person’s annual salary to replace them. This takes into account not only tangible costs but the intangible as well, such as time and loss of productivity or sales you could have devoted your strength to during the recruiting effort.

No. 6: Welcome The New Person
Last but not least is the step that most overlook: welcoming the new hire. Some organizations just meet the new person at the door, walk him or her to the desk and say, “Here you go.” Take the time to introduce the new employee, show him or her the break room, restroom and give him or her a little cultural training. If your managers or staff members are agreeable, start a mentoring or big-brother program by teaming solid, long-term employees with new recruits. Taking the new person to lunch the first day helps him or her get to know fellow co-workers and you. The time and effort you provide on the first day or during the first week will pay dividends in time.