Measure twice, cut once - a common theme on any jobsite. The same should be said in an office, interview twice, hire once. Not literally of course, but make sure you are really hiring the right man or women for the job. Hiring can be both an exciting and scary thought, as research shows that “even an $8/hour employee can end up costing a company around $3,500 in turnover costs, both direct and indirect.”

Surely not all employees will cost that much to hire, not even close, but advertising, drug screenings and background checks, to name a few, can quickly add up. This means when it comes time to bring new people into your company, you’ll want to be sure you’ve hired the right person, who will learn and grow with the company for a long time.

Here are our top tips on what to look for to achieve success when hiring a new employee.

Look for the Ones That Know How to Learn

According to an article at Inc., “The dilemma is, the smartest people in the organization who are often assumed to be the best at learning, may actually not be very good at it.” When interviewing candidates, talk about failures and areas that they’d like to improve in. This will help you find the candidates that know how to learn and are willing to learn, no matter what level they’re at in their careers.

Find the Ones that Ask the Right Questions

A candidate that is engaged in the interview will be able to respond with appropriate, thoughtful questions for you as well. Not only are the candidate’s answers to interview questions important, but his/her listening skills are equally as important in determining who is a good communicator.

Potential and Aptitude

While job skills are important, social skills such as working well with others and being able to communicate clearly and effectively are almost equally as important. Business News Daily says, “if they can't make eye contact or don't elaborate while answering questions, they may not be the best fit.” If a candidate has a clear understanding of the position and the required skills and seems like he/she would be a fit culturally for the company, they might be a frontrunner for the position.

Attitude is Everything

Job specific and communication skills are incredibly important, but you’ll also want to find someone that is enthusiastic about the role and your company. Don't overlook how they mesh with the rest of the company either. The culture is everything, especially in a small business, make sure any potential candidates mesh with the team they will be working with. But don't stop there, make sure that they will be a good fit with the companies overall culture too.

Look for Commitment

As discussed earlier, hiring a new employee is not an inexpensive task, so you’ll want to find someone that is in it for the long haul. Talk to potential employees about their long-term goals to determine whether this person is looking to grow with your company.

Mentor and Hire From Within

New hires don't always need to come from outside the company. Mentorship is important when running a successful business. It helps both managers and their employees grow as professionals, leads to fewer mistakes, helps the company get better as a whole and gives employees better job satisfaction so that they want to stay longer and learn and grow with the company.

Maybe you already have a great team of personnel and there’s a candidate that’s ready for a promotion. Or, maybe someone within your company knows a great fit for the open position. Use your internal resources to help you find the right employee.

Don't Shoot From the Hip

It happens – the first interview is completed and you’re sure you’ve found the perfect candidate. Maybe you have, but take the time to interview a few candidates and think your decision over to be sure you’ve found the person that fits best with your company and its goals.

Hiring a new employee is an important task, but by considering these tips above, you can ensure that you’ll find an employee ready to achieve success both for him/herself and for your company.

How was that for helpful? Now that you've hired an employee, here are some tips to keeping them happy and healthy.