As any good manager knows, selection of the right person for the job can make the difference between success and failure of your future plans. Management training courses can be helpful in helping you understand what you need to know to recruit, how to define it, and the best methods of attaining it.

Careful consideration needs to be given as to whom the ideal candidate may be, and you need to target your advertising using a medium that is likely to attract them. For example, an advertisement in a reputable national newspaper is likely to elicit a different response to one in the local gazette.

Since you will be managing the new employee, you should ensure that you are personally involved in the structure, wording and content of the advertisement, and not just leave it to the Human Resources department.

Consider attributes that the prospective applicant needs to possess. Some of these will be essential requirements, and some of them will be advantageous requirements. Discriminate between the two, and ensure that the essential ones take priority.

For example, essential requirements may include specific experience in a particular field, a post graduate degree or a unique skill or craft ability. Advantageous requirements may be computer literacy, local knowledge or a level of sales training.

Recruitment is an expensive process for any organisation - increasingly, recruitment agencies are involved, and charge substantial fees. There’s also the cost of advertising, and the time taken and productivity lost during the appointment process itself. It’s fair to say then, that misguided or inadequate employee selection can cost a company dearly.

An investment in a management training course to provide your company’s key recruiter with the soft skills training to make the right choice is wise.

A manager is expected to get results for their company, and these results invariably come directly from the individuals in their team. It’s short-termist to simply look at filling a vacancy; consideration needs to be given to the organisations wider goals and strategies for the future. Consequently, recruitment and selection is not just about finding the right person for now, but also for the middle and long term.

Tight job descriptions for specific and fixed roles are the thing of the past - in the modern age, roles are by necessity more varied, flexible and dynamic. A broad thinking approach to employment is needed to find the individual who can help you meet those challenges.

The next time you fill a vacancy, consider not just what you need the applicant to do today, but identify if they are suited to fit the organisation’s vision for tomorrow.