Operations managers are the linchpin between the company’s internal and external operations. They oversee what goes on with internal stakeholders and take appropriate actions to ensure everything works perfectly in the outside world, i.e., with customers, investors, shareholders, etc. Hiring for this role can be challenging, especially with the high competition for top-level talent. So we’ve rounded up some tips to help you out with the hiring process.

1. Define the Role You are Recruiting For

Before you even begin advertising for the role, the first step you should take is to define precisely what you are looking for in the new operations manager. Writing down duties and responsibilities is an excellent place to start. Still, you want to further define the objectives and the typical day-to-day challenges associated with the roles.

Another way to look at this is to identify what’s needed for the role. And to define how success will be measured against the specific objectives tied to the position. An essential factor to consider when defining the roles is that the specifications you’ll be putting down will be used to draft a job posting or decide who qualifies for the position. So, besides capturing the critical competencies, be keen to reflect on soft skills like emotional intelligence and essential traits like teamwork, creativity, intellectual curiosity, etc.

2. Narrow Down to the Talent You Want

Attracting the best talent is always a challenge, and unless you look deep beyond the decorated resume and certificates, hiring the right person for any role isn’t always guaranteed.

According to the U.S bureau of labor statistics, jobs for operations managers are expected to increase at a rate of nearly 9% by 2026. That means more companies will need operations managers, which translates to war for this particular talent.

To make sure you are hiring the right person, pay attention to the candidates’ capabilities, qualifications, work experience, and even their performance in previous roles. Another vital aspect to consider is whether the candidate fits your company culture. That can best be determined during the interviewing process. To make the best out of the interview, consider working with a seasoned recruiter in the niche who will help you identify talents with the personalities and character traits that suit the role and blend well with the company mission, values, and values principles.

3. What Do You Have to Offer?

As part of hiring for any position, you’ll need to give the candidate a reason to work with you or consider your company for that case. High-in-demand talent will often lookout for the company’s reputation, culture, purpose, salary scale, workplace flexibility, etc. If you are to convince a high-level talent, you need a strong value proposition, but this has to be something that you actually offer, not fake promises.

A keen candidate will always find a way to check if all the goodies mention by the recruiters are real, and any form of dishonesty can be a huge turnover to a potential hire. So besides salaries, you can explain a bit about the other perks available for the candidate if they qualify to work with your company. For instance, do you offer a career path for internal employees, are there employee development workshops, upskilling and reskilling programs, etc.?

4. Don’t Be in a Rush to Fill the Position

The actual cost of a bad hire is detrimental to any business. It goes beyond the recruiting and onboarding costs to the monetary and non-monetary impacts of bad decisions, missed opportunities, and failed businesses executed by that talent. Therefore, instead of rushing to fill the position, you want to slow down and adjust your deadline to accommodate more people to apply.

Sometimes, gather the courage to start the recruiting process over again. Similarly, always ensure you are casting your net wide enough to attract unconventional talents. That way, you will increase your chances of attracting diverse candidates for the job. Then, once you’ve found the right person, always move quickly to close the deal. Poor communication can always send the wrong message, and your potential hire could be poached by a competitor or just another serious company.

What follows is to invest in employee onboarding and training to make sure the new hire blends seamlessly into the role. More often than not, your new operations manager has a wide range of experience running various business operations for other companies, but that doesn’t mean they should just jump straight into the office. Teambuilding exercises, workshops, and seminars are a great way to welcome and prepare them to succeed in the new role/company.

Bottom Line

Now that you have found the right talent to fit your operations manager position, what follows is getting them to go through the employment terms and conditions and sign the contract. A well-drafted employment contract is a vital document that will help provide security to the employee and the employer.

As a rule of thumb, you should introduce the new hire to the business’ employee handbook or policy manual and let them demonstrate their acknowledgment by signing the document. You may also want to work with an employment lawyer to draft an employee handbook if you don’t have one or modify the existing one to reflect the changes within and out of the organization.