Hiring the right candidate isn’t just about filling a role—it’s about finding an individual who will thrive in your organization. But with so many factors to consider, how can you ensure you’re making the best choice?
From defining the ideal candidate profile to optimizing job descriptions and enhancing the interview process, strategic hiring can save you time, reduce turnover, and build a stronger team. Here are the hiring best practices for 2025 that you need to know.
By understanding the job, you can make sure you know exactly what you need from your new hire. You can do this by building out the ideal candidate profile, backed with data and actionable insights. By using assessments you can create a job benchmark that considers the needs of the position, the team, and the organization.
A job benchmark combines assessments and the experience of employees with close proximity to the job to help define what success will look like in that role. It takes into account the behaviors, motivators, skills, and more that a candidate will need to do the job well.
Finding candidates who are a good cultural fit is incredibly important for retention and engagement. A reported 60% of hiring managers identified a candidate’s cultural fit as the most crucial factor in hiring decisions, according to Glassdoor and for good reason: employees who share similar values tend to communicate and collaborate more effectively. A strong cultural fit fosters teamwork, reduces workplace conflicts, and improves overall productivity.
That doesn’t mean that you need every team to be exactly the same. “When it comes to cultural fit, you need to avoid affinity bias or favoring those “similar-to-me,” said Jennifer Marin Lopez, Director of HR & Culture at TTI Success Insights. “If a candidate is very similar to the recruiter or interviewer, they tend to favor that individual, but that can lead to a homogenous working environment where everyone is very similar. A lack of diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and thought means there may be limited perspectives that can lead to a lack of creativity and problem-solving.”
Does the team need a risk-taker to contrast with more compliant workers? Do you need someone who is detail-oriented to balance out a group of big-picture thinkers? An easy way to understand potential cultural fit is to use an assessment, such as TTI’s Talent Insights® assessment, which gives you a snapshot of both behavior and motivation.
Your job posting might be a candidate’s first impression of the company, so it’s crucial to get it right. The goal is to attract the right person as quickly as possible, so focus on efficiency.
This means including all the information a candidate needs up front. Before applying for a job, 47% of job seekers in 2024 expected to learn about salary. Clear compensation details in job postings will help attract the right people to your team.
Optimize your job description by sharing:
Also, consider where you’re posting the listing. Specialized job sites might attract a higher caliber candidate; do research in your field and go where the talent is.
Job hunting is not for the faint of heart; SmallBizGenius shared that 73% of job seekers say the process of looking for a job is one of the most stressful events in life. However, this stress can be flipped into a positive experience if you enhance the application experience.
“Make things as clear as possible,” Jennifer advised. “I give candidates real examples of what the day-to-day experience of the role entails. Each team has different energy and working styles—you need to give candidates a sense of the reality of the role, and that’s easiest to do in a conversation, not through a job description.”
Another way to enhance the application experience is to focus on efficiency. Don’t require candidates to repeat information; if they’re submitting a resume, don’t make them fill out separate forms with the same information. Monster shared that 36% of job seekers would pull out of an application that made them jump through hoops.
Finally, if you’re using AI in your hiring process, do so thoughtfully. Avoid relying on AI to scan applications; automating the process of getting to know your candidates can be detrimental.
An effective interview is one of the most crucial aspects of the hiring process. It’s the hiring manager’s opportunity to understand more about the candidate, and vice versa.
“When I’m interviewing, I try to avoid yes or no questions,” Jennifer said. “I focus on the follow-up. Instead of moving through a checklist of questions, I try to really get to know the candidate. Dig into their answers and ask for elaboration—that way, the candidate will have chances to expand on their experience, and the interviewer will get the most information out of the conversation.”
This type of interview approach can make all the difference. That same survey from Monster found that 46% of job seekers said the interviewer‘s attitude or behavior would influence their decision.
A focus on listening to truly understand the candidate and learn about their life, experiences, and desires in their new role will go a long way to creating hiring success.
By leveraging data-driven assessments, crafting clear job descriptions, and prioritizing a positive candidate experience, you can set the stage for long-term success. Remember that the way you hire reflects your company’s values. Make it a process that respects candidates’ time, highlights their strengths, and ensures they feel valued from day one.
If you want to use assessments in your hiring strategy, TTI can help! Contact us here to get started.