How to Hire the Right Person: 5 Proven Recruitment Tips for Business Owners

Hiring the right person can feel like a gamble, but it doesn’t have to be. I’m Dan Crompton, a Leadership Coach with ActionCOACH, and in this post I’m sharing five proven strategies that I personally use and teach my clients to improve the hiring process.

Whether you’re hiring your first team member or refining your recruitment process, these tips will help you attract candidates who are not only qualified but genuinely want to work in your business. Let’s make hiring less stressful and more strategic.

Video Transcription:

I’m Dan Crompton, Leadership Coach, and here are my 5 tips to hire the right person.

Tip 1 is to put up barriers to entry. There’s nothing worse than receiving a stack of resumes that you’ve then got to trawl through to try and assess everyone fairly against each other.

So, we actually put up a barrier to actually make it more difficult for people to apply for a job. It sounds counterintuitive, but we ask people to record a one-minute video asking or answering a very simple question. Some of my clients ask them to record or send in a thirty second, voicemail again asking or answering a very simple question.

And what happens there is that 90%, literally 90% of the potential applicants won’t apply. And those 90% are the ones who are just scatter gunning their CVS everywhere. And the ones that will actually go jump through those hoops that you put in place, those are the ones who are more likely to take ownership and take responsibility and really want to work for your company.

Tip 2 is to assess more for attitude than for skill. Most hiring managers will judge a hiring decision based on the CV, based on the experience, based on skills that someone has but skills can be taught whereas attitude cannot.

You spend more energy and more rigour on the attitude you need in that role and assess for it at interview stage skills are also important, but make sure you’re putting more energy into assessing so you get the right person on board.

Tip 3 is just to be upfront about a salary range you don’t have to give an exact number there, but just to give it a guideline for the salary range. What you can also do in the job ad or in the interviews themselves is to explain why someone might be at the top end of a range or lower end of a range.

But there’s nothing more disheartening, there’s nothing more that wastes your time and the candidates time than them in getting through your recruitment system only to find out that the salary was completely wrong in the first place just be upfront about it.

Tip 4 is to follow up if you need to so you’re going to have your recruitment process, your set of tests or interviews, but don’t worry about wanting to follow up with someone kind of going outside of your arranged process. If you’ve got down to the final 2-3 candidates and there’s just one niggly thing that’s differentiating between one or two people, then it’s fine just to ask them for another 20-minute call, 15-minute call just to ask them specifically about 1 area that you’re not sure of.

The final tip, tip 5 is to speak to referees, mostly corporates when you want to check that someone’s worked there, they’ll just send you a templated, a fairly useless document that just says that they’ve worked from this date to that date. That doesn’t tell you anything about what that person is going to be like to work with.

But think outside of the box for these referees, because it doesn’t have to be a previous employer. It could be a previous client with approval from the candidate it could be someone that candidate has managed before, it could be someone on a on a previous team that they’ve worked with.

So, think a little bit outside of the box for those referees and make sure you pick up the phone and just speak to them. You want to really get a sense for what this person is like in the business. That’s the whole point of a hiring process. If you want to hear more tips about team performance and leadership, please follow me on LinkedIn where I’m always sharing loads of content.

Key Takeaways: Tip 1: Put Barriers to Entry in Place

We should actively filter out the uncommitted early on. Asking candidates to submit a short video or voice note eliminates the 90% who aren’t genuinely interested. You’ll save time, and those who follow through are likely to be more responsible, engaged and aligned with your values.

Why this works: This simple step filters out candidates who are blanket-applying with no real investment in your business. It also gives you an early insight into their communication skills, energy, and whether they can follow instructions—all before you read a single CV.

You don’t need to overcomplicate it. Ask them to respond to a simple prompt like:

“In under one minute, tell us why this role appeals to you.”

Clients I work with often notice a significant difference in tone, confidence and buy-in from those who complete this task.

Tip 2: Hire for Attitude, Not Just Skill

While technical skills matter, we must assess a candidate’s mindset and approach above all else. Skills can be taught; attitude can’t. During interviews, focus on behaviours and values that will drive team performance long-term. You’re hiring a person, not just a CV.

Mindset first, training second: Someone with the right character, resilience, curiosity, and ownership will grow into the role. Someone with a negative or fixed mindset, no matter how experienced, will create friction.

To evaluate this, use behavioural interview questions like:

“Tell me about a time you received tough feedback. How did you respond, and what did you change as a result?”

These real-world stories show how they handle conflict, pressure and growth. All key indicators of long-term fit.

Tip 3: Be Transparent About Salary Range

Let’s be upfront about pay early in the process. This avoids wasting your time and the candidate’s by filtering out mismatches before they become costly distractions. A clear salary band with justification helps set expectations and builds trust.

Why transparency matters: Salary expectations are one of the first things candidates want clarity on. If you’re vague or hold that information back until the final stage, it can feel misleading, even if everything else about the role is a great fit. Being transparent early on saves time, builds trust, and filters out mismatched applicants before you invest too much energy.

Include something like:

“Salary: £28–35k depending on experience. We offer higher bands for candidates who’ve led projects or managed client relationships directly.”

You don’t have to commit to a fixed figure, just give them a sense of the range and how it’s justified.

Tip 4: Don’t Be Afraid to Follow Up

Your process doesn’t have to be rigid. If you’re down to two strong candidates and need more clarity, jump on a quick call to probe further. A 15-minute follow-up can save months of frustration from the wrong hire. Trust your instinct and clarify the grey areas.

Gut check counts: If something feels “off” but you can’t put your finger on it, follow up. Ask a scenario-based question or revisit a concern from the first round.

For example:

“We spoke briefly about your client experience, could you walk me through how you typically handle unhappy customers, step by step?”

This isn’t about catching them out but about validating that your instincts are right, one way or the other.

Tip 5: Speak to Real Referees, Not Just HR

Go beyond templated HR reference letters. With the candidate’s permission, talk to former colleagues, direct reports, or even past clients. You want insight into how they behave in the real world, not just their employment dates. Ask meaningful questions and listen for red flags or glowing praise.

Who should you speak to?

• A former manager: How did they handle pressure?
• A peer: What’s it like to work alongside them?
• A direct report (if they’ve led a team): How did they lead?

Example questions to ask a referee:

• “Would you hire them again?”
• “What type of environment did they thrive in?”
• “How did they respond to feedback or setbacks?”

The tone and hesitation (or enthusiasm) in a referee’s voice often tells you more than their words.

Final Thoughts

Hiring is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business owner and one of the most expensive to get wrong. These five tips will help you build a process that screens out the wrong fits and highlights the right ones, not just on paper, but in real-world performance.

Remember: your recruitment process shapes your team culture, your delivery capability, and ultimately, your business growth.

If you’re currently hiring or planning to build your team soon, let’s talk. Book a free 45-minute coaching call to get tailored advice on your hiring strategy or to discuss how to implement these tips in your business. Together, we can make sure you hire people who help your business grow, not hold it back.