Anyone who has ever had to hire staff will know that finding the right worker for a job can be difficult. However, there are a number of best hiring practices you can follow that should help you learn to find the right team member more easily.

Whether you work in catering, agriculture, construction or a factory, there are some common factors to consider when recruiting staff. You need to make sure you are clear on your requirements before you start, then make sure you know enough about the person you've chosen before offering them the job.

Here is our best hiring practices checklist – while some details will change according to your requirements, the basic principles are valid for any vacancy, from the boardroom to the warehouse floor.

1. Work out your requirements – before you do anything else, make sure you have a detailed specification for the employee you need.
2. Choose how and where to advertise. Choices include:
1. websites like HireWorkers.com
2. in your shop window
3. local newspapers
4. trade magazines/journals
5. staffing agencies
3. Screen your applicants thoroughly. Work out a standard set of questions and screen applicants yourself, by telephone or in person.
4. Once you have your shortlist, arrange a face-to-face interview. It often helps to have a colleague present at the interview so that two people can gather impressions of the interviewee, and compare them afterwards.
5. Make sure you are prepared for the interview with a list of questions to establish everything you need to know about the candidate:
1. Do they have the right skills?
2. Do they have the right level of experience?
3. Make sure the candidate correctly understands the nature of the vacancy.
4. Can they offer references?
5. Why do they want a job / why did they leave their last position?
6. Do they have the necessary licenses / ID / qualifications? Where necessary check these – for example if your employee will ever have to drive on company business, check their driver's license with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
6. Once you have chosen a candidate, make them your offer. Ensure that all the legally binding formalities are completed – at the very least you need their name, address and social security number.

Before they start, decide what, if any, training they will require and work out a suitable induction plan for them, if needed.

Once they have started to work for you, speak to supervisors or senior colleagues to make sure that they have integrated well and are performing satisfactorily, and if any problems emerge, address them as soon as possible – don't let things get so bad that termination is the only solution.

This is only a brief guide to hiring best practices, but it should provide some pointers to help you find the right employees. Half of recruiting success is down to good planning and research – make sure you do yours.