Ideally a company should hire when they are not pressured to find someone.  In my opinion the best time to search for a new staff member is when you require new labour but you have time to bring that employee on to your team.  In the past we have used a recruitment company and this has worked out especially well if you are not pressured to hire.  Recruitment agencies are excellent at weeding out the bad candidates and allowing the good candidates to rise to the top.  Our last few hires have been done this way and we have been able to be patient and bring on excellent candidates that exactly fit our needs and our culture.  For  small to mid-size businesses I feel hiring staff that are consistent with your culture is extremely important.  One employee that does not fit your culture can upset the apple cart, we are very conscious of this aspect in our hiring.   Read more...