What Makes a Great Recruit? A Look at Post-Hire Success:

The recruiting process is far from foolproof. Finding a great candidate and placing them in the perfect position is a challenging task. HR and recruiting professionals all over the world struggle with it.

The average corporate job attracts about 250 applicants. To help you wade through the applications and find the winners, consider these five traits related to employee success:

Enthusiasm: You can tell the difference between genuine and feigned excitement for a job, even on a resume. Use this distinction to identify the cream of the crop.

Team Player: Watch how a candidate interacts with you and others in the interview process. As they talk, listen for any hints of narcissism or the inability to recognize others' contributions to a job well done.

Asks Questions: A good candidate is always willing to learn and grow. They'll ask good questions that encourage productive discussion.

Admits Mistakes: No one is perfect, but it takes a strong candidate to admit to their mistakes. Ask candidates to tell you about how they have solved problems in the past. Their answers will show if they've learned from their mistakes.

Confident: Interviewees who are confident in their abilities and the abilities of their teammates go far. Just be aware of the distinction between confidence and arrogance!

Improving Your Recruiting Process

It's hard to find candidates with all or most of these traits. If you're struggling to hire winners every time, you could make some improvements to your recruiting process. Here are some ideas to help you do just that:

1. Turn to In-House Talent

As a general rule of thumb, organizations should share all open positions internally. When employees are alerted to potential promotions and position changes, they'll feel the company appreciates their talents. This, in turn, will boost morale around the office. Plus, the perfect person for the job is often one who already knows your company and has established relationships with current employees.

2. Improve Recruiting Collaboration

Technology helps recruiting and HR teams stay on the same page. Through the right communication systems, companies can foster more collaboration and give all stakeholders a voice in the recruiting process. Tools like Dialpad, for example, offer mobile communications that make it easier for everyone involved in the hiring process to stay in touch.

3. Use Applicant Tracking Systems

These systems can sort through thousands of resumes for you, helping you weed the unqualified from the top candidates. ATSs like Jobvite and others use keywords to measure whether a candidate has the right skills and credentials to succeed on the job. Such automated screening can make your life a lot easier and increase your chances of finding the right person for the job.

4. Measure Metrics for Success

Measuring metrics like time to hire, quality of hire, and other key recruiting and hiring KPIs will help you see where your process excels and where it needs improvement. That way, you can make adjustments and find the perfect candidate much more easily.

Anna Johansson is the founder and CEO of Johansson Consulting. Follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.