From Susan M. Heathfield,
Your Guide to Human Resources.
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If your goal is a superior, high performance workforce that is focused on continuous improvement, you need to manage people within a performance management and development framework. When you implement each of these components, you'll ensure the development of the superior workforce you seek.

Use this high performance workforce checklist to make certain you have all of the necessary components in place to develop a superior, high performance workforce. I have provided the specific broad category of practice. Then, the bullets define the key success areas in each component.

Superior Workforce Checklist

1. Create a documented, systematic hiring process to ensure you hire the best possible staff. See the Top Ten Recruiting Tips.

• Define the outcomes desired from the person you hire.
• Develop a job description that clearly describes the performance responsibilities of the person you hire.
• Develop the largest pool of qualified candidates possible. (Search via professional associations, personal contacts, universities, search firms, and other creative sources when necessary.)
• Devise a careful candidate selection process that includes culture match, testing, behavioral interview questions, customer interviews, tours of the work area, and "what would you do" questions about your actual work place, to hire the best staff.
• Perform appropriate background checks that include employment history, education, criminal records, credit history, drug testing and more.
• Make an employment offer that confirms your position as an employer of choice.