A Good Job Analysis = a Good Match

Companies often put a lot of thought into who they hire for a particular position, analyzing candidates’ hard skills and soft skills, assessing their ability to think on their feet, and contemplating how they would fit into the company culture, among other things.  Unfortunately, many times they don’t put the same amount of thought into the position they’re attempting to fill.
In the interest of making the best match possible, a thorough analysis of the job is a necessity, and this should be done before a single face-to-face interview occurs.  This analysis should include the same areas upon which candidates are judged during the interview process.  In other words, what hard skills, soft skills, personality, and attitudes are needed in order for you to fill the position with the best person possible?
Set the expectations first by analyzing the open job thoroughly.  Then search for somebody who you believe will meet those expectations.  This will ensure not only that you make a good hire in a timely fashion, but also that you increase your overall rate of employee retention.