Finding good employees in today's hot economy is a real challenge. Successful managers and business owners all agree that hiring the right people is one of the most important skills in management. When you select the right person, half of the management job is done because management means accomplishing things through other people.

The Model-Netics model, The Recruiting Diamond, provides a checklist of the four steps in recruiting: picture, locate, compare, and sell.

Step 1 - Picture. The first step in recruiting is to develop a picture of the ideal candidate. The picture establishes the standard you will use to compare candidates. The picture is different from defining the job. Based on the job duties, you must determine what knowledge, attitudes, skills, and habits an individual needs to do the job well. In developing this picture, you should consider such things as the desired work experience, education, skills, interests, traits, and career objectives.

Step 2 - Locate. The second step is to locate qualified candidates. The picture of the ideal candidate generally suggests where and how to do this. Sources of candidates include referrals from existing employees, newspaper ads, employment agencies, and schools. When trying to locate candidates, remember the saying, "Eagles don't flock, you have to find them one at a time." In larger organizations, the human resources department usually handles locating candidates. In smaller organizations, the manager may do it.

Step 3 - Compare. The third step in recruiting is to compare each candidate to the picture of the ideal candidate. This is done by reviewing resumes, conducting interviews, and checking references. This involves a three-step screening process.

-	Use a preliminary screening to eliminate obviously unqualified candidates.
-	Use an intermediate screening to find fully qualified candidates--those whose qualifications match the picture.
-	In the final screening, compare all fully qualified candidates to each other and identify the best candidate.

Step 4 - Sell. The fourth step in recruiting is to sell the best candidate on the position. It is important not to sell too soon--when you're selling, you are not listening and comparing. If you sell before you make your selection, you may create unrealistic expectations on the part of the candidate.

Success in recruiting depends on both the recruiter and the candidate. Both should accept responsibility for the final decision. To accomplish this, the recruiter should clearly present several items to the candidate. These include:

-	job performance requirements;
-	promotion possibilities;
-	company plans as they relate to the job;
-	personnel with whom and for whom the new recruit will be working; and
-	the organization culture and philosophy.

This is a general description of the concepts represented by the Recruiting Diamond model. In Model-Netics training, these ideas are expanded upon and specific applications to the organizations are introduced and explored.