Q. I run a very hectic, fast-paced business. How can I ensure the employees I hire will be able to keep up with the demands of the job? I have several people who seem to cope very well in this regard, but they are not doing the same work as this new candidate would be doing, were he hired. What should I do?

A. First, the Profile will certainly help you to define the right "man for the job," but there are a few steps you can take to ensure our knowing precisely what you need.

Use the Position Description & Job Set-up form and fill out everything that is applicable to the position itself. Especially helpful to us is the section listing the three most important duties the job entails, as it gives us the "flavor" of the job. Add any comments you feel could offer us additional insight into your needs.

Second, "plug in" the Profile numbers of those existing employees you see as meeting your needs, even if they are not doing exactly the same work. By comparing the candidate you do not know well to the team members with whom you are quite familiar, you will gain greater understanding of who that candidate is and what his strengths and weaknesses are likely to be, regardless of the work he would be doing. Be sure to let us know what the existing employees are doing, so we will know when we are not really comparing "apples to apples."

Finally, give us all the relevant information you can, including your impressions of the candidate, if you have already met, spoken with over the phone, or actually interviewed him, even if you think there might be nothing important to offer. The more information we have, the more in-depth and specific we can be in responding to your request.