It's the peak time of year for recruitment and maybe you are one of the merry army who are on the move. Many PAs are involved in recruitment, either running the show in smaller companies or contributing to the process via their HR department. If that's you, I suspect you'll have some extra work to do for the next couple of months. Sorry about that.

Getting recruitment right is vital. It's expensive. It's one of the reasons companies bang on so much about wanting to retain staff - it costs a fortune to replace anyone.

But if you find yourself having to recruit another secretary or PA, try to look beyond the workload involved. It's a good chance to re-align PA roles that have developed beyond all recognition, and to move your PA team forward as a whole. If the new recruit can help plug any skills gaps in the current PA group, you all benefit.

Just before they go...

Have a job review session with whoever is leaving. If the two of you spend some time looking at the job description (JD) and person specification (PS), and discussing what really happens day-to-day, you stand a better chance of recruiting the right person for the role, rather than someone who fits an inaccurate JD.

It may be useful to talk with your other PA colleagues about the role and how it fits into the team. If you are used to working across teams with one another, how do they feel about what the JD has in it? Do they work with the incumbent in a way that isn't reflected in the JD? Are there tasks being done by other people that should naturally be in this job?

Review the landscape

Now you need to talk with the boss in question to see if s/he also thinks changes are needed. You may leave the job review session assuming everything is fine and no great developments have happened in that post. But the manager of that person may have other ideas or may want to try a new approach to the work. Give them feedback from the meeting and hear their response.

"Hire for attitude and train up" has always struck me as a very sensible guideline. Does the new PA really need to have advanced PowerPoint the minute s/he arrives? Or five years worth of event organising? Why not three years? JDs and PSs should not be treated as though they are written in stone. Life changes, things move on. Work is no exception.

Advertising works

Now that you have a clear idea of what is required in terms of skills, attitude and knowledge, it's time to advertise or get on board your recruitment company.

If you are advertising yourself, make sure the deadline gives ample time for responses. Extra time will be needed if there is an application form, and if you can give an anticipated interview date that can be helpful for candidates planning leave for that day.

You should include all benefits and, where possible, give a name and contact number in case people want an informal discussion about the post. It will save their time and yours if the post is obviously wrong for them.

As a personal favour to me, don't ask for a sense of humour! Do you know anyone who will say they don't have one and not apply for the post? Are you planning to test it at interview with five minutes of open mike stand up?

Question time

The given here is that your questioning must be in accordance with UK equal opportunities legislation. (See the feature on interview legalities in this issue, to find out what you can ask, and what you can't.) Just as important, the panel needs to have its act together. Who is on it and what are they bringing to the situation? Would an external colleague bring a fresh perspective to the whole process? It may stop you from subconsciously hiring in your own image, which is not only offensive but legally problematic. Who's asking what and how many follow-ups should there be? If someone's application is unclear, who is tasked to raise the issue and ask further questions?

Everyone should take notes during the interview but assessment should be done afterwards. Candidates are allowed to read notes taken during their interview at a later date. A form will be needed to benchmark and for final decisions to be justifiable. Please bear in mind there is UK legislation covering discrimination and equal opportunities.

Final lap

Before you get your interview panel together, make sure they are willing to review and assess properly. None of this flinging the papers on the desk as the last candidate leaves and saying, "So it's number three, then, right?" Sleeping on it overnight is fine but you need to come to a swift conclusion. Leaving it for a week will not make the decision any easier. It's also unfair on the candidates to keep them hanging on and you risk losing them to another employer if they are actively job hunting. If two candidates are absolutely tied, interview them a second time. Gut instinct is not a legally defensible position!

With good organisation and judgement on your part and a little luck, you will have a new colleague within the next eight weeks who is raring to go and fit for purpose. And if it's you who is on the move, the very best of luck with your job search - for both you and your company.