What methods have you used to hire ideal business consultants?

I am a business consultant and one of the options I give my clients is the ability to hire me for a week to begin. It allows me to offer a quick look at what they are experiencing and offer them immediate suggestions and possible results. It gives both of us an opportunity to get to know one another as well. It creates a win-win relationship. 

In this job market, one size does not fit all and often changes.  With each job you are trying to fill, take the time to do your due diligence at the beginning: 
- Create a job description so you are clear on the responsibilities of the job
- Create a job ad (this is not the job description) as your marketing tool
- Decide where your candidates may be found (i.e. Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Niche Job Boards, Networking Events,...) Remember, what worked last time may not work this time, even for the same job
- Pay special attention to the candidate experience; it's their job market.  If you don't treat them well through the process, somebody else will. Follow-up and do it in a timely manner, even to the candidates you don't choose.
- Create your process and tools ahead of time.  Once the process starts, it has to go fast to keep up with the turn around with great candidates. Know what the process is, communicate it candidates, and show you took time to make it right (i.e. don't make up questions on the fly or leave them waiting for you for long periods of time.

Hopefully this gives you a few tips to get started. We've provided recruitment services to our clients for nearly 25 years. We'd be happy to talk through your process with you to provide recommendations for improvement or even work with you on an Outsourced (hourly) basis to find your future employees.  

I ask. What is qualified?  Is it someone with the skills or someone with the talent and desire and the ability to learn? I expect any business owner can name by their first name the key people in their organization. These are the employees who work without supervision and love their job.   80 percent of your companies performance comes from 16% of your work force.  Lets call them Halo employees. My recommendation is find more of them. Current HR models hire based on skills. Talented people with strong core values get overlooked because of a disqualification process. Give me the folks all day long with a great attitude and they are appreciated for their contributions.  Guess what.  Your performers want more of them. Their isn't an App for that.  It's not rocket science.  

During the time as a consultant I have never not hired another consultant to work for me.  
While not a current issue I can see how it could occur where you have a client and need some expertise that you currently don't have, or you need someone to just work through a piece of a project you need to complete.
One thing I have done is worked to keep my list of contacts fresh with individuals that have similar skill set and also those that work in other areas.  Meeting with them and learning about them and is it someone that I could work with on a project.
This is more about relationship building before you actually hire them, I on a regular basis meet with for coffee or lunch with a core group of people that I feel would be a benefit.
As with any arrangement you need to be prepared to provide a proper scope of the job you are wanting done, put in place timelines for completion.

My view is looking at other consultants not as competitors but my support staff for my very small business.

I think there are some positions where it is critical to have the "ideal candidate" -- the one with the exact experience, education, temperament, etc.  But there are other positions where bringing in "talent" isn't about what they've already done.  It has more to do with how they think about themselves and the world.  Look for drive, humility, self-awareness, even the willingness to fail and learn -- character traits that align with your company values and  expectations.  Then teach, coach, supervise, support, guide and manage. 

I don't know why or when we started expecting new hires to know everything already so that we don't have to do the work of training, leading, and developing.  What happened to words like potential, aptitude, and attitude?  You can waste a lot of time looking for the elusive "perfect person" when you could be working side by side with someone, teaching them, but also getting the work done. 

If you are at the point of looking for a business consultant, I assume you have a pain point you are looking to resolve or you have a vision/goal which you don't feel you have the resources to achieve on your own or some combination of the two. First, let me commend you on recognizing you need help! Understanding you can't do everything yourself is a powerful, game changing realization. Second, get as clear as you can about what help you are looking for. While you may not know what solutions you need, the more precise you are with what support you desire the greater the chances of you actually getting it. This also helps keep you on track when "all the other options" to help your company are offered to you.

If a colleague gives you a referral, be sure to inquire about what services/help they provided them and how the process went for them. What worked well, what would they have liked to be different and would they hire them again??

Once you are at the point of interviewing various business consultants, beyond experience, personality and pedigree be sure to notice how they interact with you. Are they selling themselves and what they can do for you or are they inquiring about your business, your needs, your bigger vision? Are they helping you to prioritize the services they can offer to suit you and your resources? Only the consultant who knows your business and how you operate it will be able to help to provide the lasting change you want for your company. Anyone can give you list of "here's what you need to do to be successful" but if that list doesn't support you, your team or your vision, it is useless. This is your business, your baby, trust only to those who have earned it by investing themselves into your outcome.

It comes down to the needs of the organization.  Before looking for someone to hire, do you have a define Vision and Mission statement for your company and for the business unit looking to hire the right candidate.  Are the roles and responsibilities outlined in a way that it relates to the vision and mission statement for that business unit?  If that is done, the expectation for the position is set.  Now look for qualified candidates that fit the job description.  Once you have collected that information (resumes), set up phone interviews to narrow down your picks.  Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Activities, Results) Technique when interviewing candidates.  The candidate should be able to easily explain their role and how they performed on previous projects.  Secondly, have an interview outside the office in a relaxed environment (nice lunch restaurant).  This shows that you care about the person you will hire.  Then set up an in-office interview with other employees that you value and get their opinion (verbal and in writing).  Be careful that you don't have any preconceived ideas about the candidate.  Be open to give each person a fair share.  Also don't hire someone like you, because it takes away the diversity of thought and individuality.  They can have some of your values, but yet be separate.  I hope this helps.

As a former executive that transitioned to the realm of leadership coaching and consultant, I've been on both sides of the fence.  The best advice I can provide is that, when hiring a consultant, I was able to locate my best candiddates through networking and knowing exactly what was needed.  The more detail you can provide regarding the consulting need, the better prepared you will be to narrow down to exactly the right fit.  

It's the same as writing a job description.  There is a pain point causing you have a need.  To fill it correctly, you must explain it clearly and succinctly.  I have found consultants through LinkedIn, Freelance networks as well as through my network by requesting referrals.  

As a consultant, I also offer the opportunity for my clients to have a mutually agreeable test period.  During this phase, we become familiar with each other's styles and together, work toward a satisfactory long term goal.  

Some great advice here regarding needing to ensure that the consultants you bring on board/refer to are experts in their field. That is obviously critical.  However, I can't stress enough that your primary focus must be the consultant's integrity.  Sadly, early in my 30-year consulting practice, I had consultants I mentored help themselves to my products and materials and reach out to my clients going around me, and even use my hard-earned work and reputation to launch their own practices. I learned the hard way that you have to protect yourself and your proprietary materials and processes, which actually also protects your clients from such unscrupulous actions.  Never ever surrender your integrity, and expect the same from those you employ.  As my dear friend and partner attorney colleague notes - "hire slow and fire fast", meaning make sure of who you bring on board - your business and reputation depend on it.

It is important to go beyond the job description when selecting a candidate.  Ask yourself by the job exists and how the candidate can fill that need within your company or organization.  In addition to cover letters, resumes and interviews, you may wish to benchmark the position and use behavioral screening tools to see if the candidate is job fit.