by Beth | Dec 16, 2011 | Employee Hiring
When my daughter was 5 years old, she asked me if I believed in Santa Claus. I said, “Of Course! Why?” She said to me “Really, Mom. Flying reindeer?”
Last month in the Denver Post, there was an article about a successful company trying to fill several open positions for their company. The woman interviewed commented “On the first day, I was expecting 40 people to show up, one showed up…I think now it is becoming almost easier to stay at home and accept an unemployment check than it is to get out there and work.”
First, I wonder how on earth this woman expected to interview 40 people in one day. This means that these candidates didn’t have a specific time to come in for their interview. On my busiest day, I will interview 15 people, so logistically it simply doesn’t make sense.
Second, the myth that people sit back and milk unemployment benefits is simply not true. Now do we have folks in this country who scam the government for unemployment money? Of course. Do all of them? Of course not. Being on unemployment is stressful; just ask anyone who is has ever received unemployment.
Third, I felt very sympathetic towards this woman. She is overworked, overwhelmed, and doesn’t believe that there is help for her. What an awful position to be in as a business owner.
At A-list Interviews we begin with the ideal candidate in mind, so that every part of the process gets you closer to your best candidate. But you, as the owner or hiring manager, must believe that the employee you want exists. When you believe, miracles can happen.
by Beth | Dec 9, 2011 | Selecting Good Candidates
Yesterday, I was screening applicants for a position that requires a high level of attention to detail. Not long into the search, I received a beautifully formatted resume. The candidate had all of the skills that we wanted in a new employee! I opened the cover letter to learn more about this bright prospect. The opening sentence said “I am responding to your add…”
The question then becomes do I overlook one small spelling error that spell check would not have caught or do I pass up this well qualified individual for a simple mistake. When screening for a position that will require analysis and detailed reporting, one small mistake could cost a company thousands. The error to proof read made by this candidate stands out so magnificently that I had to pass them up.
So much of pre-screening can be subjective. When making the final call, compare the resume to all required skills, not just the technical set listed on the resume. I would definitely not “add” this individual to the team.
by Beth | Dec 1, 2011 | Employee Hiring, Hiring Managers, Interview Process
As hiring managers, we spend more time analyzing resumes than we do actually interviewing candidates. Most applicants don’t write their own resumes or cover letters. Therefore, we spend time “pre-screening” candidates on materials that they didn’t produce. Have you ever looked at a candidate’s application and knew they were the one? Then, you talk to them on the phone and know that they would never work out?
The biggest waste of time is spent trying to judge a person on a piece of paper that they likely didn’t produce. If the applicant followed directions specifically, have no spelling or grammar mistakes, and the tone of the materials is appealing, (which will weed out about 70-80% of applicants) schedule an interview.
by Beth | Nov 29, 2011 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
If you have read a women’s magazine, there always seems to be an article about lying in a relationship. “Little white lies” can often seem harmless enough, but isn’t this really a measurement for integrity and personal responsibility? I’ve often heard from my employers that they are appalled when a candidate exaggerates on their resume. Candidates are advised to be truthful and honest in their representation of themselves.
What happens when a company is lying to the candidate? According to the Reader’s Digest article “Get Hired, Not Fired: 50 Secrets That Your HR Person Won’t Tell You”, company personnel are lying to candidates too. For example, here are two excerpts from the Reader’s Digest article:
“Background checks are expensive. Sometimes we bluff, get you the fill out the form and don’t run it,” states Cynthia Shapiro, former human resource executive and author.
“Sometimes, we’ll tell you we ended up hiring someone internally- even if we didn’t- just to get you off our backs.” HR rep at a Fortune 500 Financial services Firm
At the end of the day, if lying is a standard practice in your company, you will not be able to hire good people and expect them to stay. Run a strategic, well defined interview process. Be upfront and completely committed to a healthy environment for your employees based on truth telling. The rewards will far outweigh any benefit you may have received by lying to your people.
by Beth | Nov 25, 2011 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
A client of mine and I were interviewing a few weeks ago, and a very bright, savvy woman began telling us how this job was “beneath” her. She mentioned “This job is obviously less than my skill set.” Then, though the job ad clearly stated the salary range, she asked for a 20-30% increase. The salary conversation wasn’t what lost her the job however. My client would have gladly negotiated the money if she had been the right candidate.
What I find in my work as an interviewer is that candidates who really don’t want the job that you are offering will spend lots of time and energy focused on money. For the candidate that really wants the job, money is hardly ever the top priority, especially when the salary is clearly stated up front.
When this very talented woman finds the job that she really wants, she will be dynamic- no doubt, and money won’t be an issue for either side.
by Beth | Nov 11, 2011 | Employee Hiring, Interview Techniques, Selecting Good Candidates
“Powell’s Rules for Picking People” – Look for intelligence and judgment and, most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego and the drive to get things done.”
In theory, this sounds like amazing advice. Focus on the person’s attributes as opposed to their experience and you will find a great employee. But in practice, how can you tell in a 15 minute interview if a person has integrity? This is the age old question that keeps great leaders up at night, worrying that they may not have selected the right people. In a well defined strategic interview, integrity, drive and loyalty are fairly easy to spot. Here are 4 ways to determine if a person has integrity, defined as “Doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.”
Following the directions set forth in the ad. If you ask for a cover letter, a resume and the job title in the subject line, then only interview those who followed all of the directions. If they don’t follow directions in the interview process, they won’t do it once they have direct deposit. The stakes aren’t nearly as high once they get the job.
Meeting Deadlines. An interview is not only the opportunity for a candidate to shine, but it is also a deadline that you can use to measure integrity. Did they show up on time? Are they prepared? Did they do research on the company? If not, then the chances of them being prepared once they get the job are obvious. Again, the stakes aren’t nearly as high, once they get the job.
Homework Assignments. I was in a position one time where a client of mine really wanted to hire a person that I didn’t want him to hire. We agreed to give this candidate a homework assignment and a third interview to see how well she performed. She blew it. Her assignment had spelling errors, grammar errors, wrinkled paper, and wrong information. Her energy level was low at the third interview, and she had little enthusiasm for the task at hand. She clearly didn’t want the job.
Follow Up. I am truly surprised at how rare it is for me to hear a candidate say “I really want this job. What do I have to do to get it?” A simple thank you email works really well to determine a person’s drive and desire for a position. With all of the information out there about how to WOW hiring managers, many people simply don’t, especially for a position that is not a good fit on some level. Do not ignore the signs that a candidate doesn’t want the job, even if they are perfectly qualified.
At A-list Interviews, our entire Response Analysis System is specifically designed to screen candidates based on integrity with 91% retention rate after a year. Colin Powell is on to something. Let us teach you what it is.
