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Tips
toward making that "Crucial" Hiring Decision
In this highly competitive
workplace environment, employers are becoming increasingly vigilant
in their efforts to replenish their workplaces . The demand for
"superior" candidates is outstripping the supply for
key professionals in several crucial industrial sectors.
Notwithstanding the shortage
of qualified and competent staff, hiring managers are going to
continue to be "under the gun" to select the very best
candidates, whether at the entry level, professional level or
at the middle to upper levels of management. Corporations of
all sizes will, more than ever, search for clearly focused, highly
motivated employees with a strong work ethic, excellent problem
solving skills and outstanding leadership skills.
To assist hiring managers in
carrying out this most important of management responsibilities,
in a thoroughly efficient and effective manner, I offer a few
practical suggestions:
IDENTIFY BEST SOURCE OF
APPLICANTS
All too frequently, companies turn automatically to their resume
file and restrict candidate prospects to this single source.
To select the best, you need to attract the best from the largest
pool of qualified candidates. Don't short change yourself; you
should consider other sources including an inexpensive career
advertisement in the local media or networking among your peer
managers in other companies. Place your advertisement on the
world wide web and encourage good prospects to visit your home
page.
CARRY OUT TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS
TO "SCREEN IN" THE BEST
Don't be afraid to contact a large number of prospective candidates.
Prepare, in advance, a series of specific questions as to how
their background and work experience (as shown on their resume)
relates to the current and evolving job requirements. Your objective
at this early stage is to talk to as many candidates as possible
and invite the better prospects to attend a "preliminary"
interview.
PLAN THOROUGHLY FOR YOUR
PERSONAL INTERVIEW
Your preparation should include an in-depth analysis of the current
job responsibilities, priorities and key objectives. In addition,
you will need to focus on the major behaviours you will expect
from the ideal candidate as well as ask specific questions to
determine whether the skills, qualities and performance traits
that you are looking for have been exhibited in previous positions.
You should, therefore, prepare a number of behaviour-based questions
as you probe for clues to predict future job performance.
TAKE NOTES DURING THE INTERVIEW
It's next to impossible to remember everything that was said
during the interview. You should, therefore, document candidate
replies to your questions as thoroughly as possible without interrupting
the normal flow of the interview process. The very nature of
in-depth interviews will result in the sharing of a considerable
amount of information which needs to be carefully scrutinized.
Notetaking will become increasingly important as hiring managers
may be required to "show proof" and justification for
overlooking candidates.
CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW IN
A THOROUGHLY PROFESSIONAL MANNER
The fact that you haven't interviewed in a long time or that
you don't enjoy interviewing is no excuse for conducting a poor
interview. For example, it's important to establish rapport with
the candidate at the very beginning of the interview. In addition
to reflecting very positively on you, rapport building puts the
candidate at ease and allows you, the interviewer, to compile
more meaningful and pertinent information from a relaxed prospect.
ENCOURAGE TWO WAY COMMUNICATIONS
Be prepared to share information about the job/position in question
as well as information about the company and it's future growth
prospects. Allow candidates to ask questions openly about any
aspect of the job and provide complete answers so as to equip
the candidate to make the most appropriate decision. Company
literature and employee newsletters can be most helpful to candidates
trying to assess a company's values. General information about
a company's benefit package may also prove beneficial to aspiring
job candidates as the final selection decision draws near.
CONCLUDE THE INTERVIEW WITHOUT
MAKING A COMMITMENT
Too often, hiring managers "like" a job applicant and
"feel good" about their prospect of "fitting in".
Don't appear overly enthusiastic toward a particular candidate
too soon. Remember, hiring decisions based on perceptions
alone are a major cause of poor hiring decisions. You
owe it to yourself and to the company you're representing to
select the best. Arrange for the short listed candidates to meet
with as many management and professional level staff as possible.
All participants should be open and candid in outlining the realities
of the position as well as their expectations. Thorough reference
checks will of course be required to validate your opinions.
That critical hiring decision must be based on far more
than just a gut feeling.
The identification and selection
of new employees is very serious business today. Hiring managers
have a responsibility, to themselves and to the organizations
they are representing, to do a first class job. Each organization
must identify the critical competencies that reflect their unique
culture and values. All too frequently, their success and that
of their companies, depend on it.
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