| In today's competitive labor market, good | | | | individuals.Interviewing Process: A |
| help is getting increasingly difficult to | | | | successful interview is one, which is planned |
| find. The aging baby boomer population has | | | | and prepared for. Keep the interview itself |
| created a hiring crunch of qualified human | | | | to no more than an hour long. Ask between 15 |
| resources. Human Resources Development | | | | - 20 questions written in advance, and posed |
| Canada's Job Futures 2000 ( tells us that | | | | to all candidates alike. It is important to |
| because more and more people are changing | | | | assess the candidate's soft skills as well as |
| positions annually, either entering or | | | | potential fit within the organizational |
| leaving the workforce and employers have | | | | culture. Take notes during the interview. It |
| become bold in the recruiting process far | | | | will assist you in avoiding the most common |
| more often in the past decade. With all of | | | | hiring pitfall - prejudging candidates, |
| the current conditions, it is clear that | | | | either favorably or unfavorably. Sample of |
| employers must pay a lot of attention to | | | | questions you may want to ask during the |
| their hiring processes - from screening | | | | interview:Why are you leaving your current |
| resumes, to the actual interview, and most | | | | company?Tell me about yourselfHow do your |
| importantly to business reference checking. | | | | describe your personality?What did you like |
| It is essential to take your time to hire the | | | | best about the current company your are |
| right candidate. In the end, it will pay off | | | | working for?What did you like least about the |
| for both your organization and the candidate. | | | | current company you are working for?Describe |
| This process, definitely brings with it | | | | your current job dutiesDescribe one of the |
| frustrations when one is forced to neglect | | | | best ideas you ever came up with, what was |
| their daily job responsibilities to screen | | | | your approach to implementing the idea?What |
| countless resumes and hold continuous | | | | are your major weaknesses?What are your major |
| interviews until the right candidate is | | | | strengths?Describe a major project with which |
| found. Aside from frustration, it is also | | | | you had difficulties and how you overcame |
| going to cost you financially. It has been | | | | these difficulties.Describe your working |
| estimated that it costs from $5,000 to | | | | style. (Do you enjoy working independently, |
| $30,000 to go through an interview process, | | | | in a team setting, etc)·Give an example of |
| and that is without hiring a recruiting firm. | | | | when you were not happy with your performance |
| You need to decide how valuable is your time | | | | and what you did about it.Describe some |
| and the cost becomes a tradeoff. Hiring a | | | | projects you generated on your own. What |
| recruiting agency, which will do a thorough | | | | prompted you to begin them, and what was the |
| job and understands the organizational needs, | | | | end result?Why have you chosen the field you |
| will save you a lot of time and frustration. | | | | are in? What do you feel are the biggest |
| Let the agency do all the preparatory work | | | | challenges facing this field and the |
| and present you with a short list of suitable | | | | industry?What are your short-term goals?What |
| candidates. Recruiting agencies charge a fee | | | | are your long-term goals?Do you consider |
| based on a percentage of the employee's first | | | | yourself a leader? Please provide some |
| year income. The fee ranges from 15% to 30% | | | | examples.Why are you attracted to this |
| depending on the position. Whether you engage | | | | position?How would your current supervisor |
| a recruiting agency, get some help from your | | | | describe you and your work habits?How long |
| Human Resources department (providing you | | | | have you been searching for a new |
| have one) or do it all alone, the high costs | | | | position?How did you manage to get the time |
| of hiring are a reality, either monitory or | | | | off for this interview?Why are you interested |
| your valuable time. At the same time, cutting | | | | in working for this organization?What kind of |
| corners will end up costing you much more. An | | | | remuneration package are you looking for?Why |
| executive director of a leading staffing firm | | | | do you believe you are the best candidate for |
| articulated it as follows: "Hiring mistakes | | | | this position?Important to remember: |
| are costly - in terms of training and | | | | Questions of a personal nature are not to be |
| recruiting expenses as well as lost | | | | asked. The federal government Web site |
| productivity. More significant is the toll a | | | | Employers Online, at: will provide you with |
| poor staffing decision can take on employee | | | | all the information you need in this area. |
| morale". How to avoid costly hiring mistakes? | | | | For mock job interviews and sample questions |
| No method is 100% guaranteed! However, here | | | | and answers log onto: Decision time: You met |
| are a few suggestions to assist you in ending | | | | with all potential candidates. You asked the |
| up with a successful hire. To attract the | | | | same questions. You made your notation as you |
| right candidate, know your specific needs. | | | | were going along. It is now the time to |
| Write down the roles and responsibilities of | | | | decide who is the successful candidate. You |
| the position, so that job seekers will be | | | | assessed everyone's skill set and have a good |
| able to screen themselves in or out. Make | | | | handle on each candidate's personality. Which |
| sure you know how the position fits into the | | | | candidate will you choose? The one with |
| organization, what the skills, education and | | | | superb skill set or the one with the best |
| personality requirements are of the | | | | personality fit for your organizational |
| successful candidate. Make it a goal to | | | | culture. Looks like a complicated question. |
| advertise the job you are looking to fill as | | | | It is not really. As long as you satisfied |
| well as your organization. Your advertising | | | | yourself that the candidate meets the minimum |
| needs to be balanced. Be careful not to | | | | skill set required for the position, go with |
| oversell or undersell. There are several | | | | the personality which best fits your |
| methods of letting people know about current | | | | organizational culture. Why? You or one of |
| staffing needs of the organization:Networking | | | | your staff members can always train for |
| - let your employees and your contacts know | | | | additional skills. Personality is "non |
| that you are looking to fill a position. They | | | | trainable". Congratulations! You have chosen |
| may be aware of an ace that is unhappy at his | | | | a candidate whom you believe will fit the |
| or her current position and are looking to | | | | organizational structure and has the skill |
| move on. It is a proven fact that only 50% of | | | | set you were looking for. At this point you |
| jobs are actually advertised.Advertise - in | | | | need to proceed with business references. In |
| trade publications, all the applicable | | | | the event that you are working with a |
| websites, and the newspaper. Adverting in The | | | | staffing agency, let the agency do the |
| Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail will | | | | business references, unless you prefer to do |
| automatically bring your advertisement to the | | | | them yourself. The business references you |
| career site at no additional charge and will | | | | want to hear from or speak with consist of |
| be posted there for 45 days.Hire a | | | | their direct supervisors, subordinates, |
| recruitment agency on contingency basis. | | | | perhaps even an external auditor. The |
| Negotiate your fees upfront and get it in | | | | importance of the business references? While |
| writing.Next step: Your marketing campaign | | | | you spent an hour with the candidate, the |
| has paid off. There are piles of resumes on | | | | business references have worked with the |
| your desk. Once again, think of your valuable | | | | candidate and known him or her for much |
| time! Separate the resumes into the following | | | | longer. It is the business references that |
| criteria:Absolutely NotA possibilityStrong | | | | will be able to confirm the candidate's major |
| possibilityDefinitely bring in for | | | | strengths, weaknesses, work style, how they |
| interviewElimination is easy. The candidate | | | | get along with the rest of the team and how |
| you want to bring in for interview requires | | | | they perform their daily job. It has happened |
| additional work on your part. You made your | | | | that based on business references the |
| list, and you know what are the specific | | | | candidate you thought was the #1 candidate |
| criteria of the position. Knowing these facts | | | | becomes a candidate, which you will now want |
| now is the time to decide which candidates to | | | | to hire and have as part of your staff. I am |
| bring in for an interview. Suggestions:Always | | | | hopeful that this article will assist you in |
| look whether the applicant meets your | | | | making the right hiring decisions. Please |
| expectations from all-aspects: Education, | | | | remember that the candidate evaluates you and |
| work experience, the type of position/s | | | | the organization as well. To attract good |
| previously held.The cover letter will reveal | | | | qualified human resources in the new economy |
| the candidate's written skills. Look for | | | | requires a lot more than good hiring |
| stability. Although it is common today to | | | | practices. Today's candidates are seeking |
| change positions, look at how frequently the | | | | organizations that treat employees well, |
| positions were changed are you comfortable | | | | compensate them fairly, have a good benefits |
| with that kind of movement?The presentation | | | | package and provide challenge and motivation. |
| of the resume is of extreme importance as | | | | Always believe in yourself and trust the |
| well. Is the resume organized properly? How | | | | process! We wish you best of luck in your |
| many pages? More than three pages, including | | | | search for qualified human resources! |
| the cover letter is excessively long.Did the | | | | Copyright 2001 Controllers On Call. All |
| applicant list their accomplishments?Did the | | | | Rights Reserved.Tali is the President & CEO |
| candidate include a small description of each | | | | of Controllers On Call, ( niche staffing |
| organization?Are there any spelling | | | | organization specializing in the placement of |
| mistakes?Did you read the resume with ease | | | | middle to executive level Accounting, Finance |
| and interest?The "definitely bring in for | | | | and Human Resources professionals either on |
| interview" pile is now no more than five | | | | contract or full time positions. |