Wanted: Top-Notch Employees
Improve your interviewing skills; distinguish the
duds from the studs
Hiring a great employee shouldn't just be a matter of luck. "It's no
secret that the most successful business owners in the future will be
those who can identify quality job candidates in this hectic, revolving-door
job market," said Roger Herman, author of "Keeping
Good People."
"The ability to hire quality employees will be crucial to a company's
success."
Kathy Franklin certainly understands the importance of hiring employees.
For Franklin, owner of Select Personnel, hiring the right employees
is the key to her firm's future. That's why she takes candidate interviews
so seriously. As a permanent and temporary staffing firm, Select Personnel's
success is dependent on Franklin and her staff finding the right employees.
She understands that the more skilled she is as an interviewer, the
more success her company will have.
"I take the interview process very seriously," said Franklin, who interviews
as many as 30 candidates a week. "It's the lifeblood of my business."
Unfortunately, many business owners don't take interviews as seriously.
This can be a mistake.
"I've worked with clients who have made poor hiring decisions and then
find themselves with all kinds of problems," said Virginia Kirkpatrick,
owner of CVK Personnel Management and Training Specialists. "Interviewing
is a big part of the overall puzzle. The employer's job is to put together
the puzzle to get a clear idea about a candidate."
The following are five steps to improve the interview process:
Prepare a Job Description
Some of the most important work in choosing an employee takes place
before you place an ad, call a placement service or interview the
first candidate.
The first thing to do is prepare a detailed job description. A good
description will contain the responsibilities and requirements of
the job. The more specific the description, the greater your chances
of weeding out unqualified applicants.
You should also have an idea of the ideal candidate. Employers should
paint a picture for themselves of the ideal candidate, including skills
and attitudes.
Review the Resume
Using the job description as a guide, the resume can be a revealing
road map as to whether an applicant is right for the job.
While examining the resume, ask yourself: Is it well-written, or
is it full of errors in spelling and grammar? Does it concisely describe
the candidate's abilities and background, or is it laden with buzzwords
and jargon? Also, watch out for red flags such as demotions, inconsistencies,
conflicting dates or many job changes.
Gaps in employment can also be a red flag. However, employers must
keep in mind that employees move around more often today. "St. Louis
tends to be a conservative city," said Larry Weinberg, vice president
of Accounting Career Consultants. "In this job market, people are
changing jobs more often. Sometimes, businesses must become more flexible.
People get screened out because they've had too many jobs, especially
in a conservative city where people like consistency."
Weinberg, whose firm sees as many as 50 resumes a day, said interviewers
should find out why they've held the jobs. "Really look into the reasons
they are leaving, because you may be missing out on a good person,"
Weinberg said.
The Interview
The actual interview process will answer three questions about the
applicant.
- Does the applicant have the skills to do the job?
- Will the applicant be motivated to do the job?
- How well will the applicant fit into the organization?
"You want to determine if the candidate is a good fit," Kirkpatrick
said. "People don't do well if there is not a good fit."
Effective interviewers ask open-ended questions designed to encourage
candidates to speak expansively about their experiences and qualifications.
Avoid yes-or-no questions and give candidates the opportunity to expound
on their feelings. You are trying to determine how the individual
made previous decisions in his or her life in hopes of gaining some
insight into what will be priorities in evaluating future options.
Building business scenarios is a good way for interviewers to probe
the decision-making abilities and attitudes of candidates. Interviewers
should build scenarios where candidates are asked to handle particular
problems.
Mel Weinberg, owner of Accounting Career Consultants and HR Career
Consultants said businesses should be honest with candidates during
an interview. "One of the biggest reasons for a hire that doesn't
work out is the failure of the employer to let the prospective employee
know what to expect when they show up for work," Weinberg said. "A
business must talk about the culture of the company or the department
and let the interviewee know what will be expected from him or her."
Interviews are too important to be rushed, so don't sandwich them
into your schedule. Set aside enough time to gather and assess the
facts and information.
Here are some questions to ask that might help you find the right
candidate:
- What were your responsibilities in your prior job?
- Why did you leave?
- What did you enjoy about the work? What turned you off?
- Why did you pick our company?
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your job expectations? What do you hope to learn and
accomplish?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What areas do you need to work on?
- What aspect of the work do you think you will enjoy most?
- What aspect of the work do you think you will enjoy least?
The Second Interview
Select Personnel's Franklin is a big advocate of second interviews,
and interviews with more than one employee at the business. "The team
interview is very important," Franklin said. "That second person might
not hit it off with the applicant, and he or she may have to work
with that person."
At the end of each interview, let the candidate know what will happen
next. Remember, the candidate today could be a major client in five
years. Whether or not they are hired, you want candidates to feel
they've been dealt with professionally.
Check References
Once you find a couple of applicants you're considering hiring, check
their references. Don't assume their resumes are accurate. The only
way to prevent a hiring mistake is by calling employers and personal
references.
These days, getting and giving job references without getting sued
can be a human resources minefield. A good rule of thumb is to check
references even if 70% of the answers you get are the standard start/ending
date responses. Otherwise, if the person does some injury in your
employ, it might later be shown that you failed to exercise reasonable
care.
"I would certainly call the last three employers," Kirkpatrick said.
"I would ask if he or she worked there and what about the job title.
This is not discriminatory. I want to verify this person is telling
me the truth. If they are dishonest about their past, you certainly
don't want to hire them."
If previous employers will offer information, employers should probe
the candidate's quality of work, attitude, strong points, motivational
influences. It is important to realize that not all businesses will
cooperate. Some businesses will not answer any questions other than
employment dates and salary ranges.
While these interviewing tips will help business owners, Mike Forbes,
owner of HR Management Solutions, said the best hiring advice is to
recruit every day. "You don't want to put yourself in a situation where
you need someone right now," Forbes said. "So many businesses find themselves
in a bind. That can be a real problem."
This doesn't mean you should have an ad in the classifieds every day,
even if you don't have room to hire. You meet new people every day—and
some of them could make good employees. Remember their names and give
them a sense of your business. Also, networking with trade associations,
your local chamber of commerce, or customers or vendors might prove
fruitful.
Authored by: Ron Ameln. Republished by permission
of the St. Louis Small
Business Monthly, The Source for Business Owners; March 2001.
