Hiring Advice Written For Any Employer
Hiring Advice
Before You Interview
What to Look For On A Resume
Basic Laws, Interview "Dont's
Email a position opening or RFP
Hiring Advice
After more than forty years in the employment field, CHAMPION has learned a few things that may be appropriate for ANY employer. These basics are founded in the four strengths CHAMPION puts forth each and every time we service a client: EXPERIENCE: More than 4 decades. Highly experienced CHAMPION Staff members: more than 200 years professional experience. FLEXIBLE STAFFING: Direct, Interim, Interim to Direct, Payrolling, Resident, Managed. ACCURACY: Objectivity plus Industry Best Practices Judgment and ISO 9001:2000 Certified Quality System. ACCOUNTABILITY: It IS our job. We NEVER avaiod solving issues
Before You Interview
Please allow us to presume that you know how to conduct an interview, and feel pretty sure that you know what you are looking for in a candidate. Fair? Then some of this may just be a refresher!
1) First analyze the critical ABILITIES that you need, those that will actually be used in the job function. Write down all those abilities, then write down the CRITICAL job function those will be used in. Anything missing? If you are the average hiring authority, there will be things missing, or abilities that you have written down that do NOT coincide with job functions...at least those that will really be used to MAKE AN IMPACT. Why? Because we (hiring authorities) sometimes think about jobs in terms of PEOPLE, not the work that needs to be done. Because of this we can sometimes over or under-hire, or become frustrated in our search when we're not seeing "what we want". Set up the abilities that make sense as your target in hiring. Make sure these are in order of importance. "Trade-offs" are part of hiring.
2) Determine what you want the new hire to actually ACCOMPLISH as part of the job. Sounds easy, but it is not. Job descriptions are easy...do this, do that. Setting goals of accomplishment means that you'll have to think about this position as if it were your own. What results are you seeking? What improvements? What impact on the company can this job have? Seriously, if you cannot define this...don't start interviewing yet. A hint: good employees will perform better if they know what their goals are. Don't you? Selection (interviewing) and performance reviews should NOT be different in content or theme. (Harvard will charge you $5,000 just for that).
3) Determine what parts of the job can be taught or learned. Only the incumbent has ALL the experience you're looking to hire. Most good people want to learn something new. Don't you?
4) Outline the level of expertise necessary to handle the job, then cut it back a little. WE all have a tendency to "over-want". Make sure it makes sense in a 'person-description' (profile).
5) WRITE DOWN all the reasons a good person who has the experience you want, would want to do this job. And then write down ALL the reasons they should want to work for your COMPANY. If you can't think of lots of great reasons for either, start over again. Think about when you have changed jobs. Did you ask yourself WHY you should go to the new company?
6) What is the position's REAL POTENTIAL? The real potential can change the profile of person you need to hire DRAMATICALLY. The person hired must match the potential you NEED them to hit. If you want a 'high-powered' person, but the position has NO potential...you'll have to re-fill the position often, or you'll always be getting offers turned down. If you expect more of the person than they expect of themselves, you'll have performance problems. Position Potential is NEVER guaranteed, so don't equivocate to the staffing firm or the candidate. It will throw off the hiring process.
7) SALARY ??? Too often a hiring authority tries to save a few budget-bucks by hiring at a lower than market figure, only to have performance problems or turnover later. If a person was just promoted or person of value just left, don't hope that you can replace them at a much lower salary figure. You cannot find the same quality. Make sure the TOTAL comp plan is "market-priced". Know how high you can go up front. Not "like to", but really how high. Basic salary raises have been in the 2-4% area nationally for the last two years. Although this may seem good for companies in general, it has caused general pent-up 'unrest' in the candidate community during job changes. "Opening up" the salary range for interviewing may give you a better look at what quality and talents you may find at a little more money. If you communicate this to a staffing firm, the good ones will stay within that range. A GOOD staffing firm will NOT tell a $30K 'worth' person to ask for $33K, just because you can afford it. At Champion, we want all of your business, forever, not just one hire. Today, less than 4.7% of all people are unemployed (in NE Ohio). When a qualified clerical or technical candidate becomes unemployed through no fault of their own, they are not unemployed long, and they are getting multiple offers. Raises have NOT kept up with the tightening candidate market (3-4% raises). The result is that to find a good person today, be ready to pay more (5-10%), or include a good bonus/performance plan. For today's salary ranges call a Champion Account Manager. Even if you are hiring on your own, or through another source, we will be happy to assist. (really!) For a very wide-range look, see our salary survey results.
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What to Look For On A Resume
Ask 10 Professionals in Human Resources, and 10 Hiring Authorities...and you'll probably get 20 different answers! So, what DO the top HR and Hiring Authorities look for? At least, what do MOST look for in common?:
1) The basics...spelling, punctuation and grammar. Beyond the obvious it shows attention to detail and an attitude.
2) Is the person attentive enough to tailor a cover letter to the opening. Shows care, interest, and 'street smarts'.
3) Does the SUM TOTAL of experience, education, skills "look" as though the person MAY have enough to warrant a meeting, or at least a phone conversation. This is THE single most important point that separates most 'paper-pushers' and those who are serious about finding talent. "Paper-pushers" look for 'paper to paper' (job description/resume) matches...TALENT-FINDERS look beyond and between the words...then TALK to those people, trying to discover what really is represented behind the resume (the person). Great hires can be missed because a person doing the initial 'screening' of resumes only does a 'paper to paper' match. Word of caution (this comes from an old friend who is now Director of HR and Labor Relations for a Fortune 100 firm): "DON'T delegate the initial pre screening of resumes to a non-operating person" (like the lowest level HR person, or an inexperienced assistant). Do it yourself. Who better to decide which pile to put them in? Yes resumes take time to read, but sometimes they can be more amusing than most TV shows! Think of it this way...what skills do YOU have that you can't possibly put in the confines of a resume? Doesn't your personality, demeanor, and ability to communicate orally separate you from others? How about your ability to learn? How about your "intangibles"? Would you think that only 30% of all people write their own resumes? Screening takes time. But what can an excellent employee do for you and your company?
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Basic Laws / Interview Dont's
1) What you can't do...the Legal Stuff, From a Practical Point of View
2) Basics for Anyone Conducting an Interview
3) Making an Offer The "Can't Do's" These are the basics. We're not lawyers and we definitely don't want anyone to take this as legal advice. (disclaimer/discliamer). But, these guidelines seem to work. First, review your normal questions you would ask, or at least before you ask it in an interview:
TEST #1: Is the information you are asking for necessary in evaluating the candidate's competence for the position? Be objective. "Competence" means the 'can they do the job?' stuff. Skills. Experience.
TEST #2: Does the question you want to ask 'screen out' any 'protected' person? Minorities? Females? Handicap? Age bracket? There are more.
TEST #3: Is there another way, in a non-discriminatory way, to ask the question and get the pertinent/ competence-related info you need? We don't mean try and get cute or 'slick'. If you're thinking about that, stop now. Topics you should know about:
1) Race or Color: No. If you are 'under compliance' from some government agency, you don't even need to read this.
2) Physical, and Appearance: Unless you can legitimately show and demonstrate a need for certain appearance standards for the position, you should not ask about any aspects of this. This includes height, weight, hair length. If there are "standards" they should be posted, include specifics, and OK'd by counsel. An example of this would be Dominoes Pizza. Stop in to your local one and ask to see it.
3) Religion or Creed: Never. Ability to work the scheduled hours, OK.
4) National Origin: What is OK? US citizen. If not, do you have the right to work in the US? That's it. Period. Nothing about ancestry, country, history of family. It may sound like fun...but forget it. Looking for something in common with the applicant? Try baseball or hobbies.
5) Education: Sure. But only if the position requires a certain level.
6) Sex, Family/Marital status: NO! Nothing about plans of pregnancy, marriage, wife's/husband's opinion of work schedule, who takes care of kids, kids in general...ages in particular, health of family members/kids. If there is a gap of employment, just ask why and what the person was doing. That's all.
7) Arrests/ Convictions: Convictions OK. Get specifics. Arrests: no.
8) Garnishments/ Credit: NOPE! The law says it could adversely affect minority groups.
9) AGE? Are you kidding! Only ask if they may be under-age. Ask for verification of ability to work. Don't even ask about dates of anything except employment.
10) Military: Not the type of discharge. What they learned and what they did should be treated like any other job.
11) Disability: NOPE! ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) forbids this until a contingent offer is made. Ask counsel about this. To many, the act is still unclear.
12) Sexual or 'partner' preference: BIG NO!
13) Language: Fluency only. Not origin. Basics for Conducting an Interview:
Remember that an interview is a stressful experience....for both sides. Let the other person relax a little, yourself too. The idea is to evaluate fit...both sides. Many interviewers try to be an 'arm-chair shrink' and get into the 'heads' of interviewees, or design some 'trick questions' for the candidate. Interviewing is tough enough without trying to 'play a game'. Stick to the basics. The responses you get will be easier to evaluate. "Situational" questioning like 'what would you do if....' is OK. "Stress or Pressure" interviews are OK too, as long as they relate to the function/job to be done. In other words...no fancy stuff you conjured up just because the last person in the job failed miserably. Interviewing for values? Sure. Just make sure the questions are legitimate and don't discriminate. Some basic guidelines:
I) Determine your requirements. See our section on 'before you interview'.
II) Review the candidate's information. Resume, notes from a phone conversation, notes that you took from the recruiter, or the application the person filled out in the lobby.
III) Prepare a list of "yes or no" "have/don't have" type questions that question skills necessary to function. Prepare these so you don't miss in the meeting. You can follow-up each question with a 'depth of' clarification question. Let's call these 'specific' or closed-ended questions. They can relate to specific knowledge, experience, skills or abilities: "We use Microsoft Office on a regular basis. Please tell me what components of it you have used, give examples, and tell me how you learned it". Or: "explain how you would enter an non-collectable receivable into the A/R ledger." Follow up the answer with more probing questions. By the way…if a person doesn't HAVE to know the answer to do the job…don't ask the question as if they do. If they don't know the answer, they may just give up and think that you want something more than the job requires.
IV) Be ready to ask 'probing' questions that begin with 'who, what, when, where, why, how often'. Basically, these are 'open-ended', that will get the individual to explain an answer. Great way to figure out how they think and communicate. But interviewing is a two-way conversation. Be prepared to talk about the job, company, and engage in conversation based on the candidate's answers to your questions. Open-ended questions can also start with "tell me about…". Some of these can be about strengths, weaknesses, skills, opinions, interests, learning curve, how they want to be supervised, how they respond to criticism, long hours, politics in the office, seeking training….etc.
V) Create the proper atmosphere: your demeanor should be open and inviting. How else can you really get to know the person. Avoid putting on an 'interview' personality…stiff and formal. We want the person to talk. That is how we get information. AVOID interruptions. Have your calls held if possible. Take notes, but be careful that you aren't being 'cryptic'.
VI) Be a good listener. It takes concentration. Keep good eye contact. Let the candidate talk 60+% of the time. Don't spend your time talking about yourself.
VII) Sell the company, sell the job, sell the opportunity, sell the potential. IF the person is 'in the ballpark' for the job, don't wait until the next meeting or an offer to get them excited. They may have already decided to move on. And, if you get them excited, they may even tell a person more qualified than themselves. Human nature is to 'hold back' excitement until later. Now, don't get over-excited in the interview, but do express your sincere interest.
VIII) Explain the job. Details. See our section on job descriptions. Explain the job's goals, your/company expectations. Explain the difficulties. Be honest about the position's history, but don't 'bad-mouth' the last person….even if you had to let them go.
IX) Explain the hiring sequence, but leave out the 'we have several others to see' stuff. Think of the interviewing and hiring process as 'the dating game'. You probably didn't tell your favorite girl/boyfriend that you had 'other people to go out with' especially if you were interested.
X) If you are interviewing for other people (You are HR, or starting the process for another manager) don't try to 'cover up' that you don't know an answer to a question. It is OK to say that you don't know the answer. Shows your honesty. To go a step farther though: Professional-level candidates with specific job knowledge can see right through a non-answer. You, the company, and the final hiring authority lose respect. Let's face it, if you are in HR, your job is tough enough already. Don't alienate the candidate.
XI) Last (finally, he's finished): Be honest about what you are evaluating the person on in the way of skills and talents needed. Don't have a 'hidden agenda'. If you give little time or emphasis to a particular need, then later think that the person didn't have 'enough' of what you wanted…shame on you. You may have invited a very cursory response. Ask the same basic questions of all candidates, and give the same emphasis to the topics you really want to know about. Consistency in information will lead to consistency in evaluation and selection. After the Interview Evaluation: "Crunch Time" For years, hiring authorities and Human Resource professionals have tried to figure a sure-fire way of deciding yes or no, and predicting success. "Formatted interviews", psychological tests, reference checks, charts/graphs, second and third interviews, one-overs, group meetings, third-party evaluations, checking with neighbors, and consulting the stars. IF, and we do mean IF…you are lucky enough to have the talents of a true HR professional at hand who has spent time in constructing (with your input) a proper format for pre and post interviews…follow it. If not, here's the best method available: start with the job/duty/expectation description you used BEFORE you started interviews. Look at your interview notes, the application and/or resume. Lay out your reference check data. "Line them up", weigh the person's positives and negatives, weigh the person's 'fit' for the environment, then "visualize" the person doing the job. If you have several to compare, do the same side by side. Be objective. Then be subjective. Be consistent. Last...consider the one MOST important aspect of the job. How well will this person do? All that should be left now is to close your eyes, aim the dart at the wall…and throw! Or, there's that pile of cards in the corner…….heh? Making the Offer: "First, best and last" should all be the same. Let's face it, negotiating is a lose-win, at least for one party. Certainly, there are exceptions. But 'negotiating' should not be the rule. From the interview you should have pinned down the candidate's current compensation, benefits, overtime, bonuses, last pay raise and hopefully…expectations. Now, if you are working with a good staffing firm this should be easy because that is part of their job. If you are doing it without assistance, then be blunt and ask. The parts of an offer that are sometimes missed may include items such as: the candidate's current contribution toward their benefit package, parking, bonus history, overtime comp, 401K status, and last raise or next raise. Let's take contribution to their benefit package as an example: if they are currently paying $70 per month, but your package would cost $110 per month…that is a $40 per month or $480 per year difference. To just 'stay even' with their current comp package, they would have to be paid $480 per year PLUS the tax difference, more than their current compensation. If they have paid or free parking, and you do not, that could be another $100 or so per month, or $1,200 per year. Let's face it. To someone earning $18-30,000 per year the figures above are VERY important. Opportunity, job, future, environment are great attractors, inadequate attention to 'fringe' cost or compensation can be 'deal killers'. Cover all of that BEFORE you make a salary offer. Next, and here is the aspect of an offer that can really make or break a good hire: "package" the entire opportunity to 'sell' (heaven forbid!) to the candidate. The 'sell' part is not begging or lying, nor is it 'enhancing' with poetic license. Think through, from the candidate's AND your point of view…why this person will do well in your organization, and in this job. Explain the opportunity, Explain the expectations. Don't 'sugar-coat' it, but don't be bashful either. Sell the learning opportunity, the challenge. From the interview you should know the person's career or job motivators. Speak to these. If you haven't yet explained the company's real future in detail, do so now. Have the benefit details at hand, or better yet, a package that explians them ready to fax or send. Know what the cost will be. Lay out the raise and review structure. And if there are bonuses, explain how they are calculated, awarded, and what they have been in the past. Bonuses are NEVER guaranteed. State that. But also detail how this individual can help assure that the company does well enough to reward them. Have a plan for making the offer. Sketch out your delivery. Follow a script. Or…use a good staffing firm to help. MONEY?? First, best, last. Be fair. "Raises" above current earnings to make a move should be in the 5-10% range average. 10% plus for real problem-solvers or very hard to find people. If you don't, someone else will.
4) After The Interview Evaluation
Champion can and will design an interviewing sequence or entire hiring program for a client including questions and how to evaluate answers.Don't think that we know how to do this, better than you might? Champion interviews more than 40,000 people per year, we employmore than 5,000 people a year, and have done that for over 40 years. This includes low wage, salary, executive, professional and contract folks. Our staff has more than 200 years of experience and our top executives and managers have all been in HR, outplacement,executive search and HR Consulting.The idea here is to get some outside help. People who have the battle scars to prove they know what they are doing.You go to a Doctor, an Attorney or a CPA don't you? We don't sell used cars here.
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