| In today's competitive labor market, good help is getting | | | | for interview requires additional work on your part. You |
| increasingly difficult to find. The aging baby boomer | | | | made your list, and you know what are the specific |
| population has created a hiring crunch of qualified | | | | criteria of the position. Knowing these facts now is the |
| human resources. Human Resources Development | | | | time to decide which candidates to bring in for an |
| Canada's Job Futures 2000 ( tells us that because | | | | interview. Suggestions: |
| more and more people are changing positions annually, | | | | Always look whether the applicant meets your |
| either entering or leaving the workforce and employers | | | | expectations from all-aspects: Education, work |
| have become bold in the recruiting process far more | | | | experience, the type of position/s previously held. |
| often in the past decade. With all of the current | | | | The cover letter will reveal the candidate's written skills. |
| conditions, it is clear that employers must pay a lot of | | | | Look for stability. Although it is common today to |
| attention to their hiring processes - from screening | | | | change positions, look at how frequently the positions |
| resumes, to the actual interview, and most importantly | | | | were changed are you comfortable with that kind of |
| to business reference checking. It is essential to take | | | | movement? |
| your time to hire the right candidate. In the end, it will | | | | The presentation of the resume is of extreme |
| pay off for both your organization and the candidate. | | | | importance as well. Is the resume organized properly? |
| This process, definitely brings with it frustrations when | | | | How many pages? More than three pages, including |
| one is forced to neglect their daily job responsibilities to | | | | the cover letter is excessively long. |
| screen countless resumes and hold continuous | | | | Did the applicant list their accomplishments? |
| interviews until the right candidate is found. Aside from | | | | Did the candidate include a small description of each |
| frustration, it is also going to cost you financially. It has | | | | organization? |
| been estimated that it costs from $5,000 to $30,000 to | | | | Are there any spelling mistakes? |
| go through an interview process, and that is without | | | | Did you read the resume with ease and interest? |
| hiring a recruiting firm. You need to decide how | | | | The "definitely bring in for interview" pile is now no |
| valuable is your time and the cost becomes a tradeoff. | | | | more than five individuals. |
| Hiring a recruiting agency, which will do a thorough job | | | | Interviewing Process: A successful interview is one, |
| and understands the organizational needs, will save | | | | which is planned and prepared for. Keep the interview |
| you a lot of time and frustration. Let the agency do all | | | | itself to no more than an hour long. Ask between 15 - |
| the preparatory work and present you with a short list | | | | 20 questions written in advance, and posed to all |
| of suitable candidates. Recruiting agencies charge a | | | | candidates alike. It is important to assess the |
| fee based on a percentage of the employee's first | | | | candidate's soft skills as well as potential fit within the |
| year income. The fee ranges from 15% to 30% | | | | organizational culture. Take notes during the interview. It |
| depending on the position. Whether you engage a | | | | will assist you in avoiding the most common hiring pitfall |
| recruiting agency, get some help from your Human | | | | - prejudging candidates, either favorably or |
| Resources department (providing you have one) or do | | | | unfavorably. Sample of questions you may want to |
| it all alone, the high costs of hiring are a reality, either | | | | ask during the interview: |
| monitory or your valuable time. At the same time, | | | | Why are you leaving your current company? |
| cutting corners will end up costing you much more. An | | | | Tell me about yourself |
| executive director of a leading staffing firm articulated | | | | How do your describe your personality? |
| it as follows: "Hiring mistakes are costly - in terms of | | | | What did you like best about the current company |
| training and recruiting expenses as well as lost | | | | your are working for? |
| productivity. More significant is the toll a poor staffing | | | | What did you like least about the current company you |
| decision can take on employee morale". How to avoid | | | | are working for? |
| costly hiring mistakes? No method is 100% guaranteed! | | | | Describe your current job duties |
| However, here are a few suggestions to assist you in | | | | Describe one of the best ideas you ever came up |
| ending up with a successful hire. To attract the right | | | | with, what was your approach to implementing the |
| candidate, know your specific needs. Write down the | | | | idea? |
| roles and responsibilities of the position, so that job | | | | What are your major weaknesses? |
| seekers will be able to screen themselves in or out. | | | | What are your major strengths? |
| Make sure you know how the position fits into the | | | | Describe a major project with which you had |
| organization, what the skills, education and personality | | | | difficulties and how you overcame these difficulties. |
| requirements are of the successful candidate. Make it | | | | Describe your working style. (Do you enjoy working |
| a goal to advertise the job you are looking to fill as well | | | | independently, in a team setting, etc)· |
| as your organization. Your advertising needs to be | | | | Give an example of when you were not happy with |
| balanced. Be careful not to oversell or undersell. There | | | | your performance and what you did about it. |
| are several methods of letting people know about | | | | Describe some projects you generated on your own. |
| current staffing needs of the organization: | | | | What prompted you to begin them, and what was the |
| Networking - let your employees and your contacts | | | | end result? |
| know that you are looking to fill a position. They may | | | | Why have you chosen the field you are in? What do |
| be aware of an ace that is unhappy at his or her | | | | you feel are the biggest challenges facing this field and |
| current position and are looking to move on. It is a | | | | the industry? |
| proven fact that only 50% of jobs are actually | | | | What are your short-term goals? |
| advertised. | | | | What are your long-term goals? |
| Advertise - in trade publications, all the applicable | | | | Do you consider yourself a leader? Please provide |
| websites, and the newspaper. Adverting in The | | | | some examples. |
| Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail will automatically | | | | Why are you attracted to this position? |
| bring your advertisement to the career site at no | | | | How would your current supervisor describe you and |
| additional charge and will be posted there for 45 days. | | | | your work habits? |
| Hire a recruitment agency on contingency basis. | | | | How long have you been searching for a new |
| Negotiate your fees upfront and get it in writing. | | | | position? |
| Next step: Your marketing campaign has paid off. | | | | How did you manage to get the time off for this |
| There are piles of resumes on your desk. Once again, | | | | interview? |
| think of your valuable time! Separate the resumes into | | | | Why are you interested in working for this |
| the following criteria: | | | | organization? |
| Absolutely Not | | | | What kind of remuneration package are you looking |
| A possibility | | | | for? |
| Strong possibility | | | | Why do you believe you are the best candidate for |
| Definitely bring in for interview | | | | this position? |
| Elimination is easy. The candidate you want to bring in | | | | |