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