Hiring People_ Recruit and Keep the Brightest Stars - Kathy Shwiff [23]
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“Today, many companies are reporting that their number one constraint on growth is the inability to hire workers with the necessary skills.”
—Bill Clinton, former U.S. president
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Few people work in a vacuum, so it’s important to discover how candidates deal with groups of people with different personalities. With this in mind, a group interview might be your next step. Gather several people with various personality traits, give each of them your list of questions, and have everyone jump in and fire away. A one-on-one interview may follow, where you can discuss the candidate’s reactions to the various staff members.
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“A conversation is the only way to expose and judge the cognitive skills a candidate uses to reach an answer. It is the process that led the person to their conclusion that reveals their strengths and weaknesses.”
—Justin Menkes
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Documenting the Interview
It’s important to take notes during an interview so that you’ll have a record of what each candidate said in order to review and discuss it with other interviewers. It’s also helpful to write down candidates’ actual answers to questions, rather than your evaluations or conclusions. At the beginning of the interview, be courteous and let the candidate know that you will be taking notes.
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Plan B
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INTERVIEWING AND HIRING AS A TEAM
Most businesses prefer having at least three different people interview a job candidate, so they can base their decision on several opinions. A team approach allows tasks such as screening, formulating effective questions, and checking references to be shared or delegated.
According to Rama Dev Jager and Ortiz Rafael, authors of In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations with the Visionaries of the Digital World, candidates for jobs at Apple Computers talk to at least a dozen people in several areas of the company. When making a final decision, consensus is the goal: a candidate is rejected if even one out of 10 interviewers questions the fit. At Google, candidates talk to half a dozen interviewers, both managers and potential colleagues. At a Microsoft interview, a candidate might spend a day shuttling from office to office on the Redmond campus while the interviewers share their opinions and impressions with each other in e-mails.
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Concluding the Interview
Before the interview is over, make sure to give the applicant a chance to ask questions and to add anything that might be important for you to know in order to make your hiring decision. A candidate who asks thoughtful and knowledgeable questions is demonstrating a high level of interest and motivation—traits that will ultimately benefit your company.
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Red Flags
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WEEDING OUT PROBLEM CANDIDATES
Recruitment experts say that a standard application is one of the most effective ways to avoid hiring a liar. According to Lester Rosen, attorney and president of Employment Screening Services of Novato, California, “Warning signs include neglecting to sign the application, which could shield the candidate from being accused of falsification, or not consenting to a background check.” Also, if the work history portion of the form shows gaps of employment, ask the candidate to clarify.
It’s important to follow up with the individual if the application is missing information in the criminal record section or if no reasons are given for leaving previous jobs. Either of these omissions could also indicate your candidate has past problems.
If you suspect a criminal background, there are investigative Web sites that can supply you with this information for a nominal fee. Courthouse records are available to the public—provided that you have the candidate’s previous addresses to allow for a thorough search. Also, if you retain a recruitment firm, they often supply background checks as part of their service.
SOURCE: “Spotting