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Job Simulations

With hiring costs escalating, employers need more assurance that a candidate can perform in actual work situations. In light of that, applicants are frequently asked to engage in office simulations. A managerial simulation might include fielding phone calls from suppliers, employee conferences, sending and receiving constant e-mails, and other pressure situations, which allow employers to see first hand how well a candidate copes. Executive simulations up the ante even further, and can include negotiating a worker conflict or handling difficult questions from a reporter. There is also software available geared to specific jobs: Teller Vision Simulation© replicates banking situations right on the PC.

Simulations are also used to test candidates for blue-collar jobs. Toyota and GM use simulations at certain plants to test applicants on their problem-solving skills, their ability to follow simple instructions, and how they work with a team. At one auto assembly plant, applicants run a simulated business involving the manufacture of circuit boards. Their goal is to come up with ideas and then decide on the best way to find suppliers, assemble the boards, and maintain quality control. Some Toyota candidates are also required to test their manual dexterity and spatial skills; they might spend their “work” day assembling and disassembling a set of plastic pipes.

THE FINAL DECISION

A number of factors enter into a final hiring decision—not only the candidate’s experience, qualifications, references, and salary requirements, but also the impressions you and your fellow interviewers have of the candidate’s suitability for the position and fit within your group.

Before you make a job offer, it’s critical to have a strong sense of having found the right person for the position. You and your company will be making a significant investment of time and money in this individual, and you want it to pay off.

WELCOME ABOARD

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“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies.”

—Larry Bossidy, author of Execution

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You’ve narrowed down your candidate database, created a short-list, interviewed the most promising prospects, invited them back for follow-up meetings, discussed all the possibilities with your team, decided on an employee, and checked his or her references.

Now, it’s time to make the offer and welcome your new team member. The conversations you have during the hiring period and decisions you subsequently make set in motion a cycle of goal setting and performance management that will help keep your new employee motivated and growing and making positive contributions to your business for years to come.

CRAFTING YOUR OFFER

Before you actually contact the candidate to make an official offer, you need to nail down the issues of salary, bonuses, benefits, and any other perks you are considering.

Salary

The first decision you need to make is the salary you intend to offer. If you have access to information on industry salary standards, you are in a good position to set a salary that is fair for the individual’s background, talent, experience, and salary history. To research what other companies are paying, survey classified ads or consult professional and trade associations, human resources specialists, and recruiters in your field. Websites such as www.wetfeet.com, www. salary. com, and www.jobstar.org offer a great deal of pertinent information.

Many companies set salary grades or ranges for each type of position, expecting the hiring manager to negotiate within that given range. The grades may be narrow and specific (e.g., $25,000–$32,000 for entry-level analysts), or fairly broad, based on an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience in comparison with others in the same job. Not all salaries are straight salaries, however.

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“As an acid test of hiring, ask yourself how you would feel having the candidate working