Posts Tagged ‘preemployment screening’

Top 5 Job Posting Mistakes - How Job Jargon Can Affect Your Hiring Selection

Monday, June 15th, 2009

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So what’s the deal with all the different ways employers post jobs these days? Seems like you’ve got 15 ways of saying the same thing and calling an “Executive Assistant” something that it’s not. Also, why is it that you’re asking for simple qualifications but trying to make them sound complex and intense by adding ubiquitous and word-intensive phrases to state the obvious when the obvious would have just done the trick to accurately and descriptively describe the actual position for which you’re hiring for?… See what I did there… tough crowd. Try the veal.

Really though. If you’ve taken a look recently at any of the major job boards, chances are you could find the same position, described twelve different times although they are really just the same. Why is that? More importantly, what are you trying to convey? Let’s not kid ourselves, at the end of the day, we all know what we’re talking about. Using elaborate “Job Jargon” can seriously affect your pre-employment screening process and therefore, here are some tips on posting an accurate and representative description of your job:

1. Be Honest About Your Expectations
Don’t try to make a construction job sound like you’re looking for a laid off plastic surgeon. Stick to the key points and responsibilities of the job, because chances are if you inflate the description of what you’re actually looking for you’ll:

A) Get a strange and completely over-qualified pool of applicants who in turn will want an equally inflated compensation package.
B) A completely useless talent pool since all the applicants will not have the necessary hard skills that are actually required to fulfill the requirements of the job. Again, if you’re hiring for construction workers but make it sound like you’re in need of a CA - chances are most CA’s won’t want to do manual labour - at least not on the construction site and for a living.

2. Elaborate On Nothing
Rather then creating a wonderfully written and detailed job posting, leave something to the imagination. The danger of saying too much as that you’ll potentially discount many qualified and capable applicants on the basis of what you may have said. If an applicant is truly interest in the position, you’ll know because chances are you’ll receive a resume or email from them. Therefore, stick to the facts and be prepared to go into more details once you’ve met your candidates in the flesh.

3. Lay Off The Labels
In a day and age where you can get a PhD or MBA by answering your spam email - refrain from making your job sound like something they’re not. Directors, VP’s and Account Executives come a dime a dozen these days, so don’t try to impress anyone with the title. If you’re looking for a manager, don’t advertise the position as anything above that level. Otherwise be prepared to dole out above-managerial salary that comes with. You may also just end up with individuals looking to score a sweet title and nothing else. Although one can make the argument that the line of titles is blurred, use your best judgment and advertise the position as something slightly lower then what it actually is.

4. Use An Appropriate Job Board/Posting Tool
Did you know there are literally thousands of niche job boards out there. Take a look at the Beyond.com network for example. You can find anything from geographical to industry and trade sites at Beyond and many other websites that offer job posting services. Make sure that you post your position on the appropriate niche job posting site, chances are they exist. Doing so will increase the possibility of you receiving quality applicants that at least have the right qualifications that you’re looking for.

5. Use Hiring Assessments
I can’t stress enough the importance of using hiring assessments BEFORE you engage any applicants. Don’t waste your time, money and energy on anyone before they’ve taken the time and shown you that they’re actually interested in the position. Companies like ClearFit provide employers with the opportunity to receive FREE personal hiring and employee development reports. The science and monotony of hiring has been automated and made extremely efficient. It would be foolish for you not to take advantage of these tools to find employees that “fit” your company.

For more information and tips on how to hire effectively and uncover people’s true work potential, contact the experts at ClearFit today! Call us today at 1(877) 789-8767 or visit our site to set up your FREE employer profile and start using our reports immediately.

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The Five Recruiting Habits of Highly Successful Managers

Monday, May 18th, 2009

A great article that I found online and wanted to share.

By Adam Robinson

Companies that consistently produce top recruiting results never do so by accident. That these firms tend to outperform their industry peers is the end result of a journey that began with putting the right people in the right seats. How do the successful managers of these leading companies build high-performing teams? By staying true to these five recruiting habits:

They follow a defined process. There’s no shortcut when it comes to selecting the right person for the job. Managers who produce successful hire after successful hire do so because they follow a proven formula, including:

  • Writing a well-defined Job Profile
  • Using an effective Candidate Work History form
  • Conducting a telephone interview
  • Conducting an in-person work history interview, followed by an in-person behavioral interview
  • Personally contacting each of the candidate’s references
  • Using a Candidate Scorecard to make objective yes/no decisions

They’re always recruiting. I’ll say it another way - they don’t let recruiting become an exercise in crisis management. Highly successful hiring managers don’t wait until they have an open position to being recruiting. They’re constantly tapping their networks, asking colleagues for referrals and staying in touch with top prospects from their competitors’ payrolls. When their company wins the next big project, they’re not scrambling for new talent and settling for average performers due to a time constraint. Lack of preparation in recruiting leads to bad hires, and they’re always prepared with available talent.

They take the time to define the role. Without a Job Profile that explains, in detail, the specific, measurable outcomes required of the person filling the role, the recruiting process will produce erratic results. Successful hiring managers take the necessary time required to think through these outcomes, and to define them in quantifiable terms against which candidates can be evaluated. They never say to a recruiter, “I don’t really have a job description written, but you know what I’m looking for, right?”

They include others in the process. Successful hiring managers know that it takes a team to make a well-rounded, informed decision about a new hire. They ask other members of the organization to sit in on interviews as note-takers in order to get outside perspective. These managers know that two sets of eyes and ears are better than one, and they ask for and listen to feedback on their interviewing style and effectiveness.

They don’t talk themselves into saying yes. Most importantly, successful hiring managers don’t hesitate to pass on candidates who are anything less than an top performer. They’d rather go for months without a key position being filled than fill that position with someone who’s less than perfect - because they know that the time spent managing that bad hire will more than wipe out the benefits gained from having someone mediocre in the role. Successful managers look to the Candidate Scorecard and make emotionless decision rooted in facts.

Successful hiring managers follow these five habits to generate recruiting results that lead to high-performing teams. Focus on developing these habits, and watch your results begin to improve overnight.

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Why Should I Use A Career Assessment?

Friday, May 8th, 2009

So far, in prior posts we’ve discussed the how to get the most out of your employees from an employers perspective. Now, we’re going to change gears and focus on the benefits of how and why a candidate analysis can benefit a job seeker.

Imagine for a second if you will (just go along with it)…

2009… ”The Big Three” are more like “The Smaller 1.2″… the most commonly used words in the English language starting with the letter “B” are now “Bailout” and “Billion” - often used in the same sentence… and you’re in the middle in all of this trying to figure out how to make things happen career-wise.

Let me be the fourth to tell you - this is a time of opportunity and exploration. As my stock broker likes to keep saying as I cry on the phone, what goes down must come back up! So how can a career assessments help me? Finding a job and/or career you enjoy, by utilizing psychometric analysis can open the doors to many streams of success (both psychological and physical) based on your answers and assessment.

1. People who work in jobs that they are good fit for are far happier at work, resulting in higher productivity and less illness - both positives!

2. People see their productivity increase.  For example, people who fit the following jobs are far more productive in those jobs than others who don’t fit:

  • 55-60% more productive as a sales person*
  • 40-45% more productive as an administrator*
  • 45-50% more productive as a manager*

3. Validated personality survey tools usually costs $100 to $250 per use and can take hours – HOWEVER there are free ones that take only 15 minutes.

4. It’s quick, easy and painless. You’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose so why not give it a try.

Don’t believe me, try it!

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Top 10 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Employees

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

In our continuing series of tips on How To Get The Most Out Of Your Employees, here are tips 6-10.

6. Lead By Example

One of the greatest motivators for an employee is seeing a manager or supervisor work harder than anyone else in the company. Leading by example is an underestimated motivator that can foster a productive work ethic in a company, and produce some great results.

7. Engage Your Workers

Ensure that your work force is engaged. This means that employees have a say in decisions (where appropriate of course) and can communicate ideas and feedback to supervisors and management. An engaging employer will surely be rewarded by an engaged and entitled employee who wants to succeed in the workplace.

8. Reward Your Employees (… and not just with money!)

Even though this may seem at first like a risky proposition, rewarding employees can be a great motivator in general. Rewards do not necessarily come in the form of money or run-of-the-mill employee benefits. Rewards can include verbal recognition, employee perks such as lunches, or even other ongoing incentives such as paying for daily commutes to and from work. Get creative!

9. Foster Strengths, Work on Weaknesses

While you shouldn’t ignore an employee’s weakness, it’s important to foster their strength, while being aware of their weaknesses. Realizing an individual’s strengths will enable you to leverage those into productive and rewarding work. At the same time, working on the person’s weaknesses can also be beneficial to both employer and employee and works to strengthen the professional bond between the two.

10. Don’t Be Afraid To Cut

While it is never the intention of an employer to hire someone who doesn’t work out – sometimes cutting an employee loose in order to maintain workplace harmony, avoiding conflict or for a simple lack of ability is a necessary part of running a business. As an employer you can’t and shouldn’t avoid taking the lead on issues that jeopardize any aspect of your business. The longer you wait, the more damage that will be done. As the saying goes: hire slow and fire fast!

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