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When It Comes to Hiring, Why Reinvent the Wheel? Ask yourself the following questions about your business:
Okay, I admit it. That last one was a trick question. No doubt, you are a busy person and have more to do than hire and rehire new employees. Still, that is one of the most important job responsibilities you have. Your people are core to your business. One wrong person can cost you a lot in terms of both turnover expense and lost customers. How much time, money and business are you willing to lose by not having an effective hiring system in place?There are many components to hiring. Although it may sound easy, it takes more time and effort than you may plan for. It follows that the more hiring components you have systemized, the more effective your results will be and the more time you will save. A good starting point is the concept of a hiring wheel, with everything you do in the hiring process represented as a spoke of that wheel. At the hub of the wheel is your company. The crux of what you are "selling" to prospective employees is your company's mission, vision and philosophy or culture. If you communicate that core information to applicants in writing, you are already one step ahead of your competition. Too few small companies develop recruiting materials. A simple one page flyer that includes your company name and logo can work wonders. The flyer should include general information on your business, your customer base, your products and services, etc. To make, it stand out, however, include what makes your operation unique. Why would a qualified applicant select you over another employer? Develop a bulleted list that answers the question, "Why work here?" If you don't know the answer, look around and ask your employees. Brainstorm about what makes your company the best place to start or continue a career. The job description is the hubcap of the wheel. As boring as job descriptions typically sound (and read), a well written one is still the best way to focus every aspect of the employment process. Understanding the responsibilities, skills, knowledge and personality required to perform a particular job is paramount to making a good hire.
ADA ISSUES If your company has more than 15 employees, your job descriptions must adhere to guidelines established by the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA requires written job documentation that separates out essential job functions (which applicants must be able to perform) from non essential ones. Since a job description's value as a hiring tool increases along with its level of detail, following ADA requirements will actually put you at an advantage.Employment ads represent the first spoke of the hiring wheel. Create a template that you can use every time you need to run an employment ad. Begin with a brief description of your company and include a short list of job tasks, skill requirements, benefits offered and contact information. Punch up the ad with a phrase summing up your philosophy, a statement of corporate culture or something else that makes you stand out from the pack. Take all the information for the ad right from your job description. Include the most important tasks, skills and knowledge required. Spoke 2 is for screening techniques. Review the job description and identify the absolute "must have" experience and skills you want in a candidate. List them on a piece of paper with three scoring columns to the right of each item: exceeds requirements, meets requirements, falls short of requirements.
Spoke 2 is the interview process. It takes time and effort to write out an interview questionnaire targeting each position in your business, but the results justify the expenditure. Use your job description to develop specific questions related to each component of the position. If the job requires computer skills, ask questions on how the candidate has used computers in past positions, what projects they developed on the computer, what innovations they created, etc. Try to write open ended, thought provoking questions that will reveal an applicant's true ability, skills and willingness to work hard. Also make sure each question elicits information you really need to know to determine whether an applicant is the right fit. During the interview itself, stick to your script and use it for taking notes. Be sure to ask all applicants the same questions so there is no chance of discriminating or missing key information. Testing is the fourth spoke of the hiring wheel. Whenever feasible, you should pretest final candidates to make sure they work as well as they interview. You can create your own test to plumb some aspect of an applicant's competency or purchase standardized ones. Be sure to require all finalists to take the test to avoid discriminating. Using the, computer skills example again, you might ask the finalists to type a memo after giving them clear instructions regarding the memo's objective. Such a simple test allows you to assess writing, language, keyboard and other skills.
POST MORTEM The post interview evaluation is the fifth spoke of the wheel. Take your interview questionnaire and add the same three column scoring scale mentioned earlier. After each interview, rate the candidate's answers to every question. Do they have the skills, ability and personality you need? Add a section to the form to note other criteria you consider essential to performing that job, such as professionalism, verbal and nonverbal skills, etc.Sometimes your "gut" may like a candidate, but once you more formally review the candidate's interview and your notes, another applicant will emerge as the stronger candidate. Be sure to discuss each candidate with another trusted individual in your organization. Talking aloud and reviewing your analysis frequently provides a clearer perspective. Spoke 7 (This is a big wheel!) is the job offer. Create a job offer checklist so you don't miss any information when extending that important offer. Be positive and excited, since you are still "selling" your organization to the candidate. Include wages and benefits offered, job responsibilities, schedule issues, pay periods, dress code, safety information whatever is needed to make sure your candidate gets the complete picture. A simple checklist guarantees that you cover all the bases.
If you have dozens of applicants on a regular basis, rejection letters can be an administrative nightmare. However, if you advertised a position and got a modest response, I recommend sending a form letter to all those you did not interview and a personalized letter to all those you did interview. That level of polite communication will set you apart from other small employers, most of whom provide no response at all. Remember, the more systems you have in place to help you focus on each candidate i.e., not having to reinvent the wheel every time you fill a position the more effective your hiring results will be.
Arlene Vernon, PHR, owner of HRx, is a speaker, trainer and human resource consultant who works with business owners and managers to attract, manage and retain the best employees. Contact her at 952-996-0975 or through her Web site, www.HRxcellence.com.
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