Recruiting well is a virtue that affects company success in all aspects of the business including economic growth and employee morale.  The successful recruiting team has their ducks in a row before they start the process.  A few of the important “ducks”, according to Ross Staffing consultants:  have the interviewing team ready to go and able to focus their attention on the process; be prepared with an efficient decision process allowing for feedback and closure; and know when the search should be outsourced (the position may be difficult to fill or require more expertise to screen).  It is important that the recruiting team have a high sense of urgency so the best candidates don’t get snapped up by some other company.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently researched the ‘time to fill” metric and found that their sampling produced an average time to process of 33.28 days.  The number includes weekends and holidays.  The challenge, according to an article in the SHRM news is to keep it under 30 days.  The article offers some suggestions to facilitate this goal.

Initially, companies should always include head count and projected growth as part of the annual budget/forecast process.  This helps the recruiting department plan ahead, and keep an eye out for needed talent. 

Then – set a timeline for the process.  If you have been looking ahead, you should be able to get past the “let’s see who we can find” that traps you in a perpetual candidate identification circle.  Set a realistic deadline for receiving applications and move on.  Once the candidates have been presented, set a schedule for phone and face-to-face interviews, assessing and processing the hire. 

Review the process itself and answer some key questions – who will do the interviewing, how will they report results, and how (and who) will candidates be kept informed of the progress?  If communication and understanding isn’t there, the “time-to-fill” will be out of control.

Technology Ventures Corporation provides continuing education classes on all aspects of starting a company and one of the sessions spends significant time on preparing for and conducting interviews.  An important task is the initial screening of the applicant resumes.  A thorough review of that document can save lots of wasted time later in the recruitment process, and help reaffirm exactly what types of candidates the company is looking for.

Remember- the candidate may have other prospects, and you want to keep them interested while your team is making decisions.  The worst outcome of a hiring activity is to have your chosen candidate say “I just accepted another offer last__.”  Pick one “mentor’ to stay in touch with your best prospects.

It goes without saying that those conducting the interviews should be well trained and prepped for the task.   Good luck!

Tags: hiring process, hiring talent, recruiting

Hiring interns for an organization can be extremely beneficial for both the employer and the intern.  Some large organizations that have lots of hiring opportunities have special departments dedicated to promoting their internship programs and providing selection and orientation support for same.  A special report done thru the Society for Human Resource Management outlines opportunities and pitfalls in managing an internship program of any size. 
The pros:
-  Employers are able to hire interns at a lower salary for the cost of giving training.  Interns usually work for a short time without benefits. 
- These interns are then a great resource for potential hires.  Not only are they familiar with the work, but the employer has much better knowledge of the intern’s skills and work ethic – much more than can be gained through the basic interview. 
- The employer gains brand recognition and the appreciation of the community for providing these opportunities to inexperienced workers.  The internship program can also be a key component of the company’s diversity efforts.
- Interns also benefit.  They can gain a real-world view of a particular industry or job before they devote considerable effort to qualify for the positions.
- In the present economy, this can be an extended job interview, giving the intern the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.

The other side: 
- Be careful not to discriminate against older workers when looking for interns.  The perception is that these jobs go to young graduates, but there are many older workers wanting new skills.
- Interns sometimes perceive that they are not subject to employer’s policies even if they sign the appropriate documents.  Similarly supervisors may think the same way.  Abuses of internships by both parties can lead to legal claims and end up being more of a hassle than the program is worth.  The key, of course is clear direction and careful management by the supervisor, with the help of the Human Resource group.
- Foreign workers on a visa do take internship jobs, and so the visa requirements need to be carefully managed as well. 

Companies need to set clear goals for their internship programs and make certain they are reaching them.  The primary reason a company has this program is to have access to a pool of possible hires.  If the company can’t identify good candidates in this pool, then it isn’t being managed correctly.  If the company isn’t able to add new employees, the time spent on training may not be worth it, even though it contributes to the business community overall.

Each company has its own special needs, and decisions about internships need to fit these needs.

Tags: internships, job seeker, recruiting

Both hiring executives and new employees have a fear of failing when adding staff to the company.  As a result, recruiters have tried to come up with ways to screen for success.  These range from holding extensive interviews to putting applicants through rigorous testing processes.  Yet there are still mis-matches and thus frustration on both sides of the hiring equation.
At Technology Ventures Corporation one of our continuing education topics is on the subject of recruiting the right talent.  We talk about things to watch out for, and things to ask a prospective hire, as well as what types of screening are available.  However, we haven’t been able to find the magic bullet!
An article in a Canadian HR publication (hrreporter.com – Oct 211) interviewed Canadian CFOs on the top factors leading to a failed hire.  They were asked what, aside from poor performance, was the most likely factor in a poor hiring match.
The list, from highest to lowest choices were;  mismatched skill set, unclear performance expectations, personality conflicts, and failure to fit into the corporate culture.  The CEO of Robert Half International stated (as we all know) that companies can’t afford hiring mistakes as they are costly and erode company morale.  Finding the right hire for the company takes time, and even the busiest manager needs to make time for the process.
Therein lies the secret.  The hiring process needs to be given the same importance as the monthly financial review.  The biggest mistake a company can make (and the Robert Half Agency mentions this also) is to use a canned or cobbled together job description.  Companies need to review the position each time they fill it, as needs always change over time, and the people doing the hiring need to be very clear about what is required to do the job. 
As part of the position description, the company needs to take into account the candidates work style.  Employers often neglect to take into account talents such as leadership and communications skills needed in the job.  A mismatch here can make for disaster.
The art of the interview is SO important in the process.  Anyone can look good on paper, but conversations with the applicants can allow you to assess not only their skill set, but also their personal skills, such as being able to clearly express ideas (and listen to yours!).
Finally – don’t let the good one get away.  Even in these economic times  highly skilled applicants will get more than one offer.  Make sure you sell your organization and the opportunities involved, and offer a compensation package that is competitive in the market.
Use all the resources you can to help make the final evaluation – and as always, good luck!

Tags: candidates, hiring process, Hiring Trends, recruiting

Many of the news stories on job losses/job creation/unemployment state that small businesses, led by start-ups, generate over 50% of new jobs in the economy.  An article in the Wall Street Journal (9/15/2011) quotes the Small Business Administration as saying that 65% of new jobs over the last 17 years were due to small employers.
That same article “With New Technology, Start-ups Go Lean”, says that the number of workers needed to launch a new company has decreased by almost half in the past decade.  Start-ups are being launched with an average of 4.9 employees vs. the 7.5 workers in the 1990s.  At the same time, the number of start-ups has held steady, or even showed a slight increase since the recession, according to a study by the Kauffman Foundation.  This factor can have a huge impact on overall job recovery.
Efficiency is a good thing, but how do they do it?  As it turns out, using Web-based business tools, and working with contract developers/workers online has reduced the need for bodies in the company. The availability of web-based collaborative tools allows disparate groups to work together on projects, and eliminates the need for a large staff. 
One thing occurs to me – maybe the start-up or small business doesn’t add to its staff, but the work (managing the projects, ordering supplies, keeping financial records, etc) still needs to be done.   Someone outside the company is getting paid for providing these services in another setting.  Whereas the work may be done more efficiently, we still have a job opportunity for some bright soul.  It might be interesting to compare costs for outside services and support between today’s start-up and the earlier versions. 
Sadly there’s one part of this story that doesn’t help our jobs picture – the ease of collaboration with overseas talent.  Good for keeping costs down, but not so good for the job market either. 
In the meantime, the really good news is that start-ups are continuing to launch at a steady rate, and our innovative talent is still at work.  Keep up the good work!

Tags: change management, Hiring Trends, industry news, recruiting, technical jobs

Most large or well-recognized companies that are hiring are being inundated with resumes, and are trying to find ways to sort through the pile. The Internet has created a whole new market for job postings, and has resulted in a much larger audience.  To deal with the volume, increasingly applicants are being asked to take a personality test before they ever have any contact with the company. 
There are pros and cons to this practice, and in some cases complaints have been filed with the local commission for human rights that the tests are discriminatory.  One case was cited in an article by Eve Tahminciogle on the MSNBC Careers site.  In this Rhode Island case, CVS Caremark included questions that sent up legal red flags for the local ACLU.  The test asked applicants to agree or disagree with statements such as “People do a lot of things that make you angry”, “There’s no use having close friends; they always let you down”, “Many people cannot be trusted”, and “You are unsure of what to say when you meet someone”.   Several applicants had complained, and the local Commission found “probably cause” that the test was in fact discriminatory.  The company agreed to remove the problematic questions.

This could be the tip of an iceberg, as the growing use of these tests early in the hiring process is a relatively new area.  The perception is that some of these questions could hurt people with mental disorders, and is likened to a “medical exam”. 

Apparently the employment assessment market overall is worth $2 billion and growing.  It was estimated by one research firm that  one-third of employers are using testing for hiring and promotions.

There is strong disagreement between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the ACLU on the use of these tests.  Jeanne Goldberg, advisor for the EEOC had no problem with applicants answering non-job related questions to see if the person’s personality will do well in a particular job. 

The article on MSNBC quoted some sample questions from a McDonald’s survey.  They included “I am sometimes unkind to others”, “I often lose my patience with other”, and “I dislike having several things to do on the same day”.  Ms Goldberg from the EEOC saw no issue with this survey.

The ACLU on the other had said that a lot of these standardized tests are weeding devices, and ones without real meaning.  The spokesperson said that employers were always looking for the magic test, but they didn’t accomplish much.  The applicant’s recourse was to decide not to work for the organization.

The question remains, how do you find the best candidates for your company – not only with appropriate skills, but with a work ethic that fits with the organization?  It doesn’t seem we’ve found the perfect tool just yet.  Good luck!

Tags: applications, Employment Testing, hiring process, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, recruiting