Interviewing job applicants is the most important step in making hiring decisions, and the most difficult.  In my past blogs I have discussed various aspects of job applicant screening.  In this one we look at the main goals of interviewing:  Find out what the candidate knows, learn how their work skills have been tested in past work situations and where their aptitudes lie for future planning. 

Typically in a one-hour interview the hiring manager will ask 10-12 questions, and these questions should be geared to learning as much as you can in regards to the above goals.  However, there is a lot of prep time to hone these questions to produce the desired results.

Noah Apodaca, recruiter for UC Irvine, wrote an article for the Society for Human Resource Management newsletter (shrm.org) on what to ask and how to ask it to get the best response from your candidates.    The questions need to give the candidate an opportunity to share their skills and experience

. 
So here are a few examples of good/bad ways to ask the questions:
* Don’t ask: “Why do you want to work here/want this job?”  This elicits a response on how great the company is and what a great opportunity they have.  In fact the basic reason is that the candidate needs to make money!
* Ask instead – “What particular skills or experiences make you the best match for this position?”, or even more behavioral-based:  What would your most recent supervisor say are the skills that make you the best-qualified candidate for this position?”  This allows them to highlight the things they found to be important from researching the company and the position.
* Don’t ask:  “Where do you see yourself in five years?”  The obvious answer is with the company providing great contributions to the organization.  This gives you no insight on the candidate’s vision concerning professional growth.
* Ask instead – “Where does this position fall in your career path?”  This is more open ended, and also lets you see whether the candidate does have a vision or sees this job as a destination job.
* Don’t ask: “What was the worst thing about your last employer?”  This encourages the candidate to whine, or in the least, break professional decorum.
* Ask instead – “What aspects of your previous  position did you find most professionally challenging?”  This allows candidates to reflect on how they felt their skills matched the challenges of their most recent workplace, and even to suggest how they would improve that situation. 

This is just a short list of the types of interview questions that can be helpful to managers in trying to find the best person for the job.  It is difficult, but a good outcome is rewarding both for the manager and the company.  Good luck!

Tags: candidates, hiring process, hiring talent, recruiting

Studies show that high-performing executives add millions of dollars to their firms’ bottom lines. Here is an overview of the executive search process and some recommendations for success. 
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) wrote a report on the recruiting process for executives based on surveys conducted with member companies.  One of the main points of the report was the need for preparation as you begin to search.  If you have clear goals for the position you are much more effective in the search and in the candidate evaluation part of the hiring process.  It also helps combat the tendency to hire someone “like yourself” or just because you are comfortable with them. 

So, one of the main requirements for success was understanding your business as it exists and what type of leadership you need for the future.  For example a startup company is going to need a leader who is comfortable “working without a net” in that they will be establishing processes and building a team as they progress.  In a more established business, the candidate will need to be able to work within the goals and processes already established and to be able to motivate the team to work within these goals, as well as looking for new opportunities for growth.  Finally a company in a rapidly changing market will need a good strategic planner to keep the company in the game and growing.

Once the company has defined their leadership needs, then they need to look at the types of managerial skills the job will require.  The SHRM report defined three broad sets of skills, technical, interpersonal and conceptual.  The perception is that technical skills are most important at the middle management level; interpersonal skills are important at all levels, and conceptual skills are important at the executive level.  A more recent approach added another factor – business acumen – to the mix, and there are many different opinions on which skills are most important. 

Within these broad categories each company can define specific factors that are important for their organization.  Once that is done, building a job listing, interview questions and a set of criteria to evaluate the candidates becomes easier and more effective. 

Successful hiring of executive talent is one way companies can survive and beat their competition.  In the market today there is a lot of talent that can help your company be successful.  Good luck!

Tags: change management, Executive jobs, hiring talent, recruiting

The spring Tech2 Virtual Job fair begins next week (May 2-6) so don’t forget to visit online.  This is one job fair you can attend from home or anywhere.  Just go to www.nmvirtualjobfair.com Monday morning and see the current list of companies and opportunities. 
This is a time when job seekers should take advantage of whatever opportunities arise, and technology companies are hiring.  The jobs are mainly high tech, but there are also business and leadership opportunities available.  Make sure your resume meets the suggested requirements for the job, and is clear and concise.  Find something you are interested in and post away!
For those of you who do “attend” we would like to get your feedback on the site and the event.  Let us know if you found what you were looking for.  Send comments to the Contact link on the site.  See you there!

Tags: applications, hiring talent, job seeker, recruiting, technical jobs

Recruiting firms and companies themselves are noticing that talent poaching, especially in the technology industry, is becoming a big issue this year and will be in the future.  Talent poaching means one company snags a competitor’s talent with the lure of hirer salaries or other perks.  Bloomberg Businessweek reported recently that poaching in tech companies is an epidemic.  Firms use email or LinkedIn to contact passive candidates.   Bottom line is this can affect YOUR company’s future plans significantly.

First let’s look at why.  The economy is reportedly recovering, and sections of the technology industry are part of that recovery.  Computer hardware and software, as well as renewable energy businesses are planning for growth.  Meanwhile, the pool of qualified talent in science, engineering and math skills is not going to be able to meet our predicted demands.  Companies also need experienced leadership to take them to the next level.  Logically hiring managers will look at the existing workforce to try to fill those gaps. 

An even bigger issue is that most organizations aren’t prepared to address this threat.  How can you prevent your top talent from leaving for what they perceive as greener pastures?  The first step is to take a good look at which of your employees might be a target for poaching.  Then look at what your company can do to avert the threat. 

In the current economic climate, giving folks a raise isn’t always an option, but money isn’t always the answer.  As long as the compensation is competitive in the industry, there are other things that might encourage loyalty to the current employer. 
It sounds like a broken record, but flexible work hours is one of the things employees really appreciate.  One candidate I know is wanting to make a change, but the thought of losing 4 weeks vacation a  year and flexible work hours holds him back. 

Another possibility is to assign your star performers to exciting and stimulating projects.  A challenging, interesting assignment can be as satisfying as a raise for some. 

There is always to option of asking employees to sign noncompete agreements or other legally binding contracts, but that’s not always a morale builder, and has to be carefully crafted.  High tech companies with a lot of research going on may be an instance where this is important. 

In the end, your successful and talented staff are an asset to protect as you plan for your own growth and success.  Include them in any strategic planning as you go!

Tags: change management, employee morale, Hiring Trends, industry news, recruiting

There was an interesting story on CBS Sunday Morning on April 3 concerning unemployment among baby boomers.  They opened the story at a Florida job fair where there were 2000 applicants, many of which looked closer to retirement age.  The premise was that people over 50 are having a hard time getting hired if they have been laid off. 
Here are some interesting statistics:  people over 50 are actually less likely to be laid off, but those who are struggle to find new opportunities.  Laid –off workers 34 or younger have a 36% chance of finding a new job within a year, according to the story.  For those in their 50’s or older it is only 24%.  For job seekers over 62 the number is even lower. 
There was a survey done by a Texas A&M professor in which over 4000 fictitious resumes were sent out in response to job ads, using high school graduation dates from the late ‘50’s to 1986.  The survey found that employers were 40% more likely to go for the younger applicants. 
That’s a real problem because more and more boomer are continuing to work as their retirement nest egg shrinks.  These people are a new underclass that could end up being a huge burden on the government.  Many are finding jobs well below their skill levels, which also affects their ability to save. Some are giving up all together and using unemployment benefits as they can – or finding other ways to get by.
Why the differences?  There is a perception that older workers will cost more, that their benefits will cost more, and that they are more demanding in their jobs.  There is also the idea that folks slow down with age, even though this older generation is a lot more healthy and energetic than those in the past.  Ultimately many employers are opting for “young and cheap” versus mature and experienced. 
So – my question is, is this really true for high tech companies?  It seems that technology companies, especially new ones, need experienced professionals to help them grow and be successful.  In the searches on our job site, nmtechjobs.org, many of the opportunities say “experience preferred”.  True, there is a choice between a newly graduated PhD with no experience and the latest info vs. a veteran who knows the ropes.  Also true that the more cutting edge tech companies have products so new that there aren’t likely to be very many with appropriate experience for the technology.  In the end, the industry does value and need its experienced workers.  Good luck!

Tags: hiring process, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, job seeker, recruiting