Your Company Idol
Patti Dunham, MBA, MA, SPHR
Strategic Human Resources, Inc.

If only it were that easy.  Week after week millions of people sit down to watch the hit show, “American Idol”.  In most cases, in a matter of moments, it is easy to tell who is going to succeed (and make it to the next round) and who is going to fail.  The final show ending in the ultimate decision of who is “hired” and who is not.  Although the show has a lengthy elimination process (it is all about television ratings remember), those making the voting decisions do it fairly quickly.  In the recruiting world, trying to identify that “Company Idol” is a much more arduous process.  And although those involved in the recruiting process are asked to get the positions filled very quickly, unlike American Idol, effective screening and interviewing takes time.  Time, that if not taken out during the hiring stage, may likely result in even more expenses when it is determined that the hire was ‘not a good fit’.

We have all read dozen of articles about how to effectively screen and interview candidates to get the best person for the job.  Those tips include things to be done to avoid what some estimate to be a $100,000 hiring mistake for a $60,000/year job.  But the things we were doing 5 years ago, 2 years ago, or even last year, isn’t enough these days.  In this tight economy there is a fierce struggle for good employees and to be effective in recruiting for these individuals you will need to take your efforts even farther. 

Understand the position - job descriptions aren’t enough.  How well do you understand the position for which you are recruiting?  With recent downsizings and significant job changes, have you kept your job descriptions up to date?  These are essential recruiting tools but ineffective if it doesn’t accurately reflect the current duties of the position.  Once the job description is up to date and complete, use it to speak with the hiring manager to discuss competencies required for the position.  Learn what it will take to make the candidate a hiring success.  For example, “good verbal communication” doesn’t cut it.  What do they really need to be able to do?  Encourage consensus among coworkers?  Conduct technical training?  Present in front of board members?  There are different levels of “good verbal communication” so speak with the hiring manager to get the details and learn exactly what is needed.  You may even need to get your feet wet, and check out the job for yourself.  Especially effective for manufacturing and/or technical positions, there is no better way to understand the basics of a job than to see it for yourself firsthand.

Effective screening tools. Are you able to effectively screen resumes when we review resumes for an average of 10 seconds per resume?  With an estimated 73% of all Americans using the Internet in their job search, some recruiters have begun to shy away from the large Internet posting boards due to the sheer volume of resumes received after such a posting.  Although the Internet reaches a number of candidates not traditionally able to be reached, care must be taken to source effective candidates from the pool.  Many recruiters are now turning to on-line pre-screening automation tools that take time away from the traditional resume time trap.  These short and simple on line questionnaires can be tailored to detect the specific skills for a company or position that will help screen candidates even prior to the traditional resume review.  Recruiters only review candidates that have the minimum skills outlined for the position.  This allows us to reach the candidates that prior to the Internet were virtually unreachable while allowing us to manage the volume. 

Behavioral testing, an objective view.   Traditional interviewing practices focus on the individual skills and what they have done, not who they are.  Behavioral assessments used in the recruiting process help to assess personal aspects that may assist with job success.  Tools such as these can test for soft skills such as self-esteem, competitiveness, interpersonal skills, and initiative.  To get the best results from such a test, use a validated test from a qualified vendor that will assist you in defining those attributes of high and low performers in the job you need to fill.  Identifying candidates that have the identified performance criteria of high performers within your organization will allow you to further narrow the field of candidates and make a more informed selection decision.  With an estimated 50% of “bad hires” failing due to “personality” rather than “skill”, these tools will assist in ensuring a good fit in terms of culture and personality.

Thorough background checks…have you dug deep enough?  There are a number of legal issues surrounding reference checking but not doing them and/or just doing a cursory check isn’t the safest policy.  Courts agree that checking references is lawful and have even punished employers who did not disclose information that led to destructive results.  As an employer, take a moment to really look at your potential hire.  Conduct the standard criminal check for each potential hire.  However, when conducting reference checks, I encourage you to dig a bit deeper (but keep it JOB REALTED!).  Look at the organizations with which they belong.  Do you or someone involved in the interviewing process know anyone in those groups that be contacted to see if they have worked with the interviewee?  Maybe someone has worked with them on a committee outside of work and has seen their organizational and communication skills in action.  Similar to networking, reference checking requires more than the standard three professional references if you would like to get some valuable job related information about the hire.  Look at professional or social organizations, school groups, and even past employment and be sure the information is coming from a reputable source and again make sure it is job related.

If you are like most, you are looking at the above list wondering where the time is going to come from to do all of these activities.  Remember, the single greatest return on investment for a company comes from the time put into a good hire.  The cost of turnover is estimated at 150% of an individual’s annual salary, money lost in rehire costs, lost production, training time, and of course morale and company reputation.  Time is money and even some of the tools identified require additional time and/or financial outlay it is money well spent.  Going beyond the “American Idol” judging and using these tools will put you one step closer to ensuring that your hire is the best person for the job and will help your organization move to success.

Patti Dunham is a Sr. Human Resources Consultant with Strategic Human Resources, Inc.  If you have any questions feel free to contact her at: Patti@StrategicHRInc.com.