Right job, right talent

You’ve narrowed down potential employees from a number of qualified
applicants. Next, you want to make sure you make the right choice when it’s time
for the final selection for a vacant position.
There are a number of different personality
and skill-set tests available to help employers
with the evaluation process to ensure that a
candidate is a good fit for your environment.

“Building a stronger work force starts with
the hiring process,” says Tarelton Cherry,
workforce services manager at Tampa Bay
WorkForce Alliance. “Perfecting your hiring
process ensures that your company finds the
best suitable candidate for the job.”

Smart Business spoke with Cherry about
how comprehensive interviewing and selection techniques can lead to putting the right
people in the right positions.

Why do many companies seem to have an
ineffective hiring process?

The primary focus is often on past experiences and talent, not so much on whether
the person is the right fit for the organization.
Too often, the hiring process ends at the
interview with the wrong candidate being
hired for the position. A resume and interview alone cannot accurately predict success on the job. The candidate may have
impressive experience but could come from
a company with a completely different corporate culture or conflicting leadership style.
The candidate could have trouble adjusting,
which would create a lower level of performance than expected.

Why is it essential to use multiple screening
methods?

According to Background Information
Services, it costs an employer $15,000 when
it hires the wrong person for a low-level position, including training fees, recruiting costs,
and money spent replacing a dismissed
worker and training the replacement. The
cost is even higher for an executive.

What are some important aspects of the hiring process?

The hiring process should evaluate both
job skills and personality. Skills-based or
job-knowledge tests have consistently been
proven to predict success on the job. Just as
important as the job skills of a candidate is
the ability for that person to synthesize with
the culture of the company. Employing a
personality test during the application
process will give you a comprehensive look
at the psyche of the candidates. Do they
thrive in a high pressure environment? Do
they prefer independent work or group
environments? Are they accustomed to a
greater workload or less? Understanding a
candidate’s personality is a good testing
measure for adaptability and productivity
within an organization. If your office
requires independent workers, then someone who especially thrives in a team environment may not be the best fit. No matter
what, do not underestimate the importance
of a good job fit.

Conduct a careful background check to
not only protect your company but also for
experience verification. There is a fairly
high percentage rate of false information
presented in resumes and job applications.
According to a study conducted by the
Society for Human Resource Management,
a majority of applicants stretch the truth on
resumes. More than half, 55 percent, lied
about the length of past employment. While
it takes extra effort, thoroughly verifying
critical information almost always results in
avoiding problems on the job. Digging
deeply into a candidate’s work history also
gives you more details as to his or her passion. Inquire about situations where the candidate excelled in the past, which job or jobs
gave him or her a chance to shine and what
special achievements received recognition.
This should help you assess whether the
candidate’s passions match the position
you are trying to fill and whether he or she
has a high probability of success with your
company.

What is especially crucial to remember during the final stages of the interview process?

While in the final stages of the interview
process, remember that courtship is still a
vital professional courtesy. The last thing
you want is to expend valuable time and
resources on a candidate to have him or her
withdraw because the person perceived he
or she was not properly courted in the
process. Demonstrate the value the candidate would bring if selected.

What resources are available to help
employers discover key information about
potential hires?

Apart from the aforementioned skill-set
testing, personality tests and background
checks, remember the power of the Internet.
New media provide a wealth of information
on candidates. There are myriad social networking sites that can provide extra background on the personality and passion of
the candidate. MySpace, Facebook and
Friendster are excellent sources to discover
the candidate’s personality. Professional
social networking sites like LinkedIn, Plaxo
and Ryze can offer in-depth background on
a candidate’s passion.

TARELTON CHERRY is workforce services manager at Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance. Reach him at (813) 930-7862 or
[email protected].