Selecting The Right Candidate

Selecting the Right Candidate

How can I screen job applications effectively? When you post a job advert you’re hoping to find the perfect candidate that matches your exact requirements. Whether you get a response of 20 or 20,000 CV’s you need to know how to effectively evaluate every application. Determining your criteria It’s important to highlight the key things that you should be looking for so you can quickly evaluate all applications on a level playing field. If you've created an effective job description you should have the basis for the criteria which you will mark all candidates against. These can usually be split into three sections: •

Technical - Does the candidate have the necessary education in order to succeed in the role or do they have certificates relating to relevant computer software?

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Experience - Have they worked in a similar industry before or have they shown a history of success when managing similar budgets?

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Personal - Have they displayed examples of when they have used their communication skills or their creativity in a business scenario?

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Once you have a good idea of what you're looking for, take a quick scan through each CV and discard any that clearly aren't going to cut the mustard. The more applications you have received, the more ruthless you can afford to be. Developing a screening chart Create a grid in order to see how each candidate measures up to the criteria. Either electronically or using good old pen and paper, put the names across the top, the criteria down the side and then go through each CV putting a score out of 5 by each. For example, if your role requires a candidate to have a degree in History, you may use the following scores: 1. No degree or a degree in a unrelated subject 2. Degree in a related subject or a 3rd in History 3. 2:2 or 2:1 in History 4. 1st in History 5. History Masters Degree Adding up the scores can give you a good idea, which candidate best meets your needs. Depending on time and resources you can get as complex as you want with the scoring or even bring someone from an internal department to have a look at the CV’s (to avoid any pre-conceived bias)

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Selecting the Right Candidate

How can I attract international candidates? The Internet revolution means you now have access to a much wider reach than just the candidates who read your local paper. Coupled with the single market agreement across the EU, gives you access to an unprecedented number of quality candidates who could help your business grow. The purpose of this article is to provide tips on enabling you to market yourself to an overseas audience. The 5 C's are a good starting point: •

Country - Know why your country is an attractive proposition to international candidates. Does it offer a good standard of living? Are the interest and currency exchange rates favourable?

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Culture - Understand your own cultural stereotypes and that of your target group. Will it be an easy transition for them? Is there already a community of people from their country? Are there facilities to allow them to practice religion beliefs?

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Company - As people from overseas are often less likely to have heard of your company, you will need to provide a bit more information about the history of the business and the products and services you offer.

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Careers - Sell the benefits of the career path they will be taking. Is it a quick rise to the top? Are there a lot of training and development opportunities?

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Colleagues - Let people know what kind of working environment they will be coming to, and show examples of others who may have done the same. Portray your business as one that embraces newcomers.

Once you've identified your key targets, you'll need to find ways to get your vacancies in front of them. Take a look at local websites to determine the best and most cost effective places to advertise. Evaluating candidates Higher number of responses can be made manageable by hiring local temps. It may also be a good idea to offer to pay for any long distance travel expenses candidates may embark on. In the long run this will make for a much better cost per hire. Once your successful candidate has been selected, it's important to make sure their transition is a smooth one. Do what you can to help with visas, work permits, accommodation, bank accounts and arrangements for their family. Assigning a local “buddy” can also help ease the shift. Once hired promote your international candidate in order to hire other talented individuals from the same areas.

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Selecting the Right Candidate

What characteristics identify a job hopper? If you’re discarding candidates just because they have switched jobs too many times, you could be missing great talent. There are three typical categories of job hoppers that you should look to identify when screening candidates. Essential hoppers These hoppers are set apart from others because the majority of their moves would have been out of their control. The candidate should be able to easily explain each move and often you will spot patterns that fit in with wider economic trends. Some people are destined to hop by necessity. Those who are involved (or have partners that are involved) in roles or industries that will necessitate change, such as: • • •

Time related roles - Olympics, event management Project related roles - Construction, software installation Mobile roles - Oil engineers, training consultants

Regardless of the time a candidate has been in a role, they should be able to explain what they have achieved. If they're able to make a bigger impact in 6 months than some people do in 36 months, then they will surely be an asset to your business.

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Opportunity hoppers There are people who opt to change careers regularly and are unlikely to cause much disruption to your business. This is regularly done at the start of people’s careers, usually because they have not yet decided in which direction they want to take their career. These candidates can provide a worthy addition to your workforce, presuming they are able to show logic and progression in each move. Difficult hoppers Occasionally ‘difficult hoppers' will have moved on for valid reasons, but their CVs will show a pattern that the candidate finds it difficult to adapt to the work environment. They will have difficulty in explaining success in interviews and will have stories about bad managers, bad colleagues and generally bad experiences. Remember the following when assessing hopper behaviour. • • •

Do not discard people without knowing the facts Give the candidate a chance to explain each move Look for successes rather than date ranges

As well as the questions you ask at an interview, make sure you probe candidate's references a bit deeper if you're worried about their job hopping past. A glowing report from five recent employers could tell you a lot more than an average recommendation for someone who had been in their job for five years.

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Selecting the Right Candidate

What should a job interview consist of? This is your chance to get to know your candidates and discover which will be right for your business. After assessing job applications, the next step on the road to hiring is the job interview. This is your chance to get to k now your candidates and discover which will be right for your business. There is no right and wrong way to conduct interviews and every role will require a different technique. However, there are certain stages that every interview should go through to ensure an effective evaluation of candidates. Who takes part in the interview again depends on the type of role that candidates are going for. A representative from the HR team should always be there as well as the manager of the department that is hiring. You may also wish to bring in a current employee who is doing a similar job as they will be in a very good position to work out if the candidate is capable of doing the job. Conducting the interview Whatever type of interview you choose, you need to prepare effectively. Allow at least half an hour in between interviews in case one over runs. Setting up a schedule can be helpful. Try and be as flexible as you can with candidates and provide a quiet environment for the process to take place in.

hiring.monster.co.uk When your candidate arrives, look to roughly follow this process: •

Welcome the candidate, offer them a drink and put them at ease with some casual conversation.

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Introduce yourself and briefly explain the interview process

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Talk through an overview of your business and the role.

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Ask them to take you through their CV.

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Ask open-ended questions so that the candidate has the opportunity to express themselves.

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Try to cover important questions in the beginning to avoid less detailed answers due to time restrictions.

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Ask the candidate if they have any questions.

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Inform them of the next stage in the recruitment process, e.g. second interviews and estimated timescales.

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Walk the candidate to the exit, thanking them for their time.

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Write up any notes you have taken as soon as possible. It's easy to forget which candidate said what.

A job interview is as much for the candidate to find out if they would like to work for you as it is for you to see if you would like them to join your team. Always talk about the positive aspects of your business.

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Selecting the Right Candidate

What questions should I ask candidates? All managers have their favourite questions to ask candidates, from the banal to the bizarre. But what do the answers to these questions actually tell you about the interviewee. Interview questions can generally be grouped into the following; Standard questions These are commonplace at job interviews and your candidates will probably have some pre-prepared answers. They still provide an effective way of evaluating candidates against each other. For example: •

“What attracted you to this role?” - This will tell you how much research they have done into the role and company.

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“What are your main motivations?” - Are they looking to develop their skills with your company or do they feel passionate about the industry you operate in?

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“What are your main strengths and weaknesses?” - Worth finding out what candidates think make them stand out and also how they plan to overcome their limitations.

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Investigative questions As well as technical questions about the role, you will want to find out a bit more about the type of worker they are: •

“What management styles do you work best under?” Does this match the type of management that they could expect to experience if they got the job?

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“What type of people do you like to work with?” - This will help you find out if they will fit into your existing team structure.

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“What has been the biggest challenge in your career?” Finding out how they turned a situation around can tell you a lot about an individual. It also lets you assess what they perceive to be a ‘challenge'.

Bad questions A bad interview question can not only take your interview wildly off course, but it may also put you in a negative light: •

“Tell me about yourself” - By not providing a starting point, the response might not tell you what you were hoping for. Try asking “Can you describe why you have chosen this career path?”

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“Where do you want to be in five years?” - The truthful answer would be on a beach in Hawaii. Instead, ask “Which of your skills do you hope to develop over the next few years”

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“What can you do for us that others can't?” - Candidates will be unlikely to know about the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors.

‘Needle in a Haystack’ eBooks

Selecting the Right Candidate

What is the process of making a job offer? You’ve found the right candidate for your business and now you’re ready to offer them the opportunity to take the job. Whilst it's great to be the purveyor of good news, it's important that you follow the correct procedure in order to close the deal Letting the candidate know Initial offers made over the telephone can help display company enthusiasm and discuss the terms of employment to see whether or not it’s an acceptable offer for the candidate. Be prepared to go through a couple of rounds of negotiation before you reach a salary agreement. Let them know you will be sending out an offer letter by post (not a contract of employment). This letter should set out the main terms and conditions of the job and include: • • • • • •

their name the job title the date employment starts (and ends if it's a temporary role) the length of the probation period (if applicable) any conditions the offer is subject to any action required by the candidate (such as forwarding details of their work permit)

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Checking up It's always necessary to put candidates through a number of checks in order to verify they are suitable to join your company. •

References - You should look to contact at least two previous employers of the individual to determine that they did actually hold the job with the company for the time period claimed.

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Medical examination - This can be used to check for general health or to trace any illegal substances that are within the candidate's system. If used, medical exams must be conducted on all candidates, not just certain individuals.

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Criminal record - A disclosure can be obtained from the Criminal Records Bureau and should always be considered when the job will involve dealing with vulnerable individuals, children or valuable items.

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Work permits - Making sure all your employees are eligible to work in the UK is your responsibility and there are heavy fines for companies who employ illegal workers.

Letting the other candidates know As great as it is to let someone know they have got a new job, you've also got to break the bad news to the unsuccessful candidates. If you genuinely believe there may be an opportunity in the future for some of the candidates to apply for an alternative role with your company, ask if they will allow you to retain their details. It could save you a lot of time and effort in the future, or if you’re newly hired employee doesn't perform as well as expected.

‘Needle in a Haystack’ eBooks

Finding the perfect employee is never easy, but if you use the right tactics, pulling the needle from the haystack needn’t be an impossible task. Our series of eBooks brings together expert advice to help you improve your hiring processes. For more useful tools and tips, visit hiring.monster.co.uk