Hiring the Best Candidate for the Job

Karen Dougher

Outline• Background• Importance of a good hire• General skill requirements• Basic steps to hiring process• Predictive indicators• How to attract the best candidates• Common pitfalls in hiring • Recommendations/ challenges in hiring process

Background• People are the foundation of a good company• Why this topic?• Hiring practices and techniques not included in curriculum• There is no once size fits all guide• How to improve the odds of success• Turn over is inevitable• 80% of turnover starts with a bad hire

Why is it important?• Cost of turnover

• Hiring & training costs 16-20% of annual salary• Costs compounded for consecutive bad hires• Direct costs

• High unemployment tax rates• Severance pay• Increased OT or temp labor costs• Recruiting costs• Relocation fees• Training

Why is it important?• Cost of turnover

• Indirect costs• Decrease productivity exiting and existing employees• Poor team morale• Inefficiencies create by new employee• Knowledge loss• Poor customer service

General skill requirementsThere are some basics that can indicate success

• Eager to learn• Ambitious• Intelligent• Communicator• Self-motivated• Proactive• Team player

• Honest/ethical• Reliable• Positive attitude• Confident • Detail oriented• Passionate • Professional

How to attract the best candidates• Sourcing strategy

• Corporate branding• Mission, vision, values• Monitor reputation

• Career potential & opportunities• Learning opportunities• Career growth

• Ladder & lattice• Corporate culture

• More than a paycheck

Basic hiring steps• Define the position

• Model top performers• Set expectations- performance and cultural fit• Entice applicants• Includes:

• Personal characteristics• Values• Competencies• Responsibilities• Skills

Basic hiring steps• Recruitment considerations

• Type of employee• Entry level vs experienced

• Type of position• Strength of internal talent pipeline• Immediacy of need• Desired size of applicant pool• Industry

Basic hiring steps• Sources of talent

• Internal candidates• Employee referral• Traditional advertising• Internet recruiting sites• Professional organizations• Internship/ co-op program• Recruiting agencies• Social Media• Networking

• Measure effectiveness

Screening process• Resume assessment

• Standard review process• Minimum requirements• Look for errors• Does work experience fit the job description?• Grading system

• Keep in mind…• How close of a match • Job hopping or speed of career progression• Red flags• Sense of achievement- results

Screening process• Interviews:

• Behavioral based questions- results oriented• Phone interview

• Get to know the candidate- are they a good fit?• 15-40 minutes• Address red flags

• In person interviews• 1-2 rounds• What makes them tick?• What do they want?• What have they done?• How do they relate?

Predictive indicators• Develop profile from top performers• Tests need to be valid & reliable

• Personality tests• Cognitive ability tests• Specific skills tests• Emotional intelligence tests• Physical ability tests• Integrity tests• Situational judgement tests

Common hiring pitfalls• Likeability• Time constraints• Lack of preparation & commitment• Relying on gut• Holding out for the perfect candidate• Low response rate

Recommendations for hiring• Develop a formal process for hiring

• Create effective job descriptions• Set criteria/system for resume review• Behavioral based interviewing• Use predictive indicators specific to job• Use grading system• Involve multiple people

Recommendations for hiring• Train management

• Importance

• Techniques

• Develop a talent pipeline

• Analytics to measure effectiveness

Challenges • Resources• Management support/ buy in• Time constraints• Job market• Keeping up to date with practices• Ineffective testing• Lack of data• Biases

Thank You!