Published by Curt FowlerAhh... New Year's. The time when I get to annoy my wife with our annual goal setting sessions! I don't think it is the goal setting that bothers her as much as the fact that I generally bring the topic up on New Year's Eve. I think she feels there are better things to do on New Year's Eve! I'm sure I will do better this year!
It is proven that we are all terrible at achieving the goals we set each year. That is mostly because of three problems with traditional goal setting.
Published by Curt FowlerReference interviews are painful. It is hard to get the person that you need on the phone and even harder to get them to open up and be honest about the candidate. Why even bother?
Because they are probably the most important interview you will do. If you have followed our hiring process so far, you have learned a lot about the candidate through an extensive interview process. They have spent significant time with the hiring manager (person who will be their boss) and time with peers and even the hiring manager's bosses. We have done everything we can do in an in-person interview to determine if this person has the skills and character needed to excel. But, sometimes we can still get snowed. That is why so many of us revert to hiring people we know or people that are known by people we trust. It is very difficult to really figure a person out in a day and a half. But, only hiring friends and friends of friends can create its own host of problems including not getting the best person for the job. This is where reference interviews really help tilt the odds in favor of hiring the best candidate. We are who we are and change is difficult. Therefore, odds are that we will continue to behave in a manner similar to how we have behaved previously. Habits are hard to break. That is why getting a clear understanding of how the candidate actually performed in previous positions makes reference interviews one of the most effective tools in the hiring process.
Published by Curt FowlerYou've now completed your phone interviews, which determined who came to the in-person interviews. The in-person interviews are now complete and everyone who met the candidate has graded the candidate using their scorecard.
Now the interviewing team comes together to compare their scores and decide which candidates make it to the next stage - the reference interview.
Step 1 - Gather the Team - Gather everyone who was on the interviewing team and you can also invite everyone who had an opportunity to interact with the candidate. The entire interview team should all be at the meeting. You can gather the scorecards from anyone else who cannot attend the discussion. The scorecards should contains scores and comments that can speak for the grader in their absence.
Published by Curt FowlerThe first in-person interview focused on determining if the candidate has the skills, experience and track record to be an A player on your team. The second interview of the day will focus more on cultural fit and allow more of your team to get involved in the interview process.
Published by Curt FowlerNow that your Phone Interviews are complete, you've narrowed your search to only the top 2-3 candidates. It is now time to invite them in for the on-site interview. The on-site interview is extremely time intensive which is why we are only inviting candidates that we believe are great fits for this stage of the interview process. If you don't have at least 2 great candidates at this stage you should repeat the earlier stages of the attract and filter process until you have at least two candidates to interview.
Published by Curt FowlerLast week we set up our Job Scorecard and scored the resumes of our applicants as we continue to search for the next A+ player for your team. This week, lets continue to push forward with our last filter before deciding who we invite to an in-person interview. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but understand that the cost of bad hire can be up to 15x their salary. Also, the in-person interview is the most costly and time consuming portion of your recruitment process, so we don't want to waste those precious interviews on anyone who is not an excellent candidate to be an A+, long term member of your team.
Phone interviews are a great tool to accomplish these goals.. Here is the why and how of phone interviews.
Published by Curt FowlerLast week we talked about how to create job advertisements that help applicants determine if your workplace and the job you are looking to fill is a great fit for them. Our goal is to give potential applicants enough information so they can take themselves out of your application process if they are not a good fit. You can review the three steps here.
This week lets discuss how to set up an effective interviewing system that allows you to filter through all the applications you receive to uncover the best talent.
Published by Curt FowlerToo many applicants for an open position is a great problem to have! But, I recognize how much work it is to filter through those resumes. Today, I want to share with you three ways to help potential applicants rule themselves out of your recruiting process. Think of how much time you will save when applicants can determine for themselves that the job or your culture will be bad fit. That person could have made it through multiple rounds of interviews, assessments and tests. All of those things cost a ton of money and time. Lets not waste either!
Published by Curt Fowler Hi , – I hope you’re having a great week. As a Christian business leader you want to accelerate your growth, profit, and witness in the marketplace (and build a better life!). Our goal is to bring you the best tips, tools, and techniques to do just that! Let’s get started! Business 5 1/2 Years??…