In This Issue: Hiring Reminder for 2010
Test for Success
Tools, Tips, & Techniques for Avoiding
Hiring Mistakes and Developing People
From Helm and Associates, Inc.
And Kurt Helm
January 2010; Volume 5, Issue 1
Barbara Otto, Editor, mailto:botto@helmtest.com
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Word count for this issue: 611 words
Approximate time to read: 3 minutes
Happy New Year! It is 2010 and the first order of business for
many people seems to be what to call the new year. Zero 10?
Twenty-ten? Or just plain 10? Whatever we decide to call it, most
of us are happy to see the last of 2009, at least in terms of economic
bad news.
They tell us the recession is over and the economy is on the upturn,
and I can tell you that our customers and clients have become much
more active in the last thirty days, testing, assessing, and hiring
more frequently. That makes me think that now is a good time to
take a few minutes to review your selection process so that you can
be sure that you continue to find the best possible candidates to hire
for your company.
Unemployment remains high, and that means that there are still a lot
of people looking for jobs, which is both good and bad if you are an
employer. You have more choices and, because so many companies
have had to let highly qualified or high performers go, there are
many qualified applicants out there to choose among.
This brings me to the point I want to discuss today: the beginning of
a new year is a great time to do a quick review of your selection
process to make sure that you are making that process help you
identify candidates whose knowledge, skills, and abilities come
closest to matching your job requirements. It saves you time and
money to plan the selection process before you have to hire
someone, so let's review the basics of a step-wise hiring process.
I've put together a list of the basics – the steps that, at a minimum,
you should make sure you follow. The guiding principle of this list
is, first, to take those steps in the order of the least expensive, and
least time-consuming first, such as:
Step 1: Written job description
Be sure you have defined what the job is, and therefore what the
requirements for it are, before you begin looking for someone to fill
it.
Step 2: Applicant(s) complete a standard application form
Most applicants have a resume, but that's their side of the story.
Everyone should complete your application form, and it should
conform to current "best practices," including EEOC Uniform
Guidelines.
Step 3: Screening Interview
This initial interview may be completed by telephone or in person;
the purpose is to identify the applicants who meet your basic
requirements.
Step 4: Background check/drug testing
If you are required to do these, get them done before you have
invested expensive interview time in applicants.
Step 5: Performance Profile or other employment testing
Get to know what skills, attitudes, and personal work style the
applicant will be bringing in the door by using job-relevant
employment tests. Most of these can be completed on the
applicant's time, not yours.
Step 6: Full Interview
It takes time to prepare for and conduct personal interviews, so save
this step for the best candidates you can identify from the previous
steps.
Step 7: Decision-Making
Now it's time to put all the information together for all the
candidates who have gone through the previous six steps. Get the
job description back out, and make the decision based on everything
that you know about the candidates and about what the job will
require.
Making sure that each and every applicant goes through the same
process (up to the point he or she is eliminated from consideration if
reason is found to do so) means that you also reduce the likelihood
of a charge of unfair discrimination in the selection process because
you are giving every applicant the same opportunity at each step of
the process.
The consistency that comes from making sure that every applicant
goes through the same selection process also increases the likelihood
that you will avoid hiring someone else's problem employee and can
focus, instead, on applicants who will be an asset to your company.
Happy hiring in the new year! And, "caveat hirer." That's my form
of pig Latin for "Let the hirer be wary."
About this Ezine and About Your Subscription
© 2010, Kurt G. Helm, Ph.D. All rights reserved. You are allowed
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"By Kurt G. Helm, Ph.D., of Helm and Associates, Inc. Please visit
our website at www.helmtest.com for more information about how
to avoid hiring mistakes by using pre-employment testing as part of
the applicant evaluation procedure."
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Until next time, all the best,
Kurt
Ph: Toll Free 800-886-4356
Email: khelm@helmtest.com
P.O. Box 130
Helmsburg IN 47435
Website: http://www.helmtest.com
