In my last blog I highlighted, and many of you commented on, two of the Top 10 Mistakes Employers Make When Recruiting and Hiring: having too many people involved in the interviewing process and having an unrealistic idea of what kind of candidates might be available and the money it may take to hire them. (See: Top Hiring Mistakes, Part 1.)
In this followup blog, I would like to explore two additional mistakes that can hurt high-tech companies as they add critical employees to their operation.
"Process takes too long."
An additional mistake, and one often exacerbated by having too many people in the interviewing process, is that the process takes too long. It stands to figure that involving more people may drag out the process, but responsiveness and timeliness of screening the resumés, returning phone calls, conducting initial interviews, and scheduling the face-to-face interviews can all slow down the hiring process unless conducted in a timely manner.
Many people think it takes about 30 days to fill a vacant position. According to Tony Beshara, author of the list, the truth is "between 90 and 120 days! Why? Because folks drag things out that should be simple -- not easy, but simple." Good candidates have options, and once candidates get over the inertia of beginning the job search, they generally don't stop at interviewing with only one company. These candidates can be lost to more decisive firms.
I recently had a candidate turn down a good offer because she received a slightly better offer from another company the same week. The process with my client took four months while the second company made its offer within three weeks! Had my client's offer come in just one month sooner, it would have been accepted. Time kills, and as Beshara points out, "the 'shelf life' of quality candidates is shorter and shorter."
"Interviewing or not interviewing a candidate on the basis of a resumé."
Another hiring faux pas? Putting too much emphasis on the resumé. Industry experts estimate that 40 percent of hiring a person is based on personal chemistry -- not resumé layout, font, keywords, etc. Many candidates have asked me to review their resumés, rearrange them, and make suggestions. Of course, a resumé should be free of errors and factual, but there is no one correct way to write one. If there was, there would not be 3,590,000 hits when I Google the words "resumé writing books."
Resumés should be used as a high-level screening device to help define the candidate as a "possibility." Spend 10 to 15 minutes on the phone with the candidate or have someone in your organization (or better yet, a recruiter) screen those worthy of your time. I look at a resumé for approximately 15 seconds -- checking educational background, prior work experience, and any job-hopping history. If the applicant passes this 15-second test, I set up a phone interview, where the real scrutiny begins.
@Maou. While I agree with you on knowing more about your employees, going deep into personal details might put you or your company on a negative position in the minds of your potential employees. I aslo agree with you that training cost so much, but when you spend so much on training people what would work with you, is it not for the benefit and progress of your company. I mean if they must serve you well with their lives, you are also under obligation to equip them with neccesary skills.
But my question is -do you ever give room for improvement at all. if you discover that your potential employee has a short-coming due to your getting to know them personally
@Dennis Q.You are right on that, but why do you think companies allow a month or two before they eventually make up their minds on who to offer the job. Could this really be a strategy in employing people or a sign of internal problem of an organisation>
Not all written in the resume is true. Yes everyone can fake their achievement in their resume and everybody can be a good actor during the interview.
I always require a background investigation to any potential applicants to any position in my company to ensure I'm getting the right person for the job.
You have to get to know the applicant, not judge him.
Sure going through his CV is not enough and that is why the interview exists, in the first place.
You can conduct the interview in a certain way that you get to know the applicant as a human being, his qualities, his dreams, his expectations, his motivations, his goals etc. within a professional context, without having to dig into his privacy.
What do you ask the person to know about his commitment to the work?
Commitment to do the work. For my point of view judging the applicants through the list of achievement in his resume is not enough. You also have to see his personal side in particular passion and what drives him to apply for the job.
I always required for a criminal and background investigation before hiring a person i dont want to jeopardize my company thats my two cents.
I have been on the hiring manager side of the desk in previous chapters of my life, and respecting the applicant's privacy was one of my golden rules. There are ways of knowing about a person's character's values without digging in his own private life, which was not of my business.
Most likely a criminal have other jobs where he gets more money than what you can pay him. A criminal will not apply for the job you are advertising. If the person develops a criminal profile while working for you there is no way you can predict that unless you have a crystal ball, which you don't.
I also used to spend more than 15 seconds with each resumé as part of respecting the person behind it. A just evaluation requires time and thinking.
I had my own way of interviewing and it proved to be efficient. I dislike your wanting to intrude the applicant's privacy very much. It wouldn't surprise me if you also check his social media profiles.
How do you find out if the person has a commitment or not? And a commitment to what?
yes.. digging too much into the candidates personal life is not correct but knowing the minimum information about the candidate is must while interviewing him.. because you do not want to hire a person who is mentally imbalanced or who has a bad background..
I agree, Susan. Certain questions are llegal today. Way back a woman could lose a position if she got married because of othe assumption that a married woman could not be devoted enough to the job. If she lasted as far as that, she could still be let go if she got pregnant. But by the time the 70s came along, even the military started making maternity uniforms. See http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2011/09/pregnant-in-uniform.html
I also run background investigation to ensure that im hiring a criminal or psycho. Its not a invasion privacy but protection of your investment in hiring that person. Everytime you hire a person its an investment for the company you have to train them and ensure they will be useful to the company.
For me its not invasion of privacy. In order to have a harmonious working enviroment you have to at least know your people by knowing their personal side but to too much detailed - as what you have interpreted.
How would see if a person has a commitment by simply looking in his/her resume? It hard if you are the hiring manager. For me relationship is really important and value a personal relationship with my employees.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronicswith a lean supply chain and just-in-time demandsthe need to know the future is vital.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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