Employer Corner

Being the great recruiter that you are, you've probably posted a really attractive job ad online, created a brilliant and efficient contact plan to reach those candidates and filled your inbox with tons of resumes for evaluation.

Now its time to go read them.

Of course, reading a resume and closely evaluating it isn't half as hard. What's going to break you is doing the same thing for hundreds, even thousands, of other resumes. With the bulk of resumes you'll have to sift through over the next few days, the best you can do is weed out the potential losers that made it to the pile. You'll have to find a way to figure out, in a matter of minutes of reading each resume, who you're going to schedule for an interview, as well as what to ask each one to elaborate on.

You'll need some clues. Below are some of the more useful ones to look out for, as well as how to read them better:

Examine how the applicant phrases his/her past responsibilities.

Be wary of applicants who use terms like "member of", "involved", "was part of", and the like. Some jobhunters believe that association-in any way whatsoever-with big projects like major ad campaigns, expansions, etc will win recruiters over. Don't be easily fooled. What you're really looking for are clues that suggest initiative, like "led", "organized", "developed" and other words that show leadership, responsibility and achievement. At the very least, look for statements of specific responsibilities, those that demonstrate a specific skill worth considering and talking about during the interview.

Look out for typos and other "little boo-boos."

Candidates who are reckless and careless with their resumes generally show a lax attitude towards making that good first impression, and are also prone to have the same attitude towards actual work.

Heavy techie and occupational jargon.

Whenever you're evaluating resumes for a position whose qualifications you don't fully grasp, ask for help from someone in the same field, preferably within the firm. Ask them what keywords to look out for. Don't get too impressed by applicants who like to use heavy words that they know you, as a recruiter, won't totally understand. They may know more about their field, but only you know who's right for the job. And if you decide to put some of these people up for an interview, try to find someone to do it with you, preferably the same one you consulted for keywords.

Consistent and advancing career path.

If a resume shows quite a number of past jobs, find the list that shows a consistent choice in jobs and responsibilities. Has the candidate used a certain number of skills consistently with each job? Have they had more responsibility with the next, or held a position higher than the last? Watch out for these types as these people tend to show ambition and focus. Weed out the ones that shifted from job type to another; lack of focus never did any firm any good.

Warning: job-hopper.

Look at how long the candidate stays on each job previously held. Be careful when a candidate spends less than a year on each of the last three jobs. Chances are, you're going to be next in line for that fling. Be open, however, when a candidate shows substantial achievement with each job held. You'd want to find out why a candidate with much to boast in a company left after such a short period.

If you're still racking your brain on how to find much easier ways to initially weed out the big pack of resumes for your firm's vacancy, try giving a take-home test.

YES, it will probably discourage some applicants to apply, much less follow-up. YES, its extra work checking all those answers. And YES, you can't even be 100% sure that the applicant did the work all by himself.

But you also have to consider that, YES, only those truly interested in the job will bother to apply and take the test. YES, you'll have a pretty good glimpse of how the candidate ticks professionally. And YES, it'll give you a good topic to start on for the job interview.

If you're ready to give a take-home test to candidates (and if your recruiting deadline permits it), take some time to read a few tips on giving and maximizing the administration of a take-home test:

Make sure the test fits the job you're offering.

Don't give a test that isn't relevant to the job opening, or to the kind of applicants you're looking for. Don't give an oral communications test if the job you're offering is in Computer Programming; it only adds work to both you and the candidate. Remember that the objective of giving a take-home test is to test the candidate's basic technical know-how for the job. If there's anything else you want to know about the candidate (such as attitude, work ethic, etc), you can ask that during the interview. Besides, if the candidate turns out badly during the test, you wouldn't want to know anything else about him or her anyway.

Talk about their answers during the interview.

When the test turns out fine, and you decide to schedule the candidate for an interview, make sure to make them elaborate on their answers during the test. See if they really know their stuff. This'll help you check the validity of their answer and see whether they really DID answer the test themselves like they were supposed to.

Give a test that involves a bit of research on the part of the applicant.

Doing this further weeds out the people in your applicant pool who are not as interested in the job as you'd want them to be. Not to mention the lazy ones. Also, this requires the applicant to use more skills that you can assessed earlier on. You may want to ask applicants for a Bank Loan Officer to review and give a mock decision to a credit application of a certain company (which they have to research on), or ask sales applicants to explain how they'd land a big account with a certain firm.

Smart recruiters know that posting an effective online job ad isn't just about making one that gets all the attention. Sure, you've probably posted one that gets clicked and applied to approximately every 22 minutes or so, but all that leaves you is an ocean of resumes you probably won't have enough time to even scan quickly before your hiring deadline.

Job ads that work are like good employees; not only do they inform candidates of openings in your company (not to mention look attractive) - they also do more than what they are expected to do.

They don't just get you your candidates. They get you the right ones.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when making a job ad:

Use the site as a candidate would.

Before writing that job ad, take a short tour of the jobsite you'd want to use. Whenever candidates log in and browse for jobs, what's the first bunch of info they see about each ad? What do the other job ads look like, particularly in the same section yours should be? What do they write? How do candidates get to apply in each company? Doing this lends insight into how candidates are able to access your job ad, which in turn could give you more tips on how to be easily searched by qualified pros. Plus, you get to scope out the ad competition.

Fill in as much info about your company as possible.

Good, qualified candidates aren't just looking for a good job, they're looking for a good company to work for. So when filling in information fields, be sure to present your company well. Basic rule: You can't impress a good jobhunter with empty fields in your jobsite Company Profile. Don't just rely on the link to your company website; most candidates will NOT bother to click it if you don't initially impress them.

Fill in as much info about the job.

If you've got a ready budget, type in the salary range to be negotiated for. As is with the company profile, do the same for the job ad. When writing the job duties, be specific - especially if you're looking for IT people. Add on some value-adds like "preferably with experience in Mainframe programming," as well as a short overview of what they could expect, like "prepared to multi-task" whenever applicable. Give readers a clear picture of what they could expect in working for you. Don't be vague.

Let your job ad do some screening for you.

Make sure your job ad doesn't attract just ANYBODY to apply. When you put in info about the job ad, make sure to indicate the different skills and requirements that are ACCEPTABLE. If job requires details that would put off some applicants - like travel, late hours etc.- point them out so you can weed out those you KNOW are not going through once they find out. But whenever you do this, be sure to add in as much info about compensation as you can - that way, candidates are presented not just with a job "and then some," but a compensation to match what is needed. This is key in getting those people to work the way you want them to. Lastly, add an "applicants who are / have (fill in the blanks) need not apply" whenever important. It's a bit blunt, but it gets the message to those unqualified in the first place.

Be careful with the job titles.

Some jobs have different titles, whereas some job titles can entail more than one job. For instance, the title "Account Manager" can mean either a Sales position or a client representative stint; whenever this happens, try to be more specific. This helps the weeding process by starting out at the job list page. This is especially helpful in the IT field, where the terms "programmer", "analyst" and the like can mean over a hundred different types of people.

FINALLY. After those long hours of collating and scanning resumes, interviewing several applicants, negotiating with the ones you've chosen and sadly turning down everyone else (preferably by e-mail, and only when they contact you), you've finally made the hire. They're skilled, easy to be with, hardworking, smart and then some - exactly what your company needed you to get. Kudos baby.

But I hope you haven't forgotten one of the more important part of your job as HR Manager-making sure that the top talent stays. With the talent market becoming more mobile and less loyal as time goes on, there will always be firms suffering from the high turnover cost, not to mention the downed productivity of employees due to job dissatisfaction. And you know that these guys are the ones already looking for their next job online.

There are only two reasons why a lot of employees find it easier to "move on," especially the good ones (you know, the ones you'd rather keep). First, some other company can give them what you can't - job satisfaction. Second, because its fairly easy for them to do so - all they have to do is post their resume online, wait for an interview sked from companies they like, and then "call in sick" the next day.

So if you want your top talent to play for keeps with you, here's some useful advice to help them do so.

Know specifically what they want.

The best way to do this is simply ASK. And make sure you've established with them a relationship wherein they can easily do so. Be open. Keep in mind that the major wants they keep are any or all of the following:

- Good, fair pay and other perks
- Reasonable workload
- Fine working conditions (that includes the people around and above them as well as the equipment they use)
- Fulfilling, meaningful and exciting work
- Sensible rules that they can follow easy
- Due credit for their efforts

Also remember that its also important to know HOW they want each one and what they MEAN by each. Have a sit-down and talk about it.

Keep up their MORALE!

Have office-sponsored activities like holiday parties whenever warranted, like a Christmas party or a trip out-of-town. If your budget can't afford it, let them have their own whenever they can and agree to do so. Remember the key words: "team building" and "morale boost". If they're doing well, reward them. Don't be stingy with your praise; throw it wherever it'd deserved.

Don't treat them like "JUST WORKERS".

Employees are people too. Don't treat them like their only objective in life is to work for you, because this isn't the case. If they don't work 100% of their time, its because they shouldn't. This isn't a production or efficiency flaw; its human nature. The only essential things about their working habits should be to meet company goals on time. Be reasonable.

Don't get them stressed out and pressured TOO much.

It's a common maxim that ALL types of work entail stress and pressure. But it's also not fair to let too much stress and pressure. Be willing to reduce it whenever both get too unreasonably hard on the employee.

Make sure they form good relationships with their respective superiors.

Many employees jump ship not just for better pay, but for better management as well. Be prepared to approach that grouchy supervisor about his or her attitude towards other employees.

Listen to their long-term goals.

The good ones are always looking at a better future. Make sure that they see it as members of your organization. Open the doors of opportunity to deserving employees and you'll be just fine in that department.

Don't wait for them to get an offer first.

Don't wait for other firms to make an offer to your people before you take action. This shows that you cannot see for yourself the true value of your people. This is especially annoying among employees who value credit and their self-worth as workers.

I guess it goes without saying that the interview process is one of the most important steps in recruitment. HR managers may do away with some steps, like the skill exam, personality test, as well as some requirements like the references or maybe even school transcripts.

But never the interview. After all, this is where you come face-to-face with the guy whose resume sounded like everything you dreamed of in an employee, someone who your boss will keep praising you for hiring. This is where you find out, at least to a certain extent, if the work truly matches the candidate, just as the job ad matches the resume.

Which is exactly the reason why every recruiter takes this opportunity to find out everything professionally vital about the guy. Smart recruiters know that its not just a matter of finding out whether the candidate has the skills; it's a matter of knowing for sure that the person can do the job right. Here are some tips to getting the most info about the candidate:

Don't forget tradition-but don't forget the resume either.

Questions about the candidate's strengths, weaknesses, intentions, goals etc., the ones nearly ALL recruiters use, should never be forgotten. Take heed, though; if the answer is in the resume, don't waste the candidate's time by requesting a run-through-again. If you want to know more about a certain item - for instance, a certain skill highlighted in the resume - ask for an elaboration on training, an example of achievement in this field, or maybe something more useful and specific than "are you a good Oracle Database Administrator?" Before the interview, read the resume carefully.

Go deeper.

While it's true that using the traditional set of interview questions is a good way to size up the candidate's skill and intentions, that doesn't mean that the interview should end there. Keep in mind that the hire isn't just about getting someone with the right skills - its about finding the right person to fit the job, the company and the people he'll be working with. Its about finding someone who can do the job right. At that, feel free to ask things like personal hobbies, interests, as well as some queries on his work style, his attitude to certain types of people, etc. Get clues on his attitude towards the kind of work you'll be offering him as well as some bits and pieces on how he's performed when faced with specific problems. Get into his mind - see whether he's got the know-how to use the skills in his resume with finesse.

Don't antagonize the candidate.

Some recruiters think that the best way to see whether a candidate can operate well under pressure is to be crabby during the interview. The recruiter will chuckle, raise an eyebrow (even at the right answers), frown at the candidate and think of other ways to see whether this guy's got the confidence and the cool to operate under pressure. While it may be true that you can sometimes weed out the weak ones by burning them in the Interview From Hell, you could also be driving away excellent pros who just didn't expect to be "treated this way." Also, when you antagonize a candidate, that person will either be too busy trying to be agreeable with you to tell the truth, or could be turned off by your attitude. Be nice. Remember, if the candidate feels comfortable enough to tell you the truth, you'll find out a lot more useful information.

Making your company website serve your present and future recruiting purposes

Many recruiters overlook the possibilities posed by their own company's website, mostly due to the effectiveness of using a jobsite to solve most, if not all, of your recruitment problems. Our advice: if you have the time and resources to do so, make your corporate website more jobhunter-friendly. Don't lose out on the potential hires hidden among the traffic of interested browsers cruising through your website.

If you want to truly realize the recruitment potential of your company website, read on:

Develop your content on corporate culture.

Keep in mind that a company isn't just about its products or services; it's also about the people and the environment that make up the firm. Try to put up sections on your firm's corporate culture; show the reader what its like working for your company, and what kind of people move up better in the ranks.

Add a user-friendly and functional employment section.

Think "one-stop shop". This makes it easier for jobhunters to apply to your company without even having to log on to a jobsite. And don't shut this section down if you run out of vacancies; if you don't need any more people at the moment, ask visitors to leave their emails so they can be contacted and alerted whenever openings come up in your firm.

Pitch!

Give prospective applicants a short overview of compensation packages available to employees. Don't forget to mention any special allowances, privileges and / or benefits like gas allowances, an expense account, company vehicles, etc. If you've got some happy employees willing to make a testimonial, do so.

Go easy on the bells and whistles.

Remember that not all people have a fast internet connection. Keep this in mind whenever your company wants to make revisions on the website, or if there are plans for major overhauls in the site. If the site's heavy eye-candy graphics and movie clips take a bit of time to load, consider revising. A lot of surfers get impatient with slow loads.

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