 |
 Message
from Chuck Smith
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Chuck
Smith
President
of New Office/NewHire™ |
| Résumé
Roulette: NewHire in Action
Pat, a
seasoned HR professional working for a mid-sized
manufacturer of machine parts, was stuck slogging
through stacks of emailed resumes. More than 80%
of the resumes she looked at were from unqualified
candidates and she needed a better way to identify
top talent. She was sick of playing Resume
Roulette, and always wondering if she was missing
a gem or wasting time interviewing poorly
qualified candidates.
When Pat was hired
the CEO’s vision for her position as Human
Resources Director was clear: he wanted to engage
a strategic thinker able to guide his company’s
people management and help take the company to
“the next level.” The CEO had a goal of doubling
revenue in five years, and given their market and
product positioning the goal seems achievable…if
he had the right people and processes in
place.
We caught up with Pat three months
after she started and she was admittedly “in the
weeds.” When I asked her how it was going, she
said she had several open positions and was
spending two-and-a-half days a week screening and
interviewing. 50% of her time! Sound familiar? I
pointed out to her that the CEO had a different
vision for her job and she remembered the promise
of a “strategic” position, but seemed resigned to
living in Résumé Hell.
NewHire worked with
Pat’s company to tailor a recruiting program
specific to their particular needs. When Pat
posted her latest position for Customer Service
Associate, she advertised only the most attractive
aspects of the open position. More than 800
candidates expressed interest!
How many of
those candidates’ resumes ended up in Pat’s email?
Zero, zilch, bupkis (as my Grandma used to
say)!
Pat didn’t use a recruiter or a
headhunter; she didn't pay 30% or even 15% of the
salary in fees. She used NewHire and now spends
NONE of her time reviewing and screening
unqualified applicants. Contact me at
(877) 923-0054 to find out how NewHire can help
your company’s recruiting
issues.
Seven
Steps to Improve Your Recruiting Success and
Company Image
This
section is adapted from an article authored by
Mark Ernst, President of Ernst Enterprises. Mark
is a seasoned business executive who builds value
in firms by helping entrepreneurs cross the
management bridge to become more effective
leaders. More information about his company is
available on his website.
When you
post an open position on your company’s website or
another job site such as Monster.com, what do
candidates know about your company? Some may know
the company name, some may know the company’s
reputation based upon the marketing programs for
your products or services, but chances are many
will know little or nothing of your company. What
message does your posting or advertisement send to
candidates? Everything they will learn will be
based upon their interaction with your company
after they submit a resume in response to the
posting. Is that experience going to reinforce
your brand image? Is that experience going to be
positive and welcoming or cold and
indifferent?
Unfortunately, many companies
miss the opportunity to reinforce their brand
image when recruiting.
What does the
candidate receive when they respond to your
posting? A warm, well thought out thank you
message that communicates your company cares? An
auto-reply takes a little time to create, and
nothing to deliver. Managing your image begins
with the posting or the advertisement. It is then
reinforced by your “thank you for applying”
message.
Read Mark’s seven steps to
improve your recruiting success and company
image.
- Create
an inviting job posting that also creates a
positive image of the company.
- Formulate
an auto-response or post-card system to all
candidates.
- The
response should be warm and friendly.
- The
response should communicate what the candidate
can expect and when he/she can expect it.
- Communicate
with the candidate in a warm, friendly and
professional manner.
- Train
recruiters, managers and anyone who comes in
contact with the candidate to implement this
important customer service measure.
- Inform
candidates promptly if you are no longer
interested in them.
- The
quality of the response should correspond to the
amount of time the candidate has invested in the
process. i.e., if you are rejecting the
candidate based on a review of the resume, an
e-mail or letter is sufficient. If the candidate
came in for an interview then a letter or phone
call is appropriate. The key is a professional
response. Candidates don’t expect to get every
job they apply for, they do however expect to be
treated professionally and that professional
response reflects positively your company.
- Treat
candidates who come for an interview with
respect, i.e., be on time, avoid interruptions,
and show them your best behavior.
Remember, candidates are learning about your
company by watching how employees interact, the
demeanor of the office, and most importantly,
how you treat them.
- Give
interviewees a timeline before they leave – let
them know what is going to happen and
when. For example, a hiring decision
will be made and they will know whether they are
hired or not, by a specific date or within a
specific timeframe.
- Keep
the commitment to communicate with the
candidate. Candidates can handle negative
information. On the other hand, candidates get
angry when they don’t hear back from the company
within the agreed time period. If there are
delays, call the candidates (typically this is
only a few calls, and they mean so much to the
candidate) and tell them of the delay and when
you expect the delay to be resolved. Candidates
will talk about your company to others, all whom
may be existing or future customers. Can you
afford to have people talking about your company
in negative and uncomplimentary ways? Wouldn’t
it be better if candidates raved about your
company?
Investing time in your
recruiting process and knowing the message that
your company is sending are important steps to
attracting quality employees.
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Identify
the best candidates |
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Manage
& share candidate
information |
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Reduce
your time-to-hire |
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