Finding Mr. Right: How To Pick The Best Job Candidate

Technology Staff Editor
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When you’ve only got three people working for your company, it’s vital that any new hire is the right fit for the job they’ll fill. Understanding the value of the resumes you receive and the interviews you conduct is the best start for finding the most qualified addition to your team. Before reading resumes, a good first step is to define the qualifications you’ll require for your open position, and check them against each resume you receive, says John Dooney, manager of strategic research for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). “A resume tells you if you want to proceed further with a candidate,” he says. “You can’t judge them entirely by the resume, but it lets you know if they have a scope or level of experience that will work for you.” What you need to look at is the applicant’s employment history: what the person did and their responsibilities. Good resumes will have concrete numbers and not just generalizations, says Dooney. For instance, a candidate who says she brought in $3 million in sales and increased profits 20 percent is more attractive than one who only generally indicates she increased sales. Of course, people often lie or stretch the truth on their resume. In a 2004 survey of 2,500 HR professionals conducted by the SHRM, more than half of the respondents say they regularly find inconsistencies on resumes in particular areas. Fifty-four percent say they either sometimes or always find resume inconsistencies when they conduct a criminal-record check and 44 percent when conducting a driving-record check. Clearly, you need to check up on the facts by calling a candidate’s former employers and schools to verify his or her claims and to confirm that the dates of employment are listed correctly – or at least close, says Dooney. You also should call and check any references. If they’re not listed on the resume, ask for them in the interview. Close scrutiny of the resume can signal other red flags that might indicate a candidate has weak points. One spelling or grammar mistake shouldn’t be a deal-breaker, but a pattern of errors may indicate a lack of attention to detail. Also, check the dates of employment that the candidate lists. “Look at the chronology and make sure there are no gaps in the resume,” Dooney says. If there is a long period of time not accounted for on the applicant’s job history, you may want to use the interview to find out why that person was unemployed for so long. (more)

If the resume passes inspection, it’s time to move on to the interview. Aside from clearing up any small detail questions from the resume, Dooney suggests using the interview to address a pre-set list of questions that you will ask all the applicants. The questions should be based on what the candidate’s duties will be and what skill sets will be needed to perform the job. You can then compare your candidates based on their answers to the same questions. In the interview, be very clear about what the candidate will be doing. “Ask the same questions of all the candidates so you don’t seem biased,” says Dooney. “Take good notes of who said what and keep them in a file, because it is a litigious society.” When interviewing, find out what the candidates’ individual accomplishments – not group accomplishments – were at former jobs. While they’re answering, be on the lookout for certain professional qualities that match the job description. For instance, an applicant for a job that includes customer contact should make good eye contact and be able to communicate well. Once you’ve selected the candidate, Dooney strongly advises writing an official offer letter that reiterates exactly what the new hire will be doing and any terms of employment that have been negotiated. Exercise the right diligence in the hiring process, and you’ll likely wind up with a well-qualified employee who will be an asset to your growing business.

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