| |
| |
|
Careers & Employment Information |
|
|
|
Dynamic Pre-Hiring Practices
The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. Much time and energy can be invested and in the end, wasted, if your approach is not focused, deliberate, and specific. The following approaches have resulted in meeting candidates that not only meet our specifications, but also regularly exceed our expectations! 5 Steps to Writing An Ad that Gets Results The following ad formula has yielded qualified, fitting job candidates: 1. Begin with a compelling headline 2. Provide a brief description of who's hiring to fill what position 3. First, describe what's in it for THEM, to really pull them in 4. Second, describe what you expect of the employee 5. Conclude with instructions to submit if they fit PERFECTLY with the description, asking them to describe how they connected with the ad 1. Begin with a compelling headline - Your ad copy must make an impression, but it all starts with a headline that pulls in potential candidates with a few carefully chosen words. Your ad should stand out above the others and candidates will read further if the headline hits them on a core level. Example: SUPERSTAR salesperson wanted. 2. Provide a brief description of who's hiring to fill what position - Your ad should include a succinct description of your company and position being filled, e.g. "We are an ad agency that provides the highest quality services at competitive prices and are looking for a team player with sales experience," or "We are the lowest priced car dealership in Atlanta with a reputation for getting anyone with poor credit into a loan. We are looking for an administrative assistant with charisma and a penchant for meeting tight deadlines." This tends to draw applicants who resonate with your type of business as well as the position you are filling. 3. Describe what's in it for THEM - We all want to know how a situation meets OUR needs. If this information is positioned first in the ad (which most ads don't even include!) it makes your ad stand out as much more enticing than the rest. 4. Describe what you expect of the employee - The more specific you are, the more likely you are to attract candidates with the technical as well as "soft" skills you require. Expectations should include a succinct but detailed job description emphasizing the qualities of the perfect candidate. 5. Conclude with instructions to submit a response if they fit PERFECTLY with the description - When seeking employment most candidates respond to ads even when they are only marginally qualified. Including the word PERFECTLY is an internal check that, most of the time, won't allow the candidate to respond if they don't fit perfectly. Also, ask that the response include a description of how the candidate connected with the ad. This will provide valuable information that can be discussed in further detail during a personal interview, if events proceed to that point. The Ad should include specific instructions for the applicant to follow in submitting the resume, e.g. "resume attached or embedded in body of email, by 5 PM Friday afternoon, provide name and contact telephone in subject line," etc. Chances are that if someone cannot follow detailed instructions before they are hired (when they are trying to make the BEST impression), they will not be able to follow detailed instruction when employed. Pre-Interview Contact 1. Remain anonymous! Set up an anonymous method of initial response so that your valuable time is not wasted answering follow-up telephone or email inquiries regarding the position. A method that works well is to request a resume via FAX. This allows complete anonymity. No company information is offered. If a candidate looks promising, you will contact them, not vice versa. Another anonymous method for contact is a feature found on craigslist.com. Job posters are given the option of "anonymizing" their email address, which encrypts it so applicants don't have direct contact information. 2. Eagerness is apparent in a timely response by the applicant to your requests. If s/he delays in responding, will they delay in showing up for work? Or delay in getting the job done? It makes a prospective employer wonder. 3. For the first few exchanges, contact the applicant using an anonymous or generic email address. If someone is not a good candidate, for whatever reason, they do not have access to your direct contact information. You expend no time or energy communicating with candidates that are not excellent candidates. 4. Based on a promising resume, initiate contact with the applicant and ask for an email response to several questions that may or may not relate to the available position, e.g.: * Why did the ad resonate with you? (Which they would have answered to some degree in their first email!) * What made you respond specifically to this ad? * What are your favorite activities when you are not working? These questions put the applicant at ease to respond honestly and provide you with a great deal of "behind-the-scenes" insight into your prospective employee. 5. The response will confirm whether or not applicant is able to follow the instructions in the ad. If not, it's not a good thing, but they're not eliminated from the interviewing process. Perhaps they're overly eager or were blasting employers. The lesson here is to refrain from drawing conclusions about them, but be watchful. 6. Establish a dialogue of at least two emails before setting up a personal interview. Based on the prospective employee's timely first response to your questions, email a second time asking specific questions relating to their response. This gives you additional, telling information and communicates that you are actively listening and genuinely interested in them. 7. When the email dialogue process has narrowed the candidate list, arrange a convenient time to speak via telephone. This will provide additional, valuable information. 8. If the telephone meeting goes well, at the end of the discussion invite the candidate for a personal interview. Following the preceding steps will give you an advantage by not only limiting the number of potential employees to the most qualified, but also by taking control of what can be a tedious and inefficient pre-hiring process. Pay close attention to the responses you receive from potential candidates; it is possible to learn quite a bit from initial contact that will save you time and energy when you are considering inviting prospective employees to a formal interview. The pre-hiring process does not have to be challenging if confronted with intentional and precise preparation. This process is well worth your time. The hiring process should not be taken lightly, and a great fit is all-important. In the end, you have hired quality people you keep for a long time, saving you many headaches! by Charlon Bobo, Red Frog, Inc. © 2005 Charlon Bobo is the Virtual Assistant to Red Frog, Inc., the Portland, Oregon ad agency that provides worry-free experiences and powerful results in the areas of Marketing, Print design, Web/CD-ROM development, and Video production. Learn more at http://www.RedFrogInc.com or by calling 888-955-0550. Read more marketing and advertising articles at http://www.RedFrogInc.com/ articles/redfrog. You have permission to distribute this article as long as all of the text contained herein remains intact.
MORE RESOURCES:
Employment - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Surviving Unemployment Through Emotional Damage Control Looking for work is a roller-coaster ride: high with elation when you think you've found a great position, low with discouragement when you realize that someone else was offered a job you wanted.Most of the time, you fall somewhere in between, your mood cycling from cautious optimism to keen disappointment. Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career Design There is one little practice that is vital to generating the interest of potential employers. It is critical, but very few job seekers actually do it. Making The Best Of Yourself At Interview You are just about to leave university You are just setting out in the job market You have a number of hurdles to get over before you have the job you have been dreaming of. You find the thought of an interview daunting. How NOT to Write a Resume You can learn a lot about how to do something right by first learning what NOT to do.Take resumes, for example. What Everybody Ought To Know About How To Change Their Career or Profession and Still Survive... Dr. Denis Waitley, trainer of leaders, including Super Bowl and Olympic athletes, Apollo astronauts, and Fortune 500 executives, is the most listened to voice on personal and career achievement and the author of the all-time best-seller, The Psychology of Winning claims that the 21st century is unlike anything we could have imaged. Job Hunting Tips: Assessing Personal Value A week out of work is a vacation. You can sleep late in the morning, revel in your newly found free time, shop when the stores are empty, and get around to those chores you have been putting off for too long. Becoming A Police Officer Just Became Easier As many law enforcement candidates can vouch for, taking the police entrance exam can be a stressful and highly competitive experience. I decided to research some preparation web sites and purchased several E-books on the topic to get a better understanding of what it takes to become a police officer. How To Find A Job As A Copy Editor Jobs for copy editors may seem like they are hard to find, but really you can find them and you can do so with many of the qualifications you already have. But, if you do not have any qualifications, this may be the first step in finding the copyediting job that you have been looking for. Your Job Search Is A Marketing Campaign (Part 2) Here's a continuation of my article from a few months back on how the successful job search is really just a personal marketing campaign.To recap, the same marketing techniques that have sell billions of dollars worth of products and services on TV, in print and via direct mail can also help you find a job. Successful Job Interview Tips Congratulations! You've finally landed that job interview you've been waiting for. Now the real work begins! Remember, resumes don't get jobs; they merely get you in the door. Ten Things To Do If You Really, Really Hate Your Job 1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape. Are You Winning the Talent Wars? How many times have you heard or read, "Our employees are our greatest asset"?What are the chances of any company surviving if it cannot find the right employees - or find enough of them? In 2003 Roger Herman, Tom Olivio, and Joyce Gioia wrote in Impending Crisis that by the year 2010 the U.S. You Are Not Entitled to a Job! Résumé TipsSome basics about job hunting.. Tips for Requesting a Raise You probably think you deserve a raise. But does your boss think so?Here's how to go about convincing your boss that you're really worth more than you're being paid. Is Your Resume Doing ITS Job? Is it opening doors to new opportunities? Does it compel the reader to think, "Hey! This applicant can ?put that one on top of the 'call in for an interview' pile!" Does it showcase what you have accomplished for past employers as well as what you can accomplish for the potential employer?Your resume is your personal marketing tool that must immediately convey to the reader that you CAN and WILL be a positive driving force to further their organization's mission. They have a need to QUICKLY get thru all the resumes received in response to their job posting so you've got to QUICKLY grab their attention. Jobseekers! Look For Smoke, Not Fire "If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always received," said some wise person. This is certainly true when it comes to job-hunting, especially during a "sucky" economy. Writing A Great Resume, Part 2 TIP: Update your resume often. Be sure to add details of any training course, new interests and areas of responsibility. Resume Writing Dos and Donts Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Try, Try, Again This article relates to the Career Opportunities competency and explores issues such as internal growth opportunities, potential for advancement, career development importance, and the relationship between job performance and career advancement. Evaluating the Career Opportunities competency in your organization will determine whether your employees believe they have a chance to grow within the organization. Energizing Synergy Would you like to have more energy and synergy in your job and career? If you are not enjoying work the way you used to and if you would like to contribute in a manner that produces more results with less effort, then Energizing Synergy is what you need to cultivate.Be honest with yourself for a moment and answer the following questions: Are you energized or drained at the end of a workday?Are you out of sync with the business direction the company is taking, and do you understand the business rationales for any new changes?Do you do your part to promote an upbeat and positive work environment?Are you constantly learning at work? ENERGYEnergy is the effort you vigorously exert to accomplish a task or to do your work.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
