If you have done some level of interviewing, you have certainly come across some interesting characters. Monster.com highlights a few: Wearing a tuxedo to an interview. I told him to dress nice and professional for his interview, but he definitely went overboard and crossed the line of dressing business professional. Needless to say, the hiring manager also thought it was a crazy move and the candidate did not get the job. I caught a candidate lying in his resume. He had made up so much of his previous experience that he then forgot a company name where he said he had worked. The candidate actually asked me to look at… Read More
Continue ReadingSourcing Stories
I have been swamped with sourcing activities over the past couple weeks as we work on multiple projects. I am definitely seeing an upclick in hiring activities which is normally preceded by increases in our assessment work. We have seen a tremendous increase in assessments so I take that as a good sign. So a quick sourcing story for you – I’m on the phone with a gentleman and we are deep into the phone interview. He interrupts me to say he needs to step away as his 5 year-old son has gone to the bathroom and the candidate needs to go “wipe his butt.” He proceeds to set the… Read More
Continue ReadingPandora’s Box Known As Facebook
There has been much discussion about the use of social networking for candidate background checks. I have always been in favor of allowing companies to search through anything posted online – it is in the public domain. However, this German law does provide a bit more detail: For example, employers will still be allowed to run a search on the Web on their applicants, de Maiziere said. Anything out in public is fair game, as are postings on networks specifically created for business contacts, such as LinkedIn. In contrast, it will be illegal to become a Facebook friend with an applicant in order to check out private details, he said,… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring Stunts
Here is a quick read from Yahoo Hot Jobs about desperate hiring moves from candidates. The examples are entertaining – I suggest you read the article to see the different extremes some candidates will go to for a job. My favorite line from the article (emphasis mine): Career coach Bettina Seidman advises sending little “extras” when they are relevant to the job: “If a graphic designer sends a fabulous storyboard or another example of his or her work along with a resume, then that can work. If a labor-relations expert sends a copy of a new collective bargaining that he or she negotiated, that’s good. However, stalkers or flower senders… Read More
Continue ReadingCulling The Applicant Herd
Forbes.com offers up an article about companies hiring large numbers of employees. How large? Infosys received 1.3 million résumés last year. “In peak seasons we receive around 6,000-10,000 resumes in a day,” says Nandita Gurjar, vice president of human resources development at Infosys. And you thought you had a pile of resumes to get through. The article explains how many of these companies are using online tests or questionnaires at the first step in the process. Clearly, as cold as it sounds, they would have to do some sort of first-pass, automated filter to handle this level of response. After the initial culling, one casino uses a unique approach to… Read More
Continue ReadingSocial Network Background Checks
There has been much discussed about the use of social networking sites in doing background checks of candidates. I’m still on the fence, but I am leaning towards using them. Here is an actual example I heard on Friday. An owner of a medium-sized company had a problem with a previous executive assistant – let’s just say it was far too personal. She was dismissed from the role and the company looked to hire a new assistant. The hiring process for her replacement involved the owner’s wife who was going to spend 1 hour interviewing each candidate. Also, the new executive assistant would not be allowed on the company plane… Read More
Continue ReadingUse Anti-Bonding When Hiring Salespeople
Here is an interesting article from Columbia Business Times titled The Mysteries Of Hiring Salespeople Unlocked. Good title. The short article has some excellent advice and some marginal suggestions. From the excellent column (emphasis mine): 3. Unlearn your present interviewing system. First, throw away the hiring profile assessment you are using now (are you using one?), and instead find one that measures sales skills, adversity, toughness and, most important, whether this applicant will sell for you in your industry. Second, remember this applicant was someone else’s salesperson. Salespeople who “turn over” get good at giving you answers you like to hear. Third, instead of using your natural bonding skills, try… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Greatest Risk When Hiring
I propose that it is hiring new employees without performing a thorough background verification. Think of the implications if you are wrong. The outcomes can be the ultimate dealbreaker in that they can end a company’s existence. With the stakes that high, it never ceases to amaze me that companies take this risk when hiring. Clayton at Salesopedia links to an excellent article concerning this topic in the context of sales hiring. Take this point from the article in Clayton’s post: Some of you may be reading this and thinking that you already have a defined scope for all applicants so there is no need to be concerned. However, the… Read More
Continue ReadingCandidates Should Qualify Money
I’ve been swamped phone screening sales candidates this week and have seen many levels of ability. One thing that has been clear is the candidate’s ability to qualify money. This is a big issue for some salespeople in that they are uncomfortable discussing money. One move I like to use is to provide a wide range on the salary to see what they do with it. If they ask me about compensation (surprising how many do not), I give them a range like $40K to $80K salary. That is a wide range so I expect them to qualify it further: -What will it take to be closer to the $80K… Read More
Continue Reading2 Keys To Finding Sales Stars
ManageSmarter.com offers up an article I cannot resist – Find Your Next Sales Star. We’re going to start a 10 part series on this article. No, we’re not (though I would like to). I’ve written about this topic in the past (emphasis mine): Chet Bloom isn’t a big believer in tests and intellectual assessments. The president of HFBC Ltd., a staff and recruiting firm based in New York, goes with his instinct. “A test will never show a person’s eagerness and motivation,” he says. For him, it’s all about impression, such as how an interviewee dresses, if he shows up on time, and his confidence level. Education is meaningless to… Read More
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