Hiring Winners! Strategies that Work

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Hiring Winners!Hiring Winners!Strategies that WorkStrategies that Work

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AgendaAgenda

• Introductions• UC San Diego’s Hiring Process• Understanding the “War for Talent”• The Cost of Hiring Poorly• Interviewing Game• Best Predictor of Success• Effective Strategies for Hiring Winners

– Before the Interview– During the Interview– After the Interview

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• What is the order in which events should happen?– HR refers applicants– Dept. reviews applicants and completes the screening

matrix– Dept. interviews (Phone or In person)– Hiring Manager completes Selection Report and

Department HR faxes back to Central HR with Screening Matrix and Successful Candidates Resume

– HR approves Selection Report– Dept. makes offer

UC San Diego’s Hiring ProcessUC San Diego’s Hiring Process

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Submitting Final Paperwork to HR

• Key items needed by HR– Screening Matrix, Selection Report, Applicants Resume

(signed, preferred)• Key elements for quicker approval process

– A min of 3 applicants interviewed for the position (grey areas)

– Salary is below the mid point (grey areas)– Required signature obtained– No Barriers to entry were used for screening criteria– Remember to allow for up to 2 business days for approval

(we shoot for a 24 hour turnaround)

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Best Practices

• Good Faith Efforts

• Equal Access

• Fair Treatment

• Consistent Process

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War for TalentWar for Talent

• According to the Aberdeen Report: State of the Market 2007, the top challenges that companies face when it comes to employees are:

– Finding the right talent at the right time and dealing with a generational and skills gap that is eminent due in large part to the mass of retiring baby boomers.

• Success will come to those companies that:

– Make talent acquisition an organizational priority.

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War for TalentWar for Talent

• Best-in-Class PACE Model

Pressures Actions Capabilities Enablers

Future Workforce Planning

Proactively search for and communicate with desirable candidates

Create a data repository of desirable active and passive candidates

Assess candidates for skills, attitude and motivation early in the hiring process

Emphasize strategic, longer-term workforce planning

Collaboration between hiring managers and recruiters

Utilize e-mail and other communications to promote the company and relevant job openings to desirable candidates

Map desired skills against applicants and candidates

Implement an employee referral system

Understand which sources provide the best candidates

Define common skill set of top performers

Background checking tools

Applicant tracking tools

Employee referral tracking tools

Company career portal

Tools to ascertain competitiveness of top performers to hire people with like traits

Social networking technology

Workforce analysis tools

Online/Off-line assessment tools for skills, cultural fit and attitude

Aberdeen Group, A Harte-Hank Co. June 2007

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Cost of Hiring Poorly?Cost of Hiring Poorly?

• Time and Energy– "You can't spend too much time or effort on Hiring Smart." The alternative is to

manage tough, which is much more time-consuming" Gary Rogers, Chairman and CEO, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream.

• Money – The cost of a bad hire is approximately 1-1/2 times the person's annual salary. Put

another way, the wrong person earning $50,000 will cost your company $75,000.

• Reputation

• Morale

People you hire have a direct impact on the future success of UC San Diego

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The Interviewing GameThe Interviewing Game

• Facts:

• The top 10 business schools offer no ongoing courses about how to evaluate, select, or hire key people.

• MBA students today are offered courses about how to get themselves hired by performing well in interviews. – Duke University has a required course in individual

effectiveness partially devoted to interviewing skills, job offer negotiations, telephone etiquette and other tips for the applicant.

• Without a strategy, you are at a disadvantage.

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The typical interviewing game for the applicant:

– Prepares a strategy in advance – Prepares an excellent resume and cover letter– Prepares for predictable questions– Practices their answers to these questions– Enters the interview and regurgitates the information– Lands the job

The typical interviewing game for the employer:

– Skims over resumes– Has an assistant contact applicants for interviews– Asks the same questions – No deviation to resume– Documents information (or doesn’t)– Checks a reference (or doesn't)– Makes a hire

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• Change the game by changing your perspective:– What if…

• the employee you hired had a direct impact on youryour future?• you were not interviewing for an employee but were

interviewing for a lifelong relationship?

“Recruiting someone for a long-term relationship is very different than thinking about trick questions and body language in an interview. Your purpose is not to trip up the person, but to make the best possible match.” Dr. Pierre Mornell – Author of Hiring Smart

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Best Predictor of SuccessBest Predictor of Success

• The most recent, past performance is the best indicator of future performance and success

• Tony Razzano: 200 Play Rule

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23 Effective Strategies23 Effective Strategies

• Before the InterviewBefore the Interview

• During the InterviewDuring the Interview

• After the InterviewAfter the Interview

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Effective Strategies for Hiring Winners

Before the InterviewBefore the Interview

1. Define Position/Strategies to Use• Improves the efficiency of your organization and search• Ask the following questions:

» Can the position be changed to run more efficiently?» What were the shortcomings of the previous individual and are

they clearly defined in the job description?» Is the position structured for success; is it even needed?» What is the timeframe to hire?

2. “Market” your Position• Identify your market? Where can you advertise to reach that market?• Better candidate pools equal better finalist.• Cast a wide net and use your networks to let people know about your

job opening.• Work with your recruiter to access resume banks of candidates.

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Post• Submit the online Requisition

– Remember to allow for up to 3 business days for your job to be posted and a required posting period of 2 weeks.

– Use an attractive and understandable working title.– Write a job description to interest and motivate jobseekers

to apply, soft skills (good communication skills, good listener, team player) needed for this position should be use here.

– Limit your qualifications to 5 – 7 and use hard skills (skills that can be determined/viewed on a resume)

– UC specific qualifications are always advertised as “preferred”

– Special Conditions of employment– Use Notes to communicate to Recruiter

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Posting Example:

DESCRIPTION: The Human Resources Department functions as a ……This positions function is to……Key responsibilities are:

* Key responsibility one* Key responsibility two

QUALIFICATIONS: ***Absolute Requirements***

* Qualification 1 (Most important hard skill)* Qualification 2* Qualification 3 - 7 …

EEO/AAE

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3. Read Resume in Teams• Teams are more accurate and insightful about resumes than individual

readers and typically provide unique insights based on their experiences.• 42% of all resumes include falsification or omission of information.• Look for the following on resumes:

» Previous experience with comparable job elements.» Patterns of progressively increasing responsibilities.» Level of education and educational achievements.» Patterns of progressively increasing compensation.» Experience with specific products, clients, and organizations.» Career or position objectives which are consistent.

• Common areas of misrepresentation/falsification:» Education» Employment History» Salary and Job Title» Experience and Achievements» Criminal Conviction Record» References (Previous Supervisors)

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4. Call Candidates (Manager – Highly Recommended)• First impressions even by phone can tell you a lot about a candidate and

if you don’t make the call, you miss the opportunity for a first impression.

• When making the call, consider the following:» How hard or easy was it to reach the candidate.» Does the candidate return your call at the specified time that

you suggested?» Is the candidate articulate in the conversation?» Does the candidate blame someone for not receiving a phone

call?

5. Conduct a Brief Pre-interview or Phone Interview (20-30 Min.)• Saves hours, even days of your time.• The key to a successful pre-interviewer phone screen is asking solid

questions and keeping the process consistent.

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Before the InterviewBefore the Interview6. Give a Pre-interview Assignment

• This can be an indicator of how well they handle small assignments and timelines.

• Possible assignments: » Send an e-mail questionnaire and ask them to complete it.» Ask the candidate to visit the campus or website.» Ask the candidate to bring a copy of his or her last

performance evaluation and/or portfolio of their work.• Remember to give a deadline.

7. Walk Around the Office with the Candidate• Sets the stage for a productive interview and relaxes the candidate

while providing additional insight into the candidate’s behavior.• Most candidates wait for the beginning of the “official” interview like a

runner waits for the starters gun to fire.• This allows you to assess the following:

» Does the candidate ask questions? (Curiosity is a valuable asset of an employee.)

» How well the candidate interacts with personnel in the office.» Allows you to go back to your staff to see what their first

impression was of the candidate.

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During the InterviewDuring the Interview

8. Trust your instincts but keep an open mind• Star performers do not always “interview” well.• Be aware of your bias and remember you are not there to judge but to

assess for qualifications.• Look for a passionate candidate:

» Passion for a type of work differentiates the exceptional candidates.

» Ask candidates what they are passionate about. Does the job entail that? Can it?

• Chemistry vs. Qualifications. You need both!

9. Relax/Have fun• If you are relaxed and having fun in the interview, the candidate should

respond accordingly and you will learn a good deal in the process.• Provide water to the candidate.• Give brief instructions about the process which will open

communication lines and eliminate tension.

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10. Interview Top Candidates in a Committee• Although sometimes difficult to coordinate, this strategy can provide

more insight. Statistics suggest that when interviewing alone, you have a 96% chance of making a bad hiring decision.

Things to consider when interviewing in committees * Be the expert or have one on hand

a. Places you on firmer ground in evaluating candidate responses. * Use an intuitive person

a. Choose people for the committee with track records for making good hiring decisions and assessing character.

* Watch for inappropriate behavior/commentsa. Enables you to isolate issues that don’t come out though verbiage.

* Identity strengths and weaknessesa. Candidate strengths predict weaknesses (Big Picture… detals?)

* Take notesa. Notes will help jog your memory & use exact quotes for defensibility.b. Remember, notes and e-mails can be subpoenaed.

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10. Interview Top Candidates in a Committee Continued…

* Behavioral Based Interview Questionsa. Prevents personal impressions from affecting your evaluation by focusing on job requirements.b. Reduces applicant “Canned Responses.”c. Focuses on open-ended questions.d. Allows for the best indicator for future success… proof of past success by asking for “Specific Examples.”e. Allows for silence.g. Don’t forget to deviate to the resume to ask unique questions (related to the position).

* Seek Closurea. “We have five more minutes” - Candidates invariably say something that is really important at the end.

The most egregious error made by interviewers is that they talk too much.

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11. Ask for a Legal Release• Background check forms/reference release.• Have candidates sign at the beginning/end of interview.• Cuts down on potential litigation issues.• Allows potential references to give more truthful responses.

12. Ask the Candidate “What will I hear?”• “What am I likely to hear both positive and negative when I call your

references?”• Informs candidates that you intend to check references and gives them

a chance to tell their side of the story.• Candidate’s tend to be more truthful when they know you will call

references.

13. Use Validated Testing Software• Federal regulations require the validation of employment “Tests”,

which must be job related to successful performance. TES has approved computer-related software for Typing and Microsoft Office products.

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14. Assign a Position-Based Assessment During the Interview ● Evaluates candidate’s ability to handle position-related duties.

● Consideration for Position-Based Assessments (PBAs). - Based on the "Requirements" of the job (On the Job Description). - The function to be assessed is over 50% of the requirements or is performed on

a daily basis or is a critical function of the role. - Have conditions in place so the assessment is administered consistently for all

candidates and enough time given to complete the PBA. - Have a defined measure of success (what are the best responses to the

questions or actions to be performed?). - Does not have a grading scale (i.e., 10/10 = 100%, 9/10 = 90% etc). - Is not used as the sole qualifier or disqualifier of a candidate but is used in

conjunction with the candidate’s interview and reference checks. - Consult with Central Human Resources before administering a PBA.

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15. Go on a Campus Tour• You may learn more in a 15-20 minutes walk with the candidate than

you do in the entire interviewing process.• Observe the candidates behavior and questions asked.• Questions are indicators of what the candidate is interested in or

passionate about.• Simple gestures of saying “excuse me” or “thank you” tells you

something about their character.

16. Set a Day/Half Day to Have “Final” Candidate Shadow You• Lets you observe the candidate under game conditions.• Schedule non-confidential meetings and ask the candidate for input.

See how they interact with the group.• 200 plays.

17. Assign a Take-Home Project • Evaluates finalist’s ability to meet a deadline, attention to detail, ability

to analyze problems and suggest solutions, as well as utilizing resources with more time.

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After the InterviewAfter the Interview

18. Use a Reference Check Template• Allows you to be prepared to ask for pertinent information.• Build rapport with the references. Don’t just go right into asking

questions.• Remember to use the candidate’s first name when referring to him/her.

It makes it more personal.• Listen for pauses, ums, well… sort ofs.• As mentioned if you have a reference release form signed by the

candidate you may refer to it or send it to the reference. With such a form, references feel they have more freedom to give good and bad information about a candidate.

• Use an e-mail reference check template. Some references will respond more readily to this technology.

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19. Don’t Just Contact References Given – Use Your Resources– Larger HR departments typically do not tell you anything other

than confirming title, dates of services, and some will tell you if the individual is eligible for rehire and salary, but not all.

– Use one reference to spring you to another and another. Ask who else did CANDIDATE work with? May I be transferred to them? If it is a large organization ask for the name then go to their online directory to find the phone number.

20. Use the Internet– Google, Yahoo, MSN, are at your fingertips. Use them.

» Caution: Be careful that you are not using information in a discriminatory way… Always verify the information you receive.

– It is common for the following to be found on the Internet.» Criminal history.» Previous organizations where the candidate worked.» Actual work done by the candidates.

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21. Livescan (Fingerprint)/Consumer Report Background Check• Utilize these services for positions that work with kids, keys, cash,

cars and computer access. • This check will illuminate risk to UC San Diego.• Highly recommend that you use the Police departments (Livescan)

machine to do a fingerprint check.

22. Meet the References for the Finalist• Face-to-face meetings are superior to phone conversations and e-

mail templates, especially for top-level prospects and campus employees.

• The more personal your contact with the reference, the more likely you are to get honest information. Whenever appropriate, visit a key referral in their office to discuss a final candidate.

23. Have a Trial Run if/when Possible• Is it possible to hire this individual in a temporary assignment or

short-term exception?» If so, this will give you the ability to see the person under game

conditions. Behavior aside, red flags will become clearer during these auditions.

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QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

Hiring Winners! Strategies that Work

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