"I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix."Dan Quayle
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Getting A Solid Internet Marketing Foundation
As we look at building our online businesses, many of us acknowledge, early-on, that we don't know it all. Those who don't, are almost certain to fail because they often attempt to apply techniques that simply don't work online - to their online ...
How to Take Advantage of Public Relations
Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Net word count is 760 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003. ...
Managing the Human Resource Project
We obtain strategic results by aligning HR mission, vision and values. The following overview highlights a macro approach to project management. Seeking a stretch assignment, such as ownership of a major corporate HR initiative, we lead our ...
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Mistake #1: Going with the flow
Inexperienced interviewers sometimes fall into the trap of letting the interview become "free form", spending different amounts of time on different questions, basing follow-up questions on on how the candidates answer. This can result in a candidate taking control of the interview and leading you where he or she wants to go, rather than where you can get the information you need.
Solution: Ask everyone the same questions. Prepare a list in advance, based on the information you need, and use it as a guide throughout the interview. Put each question on a separate sheet of paper and prepare one set for each candidate. As you move through the questions, use the appropriate sheets to make notes of the answers and your own observations and impressions. You can vary the follow up questions as necessary, but keep your notes on the main question page. When you have followed this structure with all the candidates, you'll be able to compare them on an "apples to apples" basis.
Mistake #2: Asking predictable questions
Job applicants have many sources of help for interviewing, and it's easy to learn acceptable answers to the standard questions. That means even the wrong candidate for your position could answer the questions in a way that fools you into thinking he or she is a fit.
Solution: Ask candidates questions that force them to expand on their answers, illustrating their thinking skills as well as their attitudes and job competencies. Such questions might include:
- If you could design your own job, what would it look like?
- What's your favourite part of the work you do now? Why do you like that?
Ask questions like these and, instead of practised responses that tell you virtually nothing, you'll get insights into who these people really are.
Mistake #3: Whitewashing the job
If you have a candidate in front of you who seems like a great choice, you obviously want that person to accept your job offer. Sometimes, though, you know the job has inherent challenges or downsides, and you may be afraid if you talk about these thing you will lose a good employee. The trouble is, if you hire them and they discover the negatives themselves, you may well lose them in the first week!
Solution: Be candid about challenges in the job or within the
company. Watch for candidates who embrace and relish the challenges, and who can see beyond the negatives. These can become your most valued employees.
Mistake #4: Ignoring the question of "fit"
Every organization has a culture. It comes from a blend of the industry you are in, the ages of those who work there, the size of the company, the number of people, the geographic location and many other factors. But that culture creates its own work environment, and if employees are not comfortable with that environment or do not work well within it, they don't "fit". This person will never be an asset to your company, and may in fact leave very quickly.
Solution: Ask questions whose answers will demonstrate the candidate's personality and character, their attitudes towards the workplace. An example of that type of question might be: Do you prefer a structured environment or a more loose, easy-going one? Why?
Mistake #5: Letting a candidate's one major positive blind you to the negatives
Sometimes a person might have one outstanding positive: worked for your major competitor, attended a university with a track record of successful graduates, or even just comes from your home town. If you also instinctively like the individual, it is tempting to be overly influenced by this fact, and not pay enough attention to others that are not so attractive.
Solution: When recording your notes on each candidate (see solution to Mistake #1), be sure to record negatives as well as positives on the appropriate pages. When you review your notes after the interview is over, you will be better able to balance the pros and cons impartially.
Candidates are often sophisticated job seekers, who are well prepared for the interview. To avoid costly hiring mistakes, hiring interviewers must be equally prepared for the process.
Helen Wilkie helps people use practical communication skills for success. For more on how to "Ace the interview, hire the best", go to http://www.mhwcom.com/pages/acetheinterviewhirethebest.html.
While you are at her site, sign up for Helen's free monthly e-zine, "Communi-keys", at http://www.mhwcom.com/index.html
hwilkie@mhwcom.com
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 No IAEA-Iran communication on atom probe-officials - Reuters India
VIENNA (Reuters) - A stalled International Atomic Energy Agency inquiry into alleged atomic bomb research by Iran has deteriorated into a total lack of communication for more than two months, U.N. officials said on Wednesday. "We had gridlock before ...
Site List Narrows For NASA's Next Mars Landing - Mars Today
PASADENA, Calif. -- Four intriguing places on Mars have risen to the final round as NASA selects a landing site for its next Mars mission, the Mars Science Laboratory. The agency had a wider range of possible landing sites to choose from than for any ...
M-Th. 8AM-8PM Fri. 9AM-5PM Sat. 10AM-3PM Over 50 Years of Creative ... - WBZ-AM
WBZ NewsRadio 1030 has been broadcasting to New Englanders for more than 80 years. WBZ is New England's and Boston�s most reliable source for the latest Boston news, Boston weather and Boston traffic. Listen on air, online and on demand to award ...
Better communication between DOT, local officials is aim of new ... - Citizen
Community representatives from around the state will share concerns and open communication with the Department of Transportation as part of a transportation advisory committee. A committee of 14 representatives from organizations and municipalities ...
MySpace-hoax trial shines light on federal cyberbullying bill - First Amendment Center
As federal prosecutors in California prepare to try a Missouri woman on charges of online fraud in connection with the suicide of a teenager, a bill to more directly confront cyberbullying remains in a congressional subcommittee. The Megan Meier ...
Behind the music at Musexpo: Can we fix a 'broken' industry? - Guardian Unlimited
This week, the decision makers of the music industry rolled into London for the music conference Musexpo . Musexpo started out with three music executives having dinner in LA. Sat Bisla, one of the diners, realised that there needed to be more ...
Justin Cocchiola - Bleacherreport.com
Hey I'm Justin Cocchiola and I'm a student at Virginia Tech. I am majoring in Mass Communication with a minor in Professional Writing, and hope to become a sports broadcaster one day. I write what I feel and hopefully some of you have different ...
MS--Nuke Plant Fire - Meridian Star
PORT GIBSON, Miss. (AP) — Officials say a fire at Port Gibson's Grand Gulf nuclear power plant has left the facility operating at 65 percent capacity. Monday's fire was not considered major and ranked in the lowest of the plant's four emergency ...
Citizen Photos - Submit Your Photo - Daily Record
By submitting a photograph, article, video or audio file you are allowing Dix Communications the right of use in any of the companies associated sites, publications or other media. Photographs, videos, articles and audio files may be cropped or ...
Case for Nonviolent Action Is Strong - Common Dreams
This campaign season, we heard about everything from Alaskan independence to the return of the Cold War. The list includes diplomacy, economics, immigration, taxes, terrorism, values, war, you name it. One topic that was not mentioned, indeed is ...
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