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Screening candidates is one of the most important
interviewing skills. It can be time-consuming and exasperating
but it need not be.......
Yes, screening job applicants can be frustrating. Yet
the simple secret to efficient screening starts with specifying clear
job
requirements.
This involves writing the job description carefully and
including all the associated
duties. Separate the necessary skills from the helpful skills, the soft
(interpersonal) skills from hard (job-related) skills.
Be clear, exact and very precise.
Let no one be in any doubt of your requirements.
Minimum requirements
In your ad or online posting, make sure the minimum
requirements of the job and the salary range are clearly defined.
General job ads attract a broad range of candidates, many of which may or may not be
qualified for the job you need done. That may seem like the right tactic, but it
actually makes hiring much harder. The reality is, you'll end up with far fewer
qualified applicants than you expect once you sift through all the untargeted
resumes.
Check references -another of the vital
interviewing skills Before you select
your list of potential candidates, remember this: Desperate candidates may be willing to do
desperate things to get hired. So check references now. Do the schools listed on the résumé really
offer the degree the candidate claims to have? Do the schools really exist? Confirm
some of the candidate's work history to further access his suitability.
Also look carefully at the condition of the candidate's resume. Is it dog-eared
or riddled with spelling or grammatical errors? What does this tell you about
him? Is he worth interviewing? Perform background
checks Another way to screen candidates at this
stage is to conduct a brief background check. Such checks are now routine in many
industries. If your new hire will handle your sensitive business functions, such
as accounting and customer service, a professional background check may be in
order. Again, if discrepancies emerge, you may need to consider the candidate's
suitability. Screen over the
phone
Speaking with someone on the phone for a few minutes
can be very revealing. Be sure to give the candidate an opportunity to make a
good impression by scheduling a mutually convenient time to speak for 10 to 15
minutes.
During the telephone screening, ask for a brief description of their
background, work experience, and hobbies. This should give you some idea whether
or not the candidate can handle the basics of small talk, telephone etiquette,
and basic communication. Use this opportunity to tell the candidate about your
expectations for the position and to gauge the candidate's level of interest and
suitability.
Get your team together
Once you've received the bulk of your responses, get the key
members of your hiring team together and go over all the remaining resumes.
Select the ones you now deem most suitable.
Now go back on the phone and start the screening process all over
again. Briefly talk to each candidate over the phone about their skills and your
company before you bring them in.
Yes, this can be time-consuming, but it's well worth it.
Also resist the idea to immediately schedule interviews with
your top chosen candidates. Many
people look good on paper but make a terrible phone impression.
And in the end, it will all boil down to one thing: your
gut feeling. And when you have done all the screening, all the phoning,
and all the interviewing your gut feeling will confirm to you who is
right for you.
copyright
2005 interview
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