Very Useful Reminders to all HR Functionaries Regards Aranyak Bhattacharya
From India, Lucknow
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1From India, Lucknow
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If people are treating interviewing as an easy task, then quite clearly you are doing it wrong. That will often explain why you get poor candidates and have high attrition rates.
I also do not understand why you are conducting several interviews by different people. This is a waste of time and effort and a huge expense to the company.
When recruiting, it is much easier to properly prepare first before you even seek or advertise for potential candidates. Start with your position description and person specification. Design the job ad or agency specification around both documents. Develop one standard set of interview questions designed to elicit all the information you require to determine if the person can do the job and integrate into the organization. Shortlist no more than the five best candidates. Select your interview panel and train your interviewers. Ask every candidate the exact same set of questions so you can compare apples with apples. Discuss the interviews and choose your preferred candidate. Do a rigorous reference check and make an offer. Only when you have a process which you follow rigorously does the job of recruitment become easy.
I have trained many managers in this process, and it works. In one organization I worked for, we massively reduced staff turnover and had staff members staying with us for many, many years. But we also treated our staff well and did not employ bullies or psychopaths as managers!! Our recruitment costs were much lower as well.
From Australia, Melbourne
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I also do not understand why you are conducting several interviews by different people. This is a waste of time and effort and a huge expense to the company.
When recruiting, it is much easier to properly prepare first before you even seek or advertise for potential candidates. Start with your position description and person specification. Design the job ad or agency specification around both documents. Develop one standard set of interview questions designed to elicit all the information you require to determine if the person can do the job and integrate into the organization. Shortlist no more than the five best candidates. Select your interview panel and train your interviewers. Ask every candidate the exact same set of questions so you can compare apples with apples. Discuss the interviews and choose your preferred candidate. Do a rigorous reference check and make an offer. Only when you have a process which you follow rigorously does the job of recruitment become easy.
I have trained many managers in this process, and it works. In one organization I worked for, we massively reduced staff turnover and had staff members staying with us for many, many years. But we also treated our staff well and did not employ bullies or psychopaths as managers!! Our recruitment costs were much lower as well.
From Australia, Melbourne
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While I am happy with the tips for interviewers, I beg to differ on one aspect: Interviews are never the easiest of jobs. Especially when you may have candidates who exaggerate or fib about their qualifications or expertise. The good interviewer would watch for the non-verbal as well as verbal cues to profile the candidate.
In fact, I feel (with all due apologies) most interviewers do NOT select the best candidates. A number of candidates are either underperformers or, in some extreme cases, non-performers too.
So please take the process of interviewing (from shortlisting to final selection) as a very serious and sincere exercise.
From India, Delhi
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In fact, I feel (with all due apologies) most interviewers do NOT select the best candidates. A number of candidates are either underperformers or, in some extreme cases, non-performers too.
So please take the process of interviewing (from shortlisting to final selection) as a very serious and sincere exercise.
From India, Delhi
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We will try to keep you enlightened on recent HR issues in the future as well.
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From India, Mumbai
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To know more about us, please visit SLA Consultants India.
From India, Mumbai
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Dear members,
In the article, a few tips are given on interviewing skills. Nevertheless, two vital points are missed out. One is reading the job candidate's CV well before his/her arrival and keeping the questions ready. Pre-reading the CV helps in developing the right frame of mind. Many times, interviewers read the candidate's CV in front of him/her. Nothing is as disorganized as this type of working.
The second thing that was missed out was taking notes while conducting interviews. Once the interviewer takes notes, automatically he/she has to concentrate on the replies given.
Lastly, post-interview activity. Once the candidate leaves the room, the interviewer should make a summary of the discussion based on what transpired in the interview. This is obviously a time-consuming process. Nevertheless, it helps in reviewing whether the selection is proper or not. In India, everybody is so busy that if I tell them to make a summary of the discussion, I might possibly be considered as nuts. However, a tight schedule is no excuse for not maintaining the notes. The notes are useful for subordinates in building their skills in interviewing.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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In the article, a few tips are given on interviewing skills. Nevertheless, two vital points are missed out. One is reading the job candidate's CV well before his/her arrival and keeping the questions ready. Pre-reading the CV helps in developing the right frame of mind. Many times, interviewers read the candidate's CV in front of him/her. Nothing is as disorganized as this type of working.
The second thing that was missed out was taking notes while conducting interviews. Once the interviewer takes notes, automatically he/she has to concentrate on the replies given.
Lastly, post-interview activity. Once the candidate leaves the room, the interviewer should make a summary of the discussion based on what transpired in the interview. This is obviously a time-consuming process. Nevertheless, it helps in reviewing whether the selection is proper or not. In India, everybody is so busy that if I tell them to make a summary of the discussion, I might possibly be considered as nuts. However, a tight schedule is no excuse for not maintaining the notes. The notes are useful for subordinates in building their skills in interviewing.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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"The notes are useful for subordinates in building their skills in interviewing. They are also helpful for deciding which candidate to employ in case there are a large number of people being interviewed. Professional selection will help you to get employees of better caliber. Just having basic qualifications for the job is the starting point; the attitude and confidence, which can be assessed in interviews, make all the difference."
From India, Pune
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From India, Pune
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Good post. Thanks for sharing and reminding the important points that need to be followed while conducting an interview. T&A Solutions (http://tasolutions.in/hr/) is a name for quality job consultancy service in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Pune.
Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
From India, Ludhiana
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Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
From India, Ludhiana
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I fully agree with Mr. H. Prasad's post 'most interviewers do NOT select the best candidates'. Apart from the reasons he has cited, there is one very important reason for this in the Indian context. There are 'external pressures' from influential people in the environment in which the organization operates to get their 'candidate' selected.
In a central PSU against 90 vacancies, the minister under which that PSU came gave a list of 72 candidates to the CMD! When two of them were not selected, he became furious and ordered that they be taken in. A fresh notification was issued, and from scores of applicants, only two were selected. One candidate's father-in-law was the state committee's president of the ruling party, and the other's close friend was an officer on special duty for that minister!
From India, New Delhi
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In a central PSU against 90 vacancies, the minister under which that PSU came gave a list of 72 candidates to the CMD! When two of them were not selected, he became furious and ordered that they be taken in. A fresh notification was issued, and from scores of applicants, only two were selected. One candidate's father-in-law was the state committee's president of the ruling party, and the other's close friend was an officer on special duty for that minister!
From India, New Delhi
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Good discussions.
The objective of the interview is to select the "Right man for the Right Job." Hence, interviewers should be aware of the job requirements, other essentials, and the culture of the company. Wrong selections may cause damage to the company and the candidate. Therefore, it is a very important and responsible job. Interviewers should be thorough, serious, and discharge the given assignment.
Ram K Navaratna
HR Resonance
Visit: www.hrresonance.com
From India, Bangalore
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The objective of the interview is to select the "Right man for the Right Job." Hence, interviewers should be aware of the job requirements, other essentials, and the culture of the company. Wrong selections may cause damage to the company and the candidate. Therefore, it is a very important and responsible job. Interviewers should be thorough, serious, and discharge the given assignment.
Ram K Navaratna
HR Resonance
Visit: www.hrresonance.com
From India, Bangalore
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He or she was the star performer of your company, and suddenly he has decided to move on. What will you do now? The management wants you to retain the employee, but he or she is adamant. The colleagues of the employee want to know the reason behind his leaving the company, and you don't know what to do. If you are working as an HR in a reputed company, then this situation may happen to you as well. What should you do in such cases? It's simple; you should follow all the below-mentioned steps to make sure that your company doesn't suffer a lot due to the resignation of a single employee.
- Don't Panic: The first step is not to panic. When the employee has submitted his or her resignation, you should not panic and make him or her feel awkward. Rather, you should be calm and keep the news away from other employees until you intimate the management about the decision of your precious employee.
- Make a Counteroffer: Your next step should be to make a lucrative counteroffer. You should offer a promotion, more powers, more manpower, and more financial and non-financial incentives to the employee. Obviously, you can't offer too much, but you should offer the maximum you can after getting a nod from the management. You should also make the employee feel worthy while talking him or her out of resignation rather than considering him as an object. Be a bit personal and make him or her realize that the company always valued the employee and will continue to do so in the future as well.
- Seek the Reason: The next step should be to make sure that you find the real reason behind the resignation. If it's something related to the personal life of the employee like the health of a child or a spouse, you may only offer support and understanding. But if the reason is work-related, you should work hard to find out the cause behind it. If the cause is minor, you may still rectify it and retain the employee. For example, sometimes, a disagreement with the immediate manager can force an employee to leave the organization. In such cases, you can request the employee to work in another department instead of accepting the resignation.
- Make Sure It Doesn't Happen Again: If the employee left due to the rude behavior of the immediate manager or staff, you should spend some time talking to the responsible person. You should make sure that the person responsible is punished in some manner like getting a reprimand from the management or getting a salary cut so that he or she doesn't make the same mistake again.
- Clear All Dues: Your next step should be to clear all dues of the employee as soon as you can. If the employee is having trouble understanding any forms like PF, you should lend a hand and help him or her exit from the organization gracefully. This kind of behavior would impress the employee, and he or she will consider rejoining the organization in the future.
- Help Him or Her Wrap Up: You should also help an employee to say goodbye to his or her friends, colleagues as well as the management by being there on his last day. This will make things easier for the employee, and he or she will be more willing to let the bygones be.
- Promise to Re-hire: Your next step should be to promise the employee that if and when he or she wants to rejoin the company, the doors will always be open for him or her. You should also spend considerable time making sure that the employee gets the same message from the management as well, and the value of that message would be far more than your assurances.
- Reassure Current Employees: Your next step should be to reassure the existing employees that your organization is trying everything to resolve the situation that led to the resignation of the precious employee. This will control the employee attrition rates, and the other employees would be less inclined towards resigning from their respective positions.
- Look for an Internal Replacement: After the precious employee has made the decision to leave the organization, you should try to find his or her replacement within the organization. If possible, you should ask the leaving employee to train the junior officer during his or her notice period so that you can have a replacement ready and save the costs of hiring another employee.
- Hire Someone from the Outside: If you are unable to find a junior employee from within the organization who can take over the job of the precious employee, the last step should be to hire a replacement by headhunting. The recruitment process for the position should be expedited by you to make sure that the company does not suffer any more losses than it already has.
Looking for more tips? Keep checking our recent posts and don't forget to visit us at SLA Consultants.
From India, Mumbai
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- Don't Panic: The first step is not to panic. When the employee has submitted his or her resignation, you should not panic and make him or her feel awkward. Rather, you should be calm and keep the news away from other employees until you intimate the management about the decision of your precious employee.
- Make a Counteroffer: Your next step should be to make a lucrative counteroffer. You should offer a promotion, more powers, more manpower, and more financial and non-financial incentives to the employee. Obviously, you can't offer too much, but you should offer the maximum you can after getting a nod from the management. You should also make the employee feel worthy while talking him or her out of resignation rather than considering him as an object. Be a bit personal and make him or her realize that the company always valued the employee and will continue to do so in the future as well.
- Seek the Reason: The next step should be to make sure that you find the real reason behind the resignation. If it's something related to the personal life of the employee like the health of a child or a spouse, you may only offer support and understanding. But if the reason is work-related, you should work hard to find out the cause behind it. If the cause is minor, you may still rectify it and retain the employee. For example, sometimes, a disagreement with the immediate manager can force an employee to leave the organization. In such cases, you can request the employee to work in another department instead of accepting the resignation.
- Make Sure It Doesn't Happen Again: If the employee left due to the rude behavior of the immediate manager or staff, you should spend some time talking to the responsible person. You should make sure that the person responsible is punished in some manner like getting a reprimand from the management or getting a salary cut so that he or she doesn't make the same mistake again.
- Clear All Dues: Your next step should be to clear all dues of the employee as soon as you can. If the employee is having trouble understanding any forms like PF, you should lend a hand and help him or her exit from the organization gracefully. This kind of behavior would impress the employee, and he or she will consider rejoining the organization in the future.
- Help Him or Her Wrap Up: You should also help an employee to say goodbye to his or her friends, colleagues as well as the management by being there on his last day. This will make things easier for the employee, and he or she will be more willing to let the bygones be.
- Promise to Re-hire: Your next step should be to promise the employee that if and when he or she wants to rejoin the company, the doors will always be open for him or her. You should also spend considerable time making sure that the employee gets the same message from the management as well, and the value of that message would be far more than your assurances.
- Reassure Current Employees: Your next step should be to reassure the existing employees that your organization is trying everything to resolve the situation that led to the resignation of the precious employee. This will control the employee attrition rates, and the other employees would be less inclined towards resigning from their respective positions.
- Look for an Internal Replacement: After the precious employee has made the decision to leave the organization, you should try to find his or her replacement within the organization. If possible, you should ask the leaving employee to train the junior officer during his or her notice period so that you can have a replacement ready and save the costs of hiring another employee.
- Hire Someone from the Outside: If you are unable to find a junior employee from within the organization who can take over the job of the precious employee, the last step should be to hire a replacement by headhunting. The recruitment process for the position should be expedited by you to make sure that the company does not suffer any more losses than it already has.
Looking for more tips? Keep checking our recent posts and don't forget to visit us at SLA Consultants.
From India, Mumbai
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