Imperatives Of Identifying The Right Candidate
India is already pulling itself out from the effects of the economic downturn. Growth across sectors is picking up and the job market is once again looking promising for potential candidates. Some freshers/ currently unemployed are back on the scene looking for the right job opening and others who are already employed are now willing to take the risk of exploring new opportunities. In this universe of prospects, finding good talent is one of the key challenges HR Managers face in today's times.
It is a common saying that any organization is as good as its people. So when Managers evaluate prospective employees, it is critical that they hire as per company's standards. The business impact of a wrong hire is immense.
Some of the common errors made during the selection of a candidate are that the people involved in the interview process are not aligned about the job requirements and competencies for success; individuals on the selection panel adopt different interviewing methodologies, the time set for the interviews is inadequate, etc. Sometimes, the candidates are not treated with respect, like being asked to wait despite reaching on time, stretching the interview beyond the time set, or not reverting to the candidate on the outcome of the interview. This affects the company's image and has serious implications with regard to attracting good talent.
It is critical that people involved in selection use a job profile as it details the job requirements and competencies required. It is also advisable to use behavioural interviewing - get concrete examples of how people have performed in the past in the targeted competency areas; this is a fair prediction of future behaviour.
At the start of the interview, it is useful to share the structure of the interview with the candidate so that both the interviewer and the candidate are aligned, and the candidate has adequate opportunity to share information about her/ himself, which is vital for making hiring decisions. Interviewers should not speak for more than 20% of the interview period - the idea is to listen more and talk less. Strong listening ability is essential to the assessment process.
What is equally important is that interviewers don't over-sell the position that the candidate is being interviewed for, so that his/ her expectations from the organization are realistic. This is even more so in case of candidates who are over-qualified for a particular position. A transparent two-way communication leaves no room for ambiguities and ensures that a fresh recruit settles into the new role comfortably.
Reference checks are an important opportunity for the selectors to validate the data they have gathered during the interview and also obtain additional information. Recruiters should be trained on carrying out reference checks effectively.
Hiring high quality talent is an important Managerial responsibility as the future of an organization's growth and sustenance is dependent on the quality of people it recruits. In the long run, the time spent on this process pays big dividends.
It is a common saying that any organization is as good as its people. So when Managers evaluate prospective employees, it is critical that they hire as per company's standards. The business impact of a wrong hire is immense.
Some of the common errors made during the selection of a candidate are that the people involved in the interview process are not aligned about the job requirements and competencies for success; individuals on the selection panel adopt different interviewing methodologies, the time set for the interviews is inadequate, etc. Sometimes, the candidates are not treated with respect, like being asked to wait despite reaching on time, stretching the interview beyond the time set, or not reverting to the candidate on the outcome of the interview. This affects the company's image and has serious implications with regard to attracting good talent.
It is critical that people involved in selection use a job profile as it details the job requirements and competencies required. It is also advisable to use behavioural interviewing - get concrete examples of how people have performed in the past in the targeted competency areas; this is a fair prediction of future behaviour.
At the start of the interview, it is useful to share the structure of the interview with the candidate so that both the interviewer and the candidate are aligned, and the candidate has adequate opportunity to share information about her/ himself, which is vital for making hiring decisions. Interviewers should not speak for more than 20% of the interview period - the idea is to listen more and talk less. Strong listening ability is essential to the assessment process.
What is equally important is that interviewers don't over-sell the position that the candidate is being interviewed for, so that his/ her expectations from the organization are realistic. This is even more so in case of candidates who are over-qualified for a particular position. A transparent two-way communication leaves no room for ambiguities and ensures that a fresh recruit settles into the new role comfortably.
Reference checks are an important opportunity for the selectors to validate the data they have gathered during the interview and also obtain additional information. Recruiters should be trained on carrying out reference checks effectively.
Hiring high quality talent is an important Managerial responsibility as the future of an organization's growth and sustenance is dependent on the quality of people it recruits. In the long run, the time spent on this process pays big dividends.
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