Chapter #3 | Developing your recruitment strategy.

Develop processes to recruit and select new staff Identify and allocate responsibilities across recruitment processes Effectively screen applicant resumes Identify interview methods and create supportive processes for candidate recruitment and selection

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It’s so hard to find new performers these days! Everyone’s looking for different things and those funny clowns you picked up in the last town are only temporary. How do you get the new performers – the temps, the permanents and the ones that ‘do a bit here and there’ to work together? And how do get everyone knowing what’s going on, where to go and what their roles are? You build a big ass tent that everyone can see from miles around, that’s how. A structure that both attracts new performers and allows current performers to do their stuff. But a big ass tent needs quite a few people to help it stand up. Just like a talent strategy needs the whole team on board to make it work…

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Your recruitment strategy will also need to provide clarity on who is doing each of the key tasks within the process. There are a few ways you may manage your recruitment, depending on the size of your business, the skillset of your team or the role that you’re looking to fill. This may mean managers owning the responsibility for recruitment, in-house recruiters, outsourcing, or a combination of each.

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So, do they go on the ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘maybe’ pile? And how do you decide? While some applicants (such as those allergic to the thing they’re applying to work with) may be an easy choice, others require a little more investigating.

Applicant response: I absolutely love the circus! I’ve always wanted to be a part of it and go with my family every year. When I saw your job advertised I just knew it would be for me. Please hire me! Note: Do I actually have to tame lions or is there other work I can do? I’m actually allergic to animals. Please pick me!

Want to know something about an applicant that the resume can’t tell you? Well, now’s your chance to ask! Interviews can be time consuming – especially if using a range of interviewing methods to make your decision – but then imagine how much time it takes to make a new team member productive. And now add to that the fact that you made a bad choice and the time in energy and effort increases dramatically. Your aim in your interviews is to seek to predict the candidate’s future performance in your business. A great approach is to combine methods that allow for behavioural and situational testing on the stuff that’s important to the role. Each candidate should be provided the opportunity to be interviewed fairly, against the role criteria. In the initial stages, the aim is to assess them against the role criteria and their culture or motivational fit, not each other.

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In his book, Work Rules: Insights from Google that Will Transform How You Live and Lead, Laszlo Bock identifies this critical aspect to interviews: interviews are awkward. Bock says this is due the fact that you’re having an intimate conversation with someone you just met, and the candidate is in a very vulnerable position. What’s interesting about Bock’s insight is the old mindset that the candidate is there to prove themselves to us – the employer – and is responsible for the heavy lifting in the interaction. Here, we see a perspective that shows the importance of investing the time in the interview experience, and supporting them through it. Sometimes the best candidates make the worst interviewees. They may care so much about getting the role that they’ve created a mountain of nervous energy within themselves.

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Whether you’re being proactive or reactive about your recruitment, now that you’re on the hunt you need some sort of plan or formula to get people in. Your strategy should be one that not only allows you to get the right talent in, it allows you to do it in the most efficient way. Think of it this way, at each stage of the recruitment process, you want to reduce the number of people you take through to the next stage. This means having mechanisms in place to help you to make good decisions as you go. The aim is to end up with the right talent for your needs so this isn’t a process that can just be rushed through quickly. Each point provides an opportunity to make a good decision for your future. To help in the decision making process, you need to come back to the core role requirements that you developed with your team. Use these to assess each candidate on their merit, or to develop questioning to validate any uncertainties you have.

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Think about how many people you’re looking for in your recruitment. If you only want one at the end, that doesn’t mean only looking at one at the beginning. Use various methods such as job ads, referrals, social media, etc. to source talent that’s right for you. Use each touch point as an opportunity to promote to those that you’re targeting through a strong, authentic alignment with your employee value proposition in your employer branding. There are two key ways you can source your talent: 1. Buy them through recruitment 2. Borrow them through outsourcing, contracting and temporary work

Interviewing, particularly if you do it face to face, can be a long process. The ability to screen applicants prior to the stages that require more heavy lifting and more cost to you is an essential component to your strategy. It’s important here to be clear on what your needs are and to have a clear job description and specifics on what attributes you are looking for in a successful candidate ‘on paper’. This will allow your screening methods to really work for you. There are a number of ways you can screen your applicants including: 1. Analytics. Using information from candidate testing through online recruitment platforms and psychometric testing are useful when done well. 2. Resume screening allows you to match a candidate’s ‘on paper’ credentials with the requirements of the role. 3. Telephone/video call. This gives you the opportunity to communicate with candidates and adds a layer of assessing their interpersonal skills. 4. Job ad activities. This takes some creativity but using your job advertisement to set tasks for applicants on key skills you need for success is a win-win. Not only do you entice candidates to challenge themselves and apply, but you are left with those that can perform.

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Anyone coming in to see you now should be at the top of the pops for you. Remember that this is the most expensive aspect of your recruitment strategy so don't waste the opportunity with the wrong candidates or poor interviewing skills. Interviewing may not be a one-off event in process. Your strategy may require you to assess the candidate in a number of ways that requires more than just a one-off Q&A session. Reference checks are also another way to ensure that you feel confident in your decision to hire. Good questioning and techniques in Interviews should allow you to: 1. Identify motivational fit for the role and the business 2. Assess skills against the role requirements 3. Provide confidence in the decision to hire

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The way you go about your hiring is also an opportunity to show strength in your brand. Just like a customer complaint, poor recruitment practices and in particular hiring practices, can create brand detractors. You can handle the hard calls with integrity and still hold strong in your brand representation.

Often the responsibility of recruitment falls to the leader. This is likely the case in smaller organisations, but is also true of larger ones where the capability is high. It means being involved in the process from the start to finish. In this case, the talent selection process is benefited by the level of understanding the manager has of their team and role needs. The challenges are balancing the process of recruitment with all of the other tasks that fall under the role.

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An in-house recruiter is common in larger organisations, where a Human Resources department handle the management of the process. The level of responsibility may vary depending on the business and level of management capability within departments. It could be a supporting role or running the show. This process works well when departments collaborate closely with recruiters and provide a clear brief on their needs. While the process is benefited from the HR functions internal business knowledge, understanding the non-negotiable role requirements and key selection criteria is fundamental to good decision making.

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Increasingly, over the years, organisations big and small are outsourcing recruitment to external providers – allowing managers to supervise the process and make the final selection decisions. If you are thinking of doing this, look for agencies that you can build a connection with – that understand your mission, vision and values. The real benefit comes from building these relationships and developing real understanding so they can ‘always be recruiting’ for you and your business. Select an agency that has strong networks, quality reviews from others and a full suite of skills across current recruitment trends. Some benefits to using a recruitment agency include: Dedicated to the taskManagement of the recruitment processTime to focus on other aspects of running your businessSpecialised knowledge of the talent pool to find the best fitFill skill gaps in your current capabilityNetwork connections for future talent

Whether working with a recruiter ‘in-house’ or externally, here are some things you should brief them on to ensure you get the best outcomes for you: Short term and long term needsSelection criteria outlining non-negotiable versus flexible skills and knowledgeThe values, mission and vision of the businessThe benefits of working within the team, obvious and less obvious gainsCulture fit attributesHow many people you’re looking forWhat type of role you need and at what level, e.g. how experiencedThe timeframeSalary

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For the employee PayWorkplace safetyJob securityTraining

Do I have the skills? Before you go deciding that you’ve got all bases covered yourself, there are some practical considerations in regards to the work-related obligations and entitlements between employers and employees that might just require a bit of specialist knowledge to manage. In Human Resources, this is known as ‘Industrial Relations’ (IR). HR managers are expected to know their obligations under federal and state industrial relations legislation, such as what their minimum obligations are in regard to employees' pay and conditions, what role union officials can play, and managing potential industrial action. As a Manager, you might be responsible for recruiting, but do you have the skills to cover all bases? Some aspects of industrial relations relevant to employment include:

For the employer ProductivityWorkforce flexibilityEmployment lawsManagement of industrial conflict

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Before you go through the screening process, create a checklist template of your key criteria developed in the planning stage of your recruitment process. This will allow you to assess each individual fairly against the same standard. In some cases, you might have a system to manage your applications online. This will assist you in your screening process by using keyword searches based on your criteria.  As part of your process, note any specifics that you’re still unsure about, especially for your ‘maybe’ pile, so that you can make sure to cover these details later in the interview stage. Once you’ve evaluated all the candidates, create your shortlist for interview. How many you choose will depend on how many candidates you have that match the requirements of your role. Don’t expect more from the resume then you can actually get. There are limitations at this stage, which is why you still need to actually talk to the ones on your ‘yes’ and ‘maybe’ pile. You’ll find attributes like attitude, ability and culture fit can be hard to determine. This part is mainly about the facts.

DON'T STRESS TOO MUCH ABOUT: Resume format. This is something that says little about their actual ability to do the role (unless you’re hiring for a role where layout and formatting plays a part) so don’t spend too much time worrying about it. Job-hopping. ‘Job-hopping’ in their employment history might not be as bad as you think. Focus on career progression, where they’ve come from and where they’re trying to get to. Make a note of any employment gaps or moves that don’t make sense so you can ask about them later. Spelling and grammar. Again if this is pertinent to the role they are applying for then it may be a deal breaker, but otherwise be cautious not to be overly critical too early. One ‘their’ instead of ‘they’re’ in the wrong place isn’t a deal breaker.

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LOOK FOR: Accomplishments. This shows what that they’re proud of. These give you a great indication of their intentions and what drives them. An accomplishment is very personal and will show you their focus. Career path. Look for how they have shaped their career to this point. There may be roles that are completely different to the one on offer but skills can always be transferrable so keep that in mind. Qualifications Look for qualifications that match the requirements of the role. Where a specific requirement is needed, check their resume for it. Experience. As important as qualifications are, their experience allows you to see the environments where they would have put these to good use. Don’t be too fearful of someone with a number of roles under their belt. This can actually be a benefit by allowing you to access information based on their depth of experience.

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Consider the ‘hard stuff’ as the facts or task requirements. When it comes to the role, look for opportunities to assess their skills and knowledge against the requirements of the role. How job ready are they? Are their gaps teachable or necessary to start? The ‘soft stuff’ can be determined through opportunities to assess their motivational fit. If their motivation is their drive, consider how much the role itself interests them, how well they will fit into the team and also their alignment with the business and the brand. All of these factors will go a long way to them feeling like they have purpose within the company.

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PHONE INTERVIEW This should always be considered as just one aspect of the recruitment process in the early stages. The advantages here are that you can gather more data to assess skills such as verbal communication, and ask further questions about questions that you developed from your resume screening. It also allows you to do a lot with a little as it is cost effective and takes very little time. The key disadvantage here is that it relies on the judgement of one person making the call. To set the candidate up for success, give them all the necessary information to prepare and plan a time when they can talk.

PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING This should always be considered as just one aspect of the recruitment process. It can be used at various stages. In some cases testing can be used to assist in job role matching or to accommodate the needs of the team if, for example, there is a clear gap in a particular personality strength. Be careful when testing applicants as tests are based on questions and answers they may be inclined to respond the way they think you want them to be, not in their natural way. Psychometric testing can also be costly to administer and an even bigger flaw is their ability to create biases in our recruitment decisions.

GROUP INTERVIEW The purpose of this interview type is to make a selection. The group interview involves more than one candidate being interviewed at the same time by more than one interviewer. This will usually involve group activities and challenges designed to show how individual candidates interact in groups. It also allows assessments from several interviewers at once for a range of perspectives. The challenge in this style is that it can be hard to actually get any depth of knowledge on a single candidate. It also requires the right skills to know what to look for at what times in the process.

FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW The purpose of this interview type is to make a selection. Generally this involves one or two interviewers meeting with a single candidate and asking job related questions. This should happen in a structured format using a template against the role criteria. Questions are best placed when carried out as a combination of experience based, situational and informational to make a full assessment. This style of interviewing allows those working with the candidate to get to know them better and identify what they have to offer in joining the team. When good questions are used, this style allows for fairly accurate predictions of behaviour and performance. The disadvantages here are the comfort level of the candidate – interviews are stressful – and the variable skill levels of the interviewers to get the best out of them.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT Often referred to as assessment centre’s, the purpose of this type of recruitment activity is to make a selection. While interviews can help you to talk about what the candidate has to offer, skills assessments allow you to see it in action. This could be a role play of a scenario or in more creative roles it could mean carrying out a work based activity to allow you to assess their skills in action. To really work, activities need to directly link to the job. Some of the challenges are; the cost involved to develop activities and the skill of the facilitators in carrying out their roles. Candidates may also feel uncomfortable with ‘role plays’ and be uncomfortable if this is the only method of determining their competence.

Assessment centre’s are an alternative recruitment method to outside of the usual interview structure. They can offer the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ when it comes to candidate selection. Check out more on when assessment centres are a good solution for recruitment here:

Check out some of the different methods of interviewing and their advantages and disadvantages. Remember, the best approach is to combine these methods into a formula that works for you. Look to validate their ability to perform in your business through your methods.

In Hawaii. With a Pina Colada. Wearing a grass skirt. Under a palm tree.

Here, hopefully.

After some chit chat in your interview, I’m ready to hit you with some real questions. Let’s begin with... So, where do you see yourself in five years? Select how you would choose to respond.

I hope to be here contributing meaningfully to the mission, vision and values of your organisation. Possibly in a role with more responsibility…

In a rival firm that offers me more money and better conditions.

In your job.

If you selected option 5 you may have got the job, but what did you really think? The reality is there are many questions we could ask as interviewers that we probably don’t need to; or more specifically shouldn’t. Are we really getting the answers we want from questions like this?

What’s your greatest weakness?

If you were a [can of soup, species of animal, etc.] which one would you be?

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What’s your unique selling proposition?

With all the talented candidates, why should we hire you?

How badly do you want the job?

What you might sayI’d have to say my biggest weakness is that I’m a perfectionist. It’s really important to me to always to the best job I can.

What you might thinkChocolate, gets me every timeFast cars and quick moneyIt seems we both share a weakness for fast food

What you might thinkWell, I don’t know any of the other candidates, can I just say I’m better?You tell meOh god, I’m not going to get this job am I?!

What you might sayI bring a passion and energy to everything I do and feel I am the best person for the job

What you might sayWell, of course I’d have to be tomato, because I tell it straight and don’t have any hidden ingredients/agendas hahaha

What you might thinkThink, think, think dammit!If I have to be another spirit animal, I’m going to go insaneWhat the hell has this got to do with anything?

What you might sayWell I’d have to say my passion and drive for everything I do

What you might thinkDepends what I’m sellingI’m here to get a job in accounts not salesHow the hell should I know? What am I comparing myself to?

What you might thinkOh, not at all really, I just do this for kicksMy rent says it’s a pretty important win for meMore than the last three jobs I applied for this week

What you might sayThis is something I’m really excited and passionate about

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So, what should you say? There are three key types of questioning techniques that can be used to gain real insight and make a good judgement at the end of your interviews. Use interview questions that combine information, behaviour and situational responses to get a full picture of how the candidate might behave in your work environment. Make sure to use open questioning techniques and avoiding leading the answers too much. For a situational approach you want to determine what the situation was, how they handled it and the result of their actions. Behaviourally, you are looking for them to outline when they believe they were at their best to get good outcomes. This helps you to determine if their version of ‘good’ aligns with your own. Follow up questions are also important to clarify any initial responses given and to get to the ‘why’ to assist in decision making. A great approach is to use the key selection criteria for the role and build your questions to specifically target those success areas. Using the same questions for each candidate against the role criteria will allow you to assess them as individuals against the role later. Not only that, but it will mean that those that land on your ‘yes’ pile after that assessment can be fairly compared to each other so you’re left with the best of the best.

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In his book, Work Rules: Insights from Google that Will Transform How You Live and Lead, Laszlo Bock suggests using some of these questions in your interviewing: Tell me about a time your behavior had a positive impact on your team. (Follow-ups: What was your primary goal and why? How did your teammates respond? Moving forward, what’s your plan?) Tell me about a time when you effectively managed your team to achieve a goal. What did your approach look like? (Follow-ups: What were your targets and how did you meet them as an individual and as a team? How did you adapt your leadership approach to different individuals? What was the key takeaway from this specific situation?) Tell me about a time you had difficulty working with someone (can be a co-worker, classmate, client). What made this person difficult to work with for you? (Follow-ups: What steps did you take to resolve the problem? What was the outcome? What could you have done differently?)

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Some common physical signs of nerves include shaking/trembling hands, sweaty palms, blushing or redness on neck, stumbling words, cracking voice, and difficulty gathering thoughts. And that’s just the stuff you see! There’s more than that going on on the inside! As the interviewer in the situation, you can influence the way a candidate feels. Be prepared for stage fright, not overwhelmed by it. Here are some supportive interview techniques you can use to help with this.

• Take time to help them settle in • Provide water and a comfortable space to conduct the interview • Set the room up in a non-confronting way such as round tables or at an angle to each other • Explain the process so they know what to expect • Don’t take over or jump in when they need time to think • Overlook the nerves and focus on the interview

Check out some tips and techniques on managing your next interview.

• Ensuring they have everything they need, prior to the interview, to come prepared • Be prepared and on time, ensuring the location is free from disruptions • Make the interview a conversation, not an interrogation • Encourage them and listen attentively. Give verbal and non-verbal nods to indicate your focus • Relax them by commenting on known information from their resume or prior screening/interviews

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For more interview questions check out this website.

Congrats on getting through your unit to this point! So what have you done in this chapter? Well you've:Developed processes to recruit and select new staffIdentified responsibilities to be allocated across recruitment processesLooked at how to effectively screen applicant resumesIdentified interview methods to create supportive processes for candidate recruitment and selectionSo what now? We recommend you put into practice some of the new skills, techniques and principles you’ve just learned. This is the best way we know, to ensure you know what you need to be successful on your journey – know what we mean? Now, let’s get into the next chapter!

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