The tasking of interviewing potential new employees is a daunting process all by itself, but sometimes we forget about the process that comes before it – sorting through resumes.

Now let me clarify one point first. The online world is wonderful when it comes to making job postings public. Whereas we were once limited to word of mouth and print advertisements, online job boards give us the opportunity to extend our reach to areas we may not have been able to make contact in before.

And there’s the rub.

We’re exposing ourselves to a wider audience, giving us access to a more talented pool of applicants – but we have to deal with the flood of resumes that comes in as a result – and not all are qualified.

So how can you save yourself from hours of unnecessary sorting? Here are a few things to consider:

• Scan the resumes right away and see if the technical skills, attributes, or education requirements you are looking for have been met. Automatically discard any resume that doesn’t have a certain percentage of the requirements you’re looking for upfront.
• Stick to your guns. If you tell your applicants that the only resumes you will accept are the ones emailed to a certain email address, then don’t accept those that come in via other sources. Throw them away. Your applicant obviously can’t follow directions.
• Will you accept resumes without cover letters? Make this point clear in your job posting. If not, immediately discard all resumes that do not include one. Quickly review the letters you do receive and discard the ones that have no content.
• Include the starting salary for the position in your job listing. Some companies want to see what the salary requirements of their applicants are, but this is a waste of time. Truth be told, if you include a salary in your job posting you won’t get resumes from people who don’t qualify from a financial standpoint.
• Delegate your authority. Is there a trusted team member you can use to help with some of the sorting? If so, get the help you need so you can focus on filling the position without letting your other work suffer.

Remember, you don’t have to bring every person you hear from in for an interview. If you end up with a short-list of applicants you are interested in you can start with a very short phone interview – asking a few qualifying questions. If you like the answers, bring them in for a formal interview. If you don’t, decline the application.

It’s really that simple.

Don’t let the resume collection process become overwhelming. You may receive 200 resumes, but in the end you only have one position to offer. Don’t feel bad about searching for the most qualified applicant!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Leadership Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

As a manager, I’ve always found the interview process both fascinating and nerve-wracking. It’s fascinating because I get to meet and speak to dozens of incredible people – some great for the job and others not – but all from different walks of life. It’s nerve-wracking because I have to constantly stay on my toes, thinking of interview questions that will help me to almost force a person to show his or her true colors.

In my experience, I’ve found that interview questions serve three main purposes. They tell you whether or not the individual in question has the skills needed to join the workforce; they tell you whether or not a person is able to function well under pressure; and they give you a general idea of whether or not the person will be a good fit, personality wise, with your team.

So how do you draw this information out?

Start with their skills. Take a look at the resume presented to you at the time of application and make some comparisons. What jobs does the person list as having done in the past? What skills do you know are needed to do that kind of task? Ask your applicant some very specific questions regarding the skills and how they would be used. You might even give the person a real life example and ask how they would handle the situation. If they have trouble answering the questions, they might not really have the skills they claim.

A person’s ability to handle pressure is important. To get an answer to this question you’ll want to put your applicant on the spot. Many people grow uncomfortable when asked to compare themselves to others and outline why they’re better for a position. Simply asking hard questions that require truthful answers will cause others to become stressed. Ask a person about a past stressful situation – or ask him to tell you about someone he didn’t get along with before. The answers you receive will be very telling.

Finally, consider your applicant’s personality. Someone who talks into an interview looking shy-as-a-mouse probably won’t fit will in an active, boisterous environment – even if he does have great skills and work ethic. Someone who is very loud might not fit well into a quieter office, as he’d likely become a distraction. A person who constantly wants to work flex-hours to work around his children might not get along with a group of people who always work 9-5 with no variability.

It’s up to you to ask the right questions. You’re not looking for the nicest person – you’re looking for a person with a great attitude, good work ethic, great skills, and the ability to fit in. If you find that person, you’ll be well on your way to developing a successful team.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Leadership Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

So you’re a manager. Congratulations. I’m sure you’re doign a great job. Now, I don’t mean to bust your bubble, but what are you going to do to make yourself a better manager. Here are a few things to consider:

Build a Great Team

No manager can be successful without a great team at his side. It’s your job to develop a team full of successful, hard working, and motivated individuals. You’ll need to brush up on your interview skills and work at selecting the right people right from the start.

Develop a Great Team

Once you have the right people working with you, you’ll need to make sure they’re all motivated to get the job done – not only on an individual basis but as a team working together as well. Team members should all have times where they’re doing their own things, but they should be able to work together most of the time as well. If you’re having trouble in that area, you may want to implement a few team building activities to break the ice a bit.

Work on Your Own Communication Skills

Odds are, you judge your employees by their abilities to communicate – with each other, with you, and with clients. But are you setting a good example? Your team members, and even managers above you, will grow dependent upon your ability to convey clear, concise thoughts. You’ll need to work on both your verbal and written communication skills in order to become successful.

Time Management

Time management is rough for a lot of people, especially those juggling busy home lives while they’re focusing on their careers. What can you do to enhance your time management abilities? Do you need to get a better organization plan? Do you need to learn to prioritise better? Figure out what your weaknesses are and learn to improve upon them.

Give Yourself a Break

Your employees and team members get breaks during the day and you should, too. You’re not a superhero and you simply can’t work long days without taking a few minutes here and there to breathe. Take a short walk, get a cup of coffee, or simply shut the office door for a few minutes. Oh, and don’t forget to take your annual vacation. If you’re rested, you won’t become aggravated when dealing with your team.

You are a valuable member of your organisation and you want to make sure you stay that way. Take some time to improve upon yourself and you’ll be successful for years to come.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

I’ve always found the interview process to be one of the more entertaining and engaging parts of a manger’s job role. Managers have the unique experience of being able to meet and interact with potential new employees before anyone else – and the challenge of digging for information to ensure the company is making the right hiring decision.

As with so many other functions, there is a specific model or pattern that you should follow during the interview process. One such model is the WASP interviewing structure.

The WASP interviewing structure includes four very simple steps:

• W – Welcome – Greet your interviewee in a professional yet warm and welcoming manner. We tend to formulate first impressions when we meet new people but our own first impression is just as important. Imagine finding a candidate who stands to be an incredible addition to the team only to have him decline a job offer because of his own first impression of your organisation!

• A – Acquire Information – The second stage of the interview process is to acquire information from your interviewee. You may ask questions about his job experience, ask him to take a short customer service exam, or watch to see how he interacts with you and other members of the management team.

• S – Supply Information – After you finish your part of the interview you should always give your interviewee the chance to ask questions. The questions he asks will give you further insight into how prepared he was for the interview and how much he cared about learning about the organisation in advance.

• P – Part Ways – End the interview on a cordial note. give your interviewee a time frame in which he can expect to hear from you, and part ways!

This simple interview model should be the framework for all interviews. The activities or conversations you include during any one of these phases, specifically the information acquisition phase, is up to you. Include all four sections and you’ll never miss out on an opportunity to gather valuable data!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

It’s pretty obvious that we need to conduct an interview before we hire a new employee, but what are we supposed to do once an old employee gives notice that he’s ready to move on to a new employer? Should we sit back, wait until his last day, go out for cocktails, and wave goodbye?

Probably not.

If you are a proactive manager you’ll conduct what is known as an exit interview sometime during that employee’s last day or week. There are several reasons for conducting an exit interview.

First of all, your employee may or may not have told the truth when he initially gave you his reasons for leaving. He may have been upset about something going on within the company or department but feared telling you would make his last days miserable. People on their way out the door are usually less fearful and are more likely to give you honest answers.

Second, if you like the employee the exit interview is the perfect opportunity to express your happiness with his job performance. Make sure he knows that if he would like to come back there will be room for him (if there is a job position, of course).

The exit interview goes far in encouraging a positive image of the organisation as well. If you have a positive interview the employee will be less likely to leave on a sour note and will, hopefully, say good things about the company instead of complaining about it to people he meets later on.

During the exit interview you may find that there are issues within your department or the organisation as a whole that need addressing. While it’s preferable that an employee feel safe enough to share these concerns during the course of his employment, it’s nice to find out about these issues before things get worse. Use the information you gather to determine whether or not any sort of corrective action is necessary.

Finally, perhaps during the course of employment you realised that this particular employee may not have been the best fit for your team. Use the exit interview to gather more information about his personality, what he thought of his job, and his work values. This information will make it easier to identify similar personalities in future employment interviews.

Understanding an employees job skills and values is important on the way in the door, but knowing his true feelings on the way out is just as important. Take the time to get to know each and every member of your team and, hopefully, you won’t NEED to conduct too many exit interviews!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”