Perfect Phrases for Perfect Hiring: Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Interviewing and Hiring the Best Employees Every Time (Perfect Phrases Series) - Softcover

Davila, Lori; King, Margot

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071481702 ISBN 13: 9780071481700

Verlag: McGraw Hill, 2007

Inhaltsangabe

The Right Phrase for Every Situation…Every Time

Hiring the right person is crucial to business success. You need to know what to say to attract the best applicants, what to ask during the interview, and how to communicate your expectations and goals. Perfect Phrases for Perfect Hiring arms you with the right words for every stage of the hiring process-from early recruiting and reference checking, to final interviews and orientation. Using the book's hundreds of sample phrases and questions, you'll find exactly what to say and do to find just the person you're looking for. Inside you'll find winning phrases to help you

• Separate the winners from the losers before the interview
• Find out everything you need to know during the interview
• Establish a strong working relationship after the interview

Packed with the exact phrase to express yourself in any hiring scenario, Perfect Phrases for Perfect Hiring gives you the communication help you need to get the best players on your winning team.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Von der hinteren Coverseite

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Perfect Phrases for Perfect Hiring

Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Interviewing and Hiring the Best Employees

By Lori Davila, Margot King

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © 2007 Lori Davila and Margot King
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-07-148170-0

Contents

Foreword
Introduction
Part One. Developing a Hiring Game Plan
1. Define Your Ideal Candidates
2. Find and Attract the Right Talent
3. How to Choose a Third-Party Recruiter
Part Two. Screening, Interviewing, and Evaluating Candidates
4. Prescreening Candidates
5. Conduct a Productive Interview
6. Conduct Due Diligence of Final Candidates
7. Manage Candidates and Their Interest Effectively
Part Three. Hiring and Transitioning Top People into Your Organization
8. Negotiate an Offer Without Any Hitches
9. Make Your New Employees Feel at Home

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Define Your Ideal Candidates

The most important step in hiring the perfect employee is also the very firststep—clearly defining what you need (not just what you want) in a candidate sothat your overall organization, not just you, will significantly benefit fromyour hiring decision. To find your "match made in heaven," start by identifyingkey factors that describe the whole person you are looking for. Look for skillsand qualities that have been learned, that can be learned, and that can't belearned, but also be aware of some other important aspects such as thecandidate's motivation and drive. For example, if someone has learned a softwareprogram or two, having to learn another program may be less important thanhiring a person who is genuinely motivated and possesses a passion for helpingothers resolve issues in a customer service role. Ranking a candidate'sperformance and personal skills/qualities higher than a technical skill that canbe learned on the job is something to consider.

Start your needs assessment by identifying these key areas for your openposition:

* Technical Knowledge and Skills. These are learned skills obtained througheducation and/or on-the-job training. Examples include software programs,accounting expertise, and effective advertising strategies.

* Performance Skills. These are required skills that go above and beyond thetechnical skills and are usually part of a person's inherent makeup. Examples ofthese skills include planning and organizing, customer service orientation,relationship building, analyzing, and strategic thinking.

* Personal Qualities and Motivations. These are also ingrained in a person'smakeup and are nearly impossible to obtain satisfactorily as a learned behavior.These qualities will reveal if a candidate will do the job, not just if he cando the job. Examples include initiative, adaptability, competitiveness, and goalorientation.

* Other Qualifications. Minimum requirements to do the job, such as educationaldegree and years of experience in a particular field.

Unfortunately, the majority of hiring managers spend little to no time definingcandidate qualifications because their primary work responsibilities have a wayof piling up and demanding all of their attentions. Ironically, a lack of focuson this crucial step is often the leading cause of business pain, loss,disruption, and extraordinary expenses. Don't get caught in this trap! Keep thefollowing points in mind:

* It's impossible to properly recruit, screen, and evaluate candidates withoutknowing the specifics of what you are looking for.

* Your success in hiring employees who will add value and flourish within yourorganization is directly related to how well you perform this initial step ofdefining requirements in the hiring process.

* It is advisable to tackle this step with other key stakeholders in yourorganization so that down the road, those who have an interest in the openposition can't change their minds or influence a hiring decision that is not inthe best interest of the company. You can conduct a facilitated brainstormingsession where key decision makers can participate in, guide, and approve the jobdefinition process, or you can circulate a job description template to your teamalong with questions. Request that questionnaires come back to a central pointfor compilation, editing, and then reissue for final approval.

* To clarify qualifications, seek out others who are currently holding or havepreviously held the open position. Also consider getting feedback from teammembers, peers, and managers of the position, as well as other external andinternal contacts who will regularly interact with the position, such as HumanResources and other key influencers. You may not be able to see all of the needsof the open position yourself, so working with others who have differentperspectives will ensure that checks and balances are in place.

* Avoid the number one hiring mistake—hiring someone in your mirror image. It ishuman nature to gravitate to people we like—people with common interests,values, and personalities; however, when we do this, we're putting the trueneeds of the organization last.

Define the Right Job Profile

Defining the right profile for your open position requires the creation of adetailed job description containing the following specific items:

* Position Title

* Relationships and Roles—description of whom this employee reports to, whoreports to this employee, and other working relationships.

* Job Specifics—name of the division or department, geographic location, salarygrade/range, employee status (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.), travelrequirements, and start date.

* Position Purpose—summary describing the nature, level, purpose, and objectiveof the job (usually three sentences or fewer).

* Duties and Responsibilities—list of duties, essential functions, continuingresponsibilities, and accountabilities of the position. Each responsibility thatcomprises of at least 5 percent of the employee's time should be included.Determine the percentage of these duties in relation to the total job and notethem accordingly.

* Job Qualifications—the minimum qualifications, specifications, and standardsrequired to perform the essential functions of the job. Tie qualificationsdirectly to the job duties and include areas such as education, licenses,certifications, experience, knowledge, and skills.

* Other Physical, Environmental, Mental, and Special Requirements—list otherdemands that are required for performing the essential functions. Examplesinclude climbing ladders, standing for long periods of time, lifting materialsup to 50 pounds, reading documents or instruments, reasoning, utilizingcomputers in a PC Windows environment, and heavy travel schedules.

A well-developed job description provides insurmountable benefits. It ensuresthat everyone involved in hiring the new employee is on the same page during allrecruiting, screening, interviewing, and decision-making efforts. It alsoprovides the new hire with an understanding of the accountabilities, duties, andresponsibilities she is expected to fulfill, alleviating futuremisunderstandings and conflicts. See the Sample Job Description Template, nextpage.

Position Purpose: Develop, manage, and execute all sales training programs toinclude initial new hire sales training and continued advanced sales training.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Develop, manage, and execute all sales training programs under the directionof Director of Sales (50 percent).

2. Work with Director of Medical Education and Product Training Manager toincorporate clinical learning and best adult learning processes into salestraining programs (5 percent).

3. Coach Territory Managers to maintain a high level of proficiency with sellingskills and product knowledge through direct rides with Territory Managers and bydeveloping improvement plans with Regional Managers (10 percent).

4. Coordinate field rides and competency checks with Field Sales Trainers (5percent).

5. Conduct selling skill assessments in the field by working with TerritoryManagers identified by the Regional Manager and Director of Sales (10 percent).

6. Ensure corporate image is maintained and marketed professionally (5 percent).

7. Participate in scheduled sales management meetings and trade show events (5percent).

8. Develop sales training programs during major trade shows and events asrequired (10 percent).

Qualifications: Must be a leader and be able to perform each essential dutysatisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of theknowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may bemade to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

* Strong initiative and leadership skills.

* Demonstrated patience with teaching/coaching situations.

* Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

* Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

* Able to adapt quickly and react positively to business needs and changes instrategies.

* Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work successfully with a varietyof people.

* Willingness to set and maintain high standards of performance.

Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree (BA) from a four-year college oruniversity; a minimum four years related experience and/or training; orequivalent combination of education and experience as deemed appropriate by theDirector of Sales. Either have or be willing to study adult learning processesto effectively develop training programs.

Language Ability: In English, must have ability to read, analyze, and interpretgeneral business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, orgovernmental regulations. Possess the ability to write reports, businesscorrespondence, and procedure manuals, as well as effectively presentinformation and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients,customers, and the general public. Must be comfortable speaking to large groupsof people and have a demonstrated ability to teach both individuals and groups.

Math Ability: Ability to calculate figures and amounts, such as discounts,interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, andvolume.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a varietyof concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral,diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills: Microsoft: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Internetsoftware, order processing, database software, contact management.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here arerepresentative of those an employee encounters while performing the essentialfunctions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enableindividuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed tooutside weather conditions, and it is at his sole discretion on how adverseweather should be managed as it relates to the needs of the position.

Expected overnight travel requirement will be up to 50 percent, depending uponthe time of year and strategic needs of the company.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative ofthose that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essentialfunctions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enableindividuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 50 pounds.

Get a Group Consensus on the Right Profile

The following is a sampling of questions you can share with those who know theposition best. The answers received will help you create the best jobdescription in terms of responsibilities and cultural fit.

Relationships and Roles

* Working relationships are the continuing contacts with whom the incumbent mustinterface to accomplish the duties of the position. List the major interactionsthe position has with others inside and outside the organization (clients,vendors, partners, press contacts, etc.) and briefly describe the purpose orresult of these contacts.

* Does the position have supervisory responsibilities, internally or externally?If so, list the number and titles of the employees that report to this position.

Position Purpose

* What is the purpose and objective of the position: Why does the position exist?Include primary accomplishments, challenges, and products and services relatedto the position (including who benefits from them and how).

Duties and Responsibilities

* In the order of importance, what are the essential job responsibilities—presentand future—needed in order to achieve measurable results?

* What are the daily, weekly, monthly, and annual responsibilities?

* What is the estimated percentage of time spent on each responsibility?

* Describe the authority delegated to this position (including decision-makingauthority) and note its limits.

* What are the organization's weaknesses (what are the greatest needs)?

* What are the expected deliverables for the first six-to-twelve months?

* Describe the five most important deliverables.

* What are some examples of common and complex problems that this position willbe called on to resolve?

* What kinds of issues are typically referred to this position's manager?

* What is the company's direction and how will it affect this position down theroad?

Job Qualifications

* What are the minimum requirements necessary to qualify for this position(education, training, special abilities and skills, certifications, licenses,knowledge, experience)?

* What are the specialized/technical skills and knowledge required for thisposition— now and in the future? (Examples are hands-on industry knowledge,accounting knowledge, including the most current tax laws, P&L responsibilities,Web-based commerce systems, and sales techniques. These skills typically arelearned and come from on-the-job work experience, training, and education.)

* What abilities are required above and beyond the learned or technical skillsfor this position—now and in the future? (These skills are innate strengths ofyour candidates. Examples include attention to detail, customer servicing,strategic thinking, relationship building, investigating, and analysis.)

* What characteristics are important to top performance in this position?(Examples: adaptability, analytical ability, assertiveness, detail oriented,collaboration, communication skills, conflict management, creativity, customerservice, delegation, follow up, independence, initiative, integrity,interpersonal skills, leadership, listening, negotiation skills, persistence,planning and organizing, problem solving, risk taking, staff development,strategic planning, team building, time management, tolerance for stress,written communications.)

* What differentiates average performers from top performers in this position?

* Identify specialized skills that are essential to carry out the position'sresponsibilities and make them as specific as possible. Examples include:

– Interpersonal Skills: interviewing, hiring, coaching, directing, measuring andrewarding performance.

– Professional/Technical Skills: systems programming, financial analysis,accounting, legal.

– Managerial Skills: planning, organizing, reviewing, budgeting, directing,taking disciplinary action.

* Describe the company's culture and environment. What characteristics are must-haves for someone to excel and to be self-motivated in this type of environment?(Areas to focus on may include your company's mission and values, marketplaceand competition, workflow pace, rules and regulations, communication methods,opportunities for socializing and risk taking, formal or informal setting,threshold for change, opportunities for collaboration and independent work,hands-on versus hands-off management styles.)

* Describe the attributes and motivators of the employees who have long tenureand consistent success in similar roles.

* What are the organizational strengths needed for top performance that thecurrent department may be lacking?

* What are the greatest challenges and barriers of the job?

* What personality traits are important for success in this role? (Examplesinclude being self-driven, having a positive outlook, being an empatheticcommunicator, and eagerness for new experiences and responsibilities.)

Other Physical, Environmental, Mental, andSpecial Requirements

* Are there working conditions associated with this position that should be noted(environment, hours, travel requirements, physical demands, etc.)?

* Describe any unusual or special working conditions.

Other Questions

* Is this position closely, moderately, or minimally supervised?

* Does this position have access to confidential information? Please explain.

* Does this position have access to company funds? Please explain.

* What is it about working for this company that is most appealing?

* What is the hiring manager's unique management style?

* What are the unique selling points for the open position and company thatshould be communicated to attract top talent?

* What additional information is relevant to the evaluation of this position?

Phrases for Writing Job Descriptions

Below are sample phrases for each part of the job description. Phrases have beenprovided for five popular job titles at different position levels: SalesExecutive, Administrative Assistant, Chief Financial Officer, DatabaseAdministrator, and Product Manager.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Perfect Phrases for Perfect Hiring by Lori Davila. Copyright © 2007 by Lori Davila and Margot King. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: McGraw Hill
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2007
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0071481702
• ISBN 13: 9780071481700
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Anzahl der Seiten: 224
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar