Volume 3
Employment Essentials Volume 3: How do you assess a candidate’s technical abilities and hands-on experience?
HR professionals and Hiring Managers can have a mountain to climb not only by identifying good talent to begin with but also assessing whether it’s the right skillset for their team.
How do you really know this candidate can perform the job? How can I help the team determine if we should move forward or not?
Today, we explore three ways YOU can confidently answer these questions and give themselves peace of mind that they have made a good decision for the team.
Resume Assessment:
If the resume isn’t good to begin with, there is no need to invest time with the candidate.
Industry relevance: Does this candidate have enough relevant experience to quickly acclimate to your company’s particular environment/culture? If not, chances are they also do not possess the technical competencies for your industry and may not be worth the investment.
Good tenure: Decent job tenure and longevity speak to the level of proficiency someone can acquire at a role due to the continuous involvement in their role as opposed to multiple gaps in the resume. Tenure can also give you insights as to a person's personal level of responsibility or maturity when it comes to work.
Progressive Work History: The ideal candidate that has actually used their skills to grow will reflect it on their resume. You should be able to see an upward/forward professional trajectory. Candidates who have an unclear trajectory may come with outside circumstances that affect their work performance.
Exceptions: Although there will always be exceptions, they do not disprove the rule. At times you may need to call a candidate to clarify their resume as they may have a reasonably justifiable reason for any concerns you may have.
Proper Screening
Open ended questions: While interviewing candidates, stay away from Yes/No type questions to avoid ending the dialogue about their experience prematurely. Instead, ask a situational question about a particular task an their relationship to it.
Ineffective Question: Can you troubleshoot?
Effective Question: If an equipment fails, what is the proper order to assess the root cause while troubleshooting?
Level of involvement: To get a thorough understanding of a person’s hands on experience, ask about the level of involvement with a task.
Did they do it directly Supervised or alone?
How frequently was this task done or equipment operated?
Can they explain the order of operation well enough?
DO they understand the components and how they relate to the process?
Situational examples: Your candidate should be able to fully express their ability to conduct the job in an effective manner that relates to the job.
What does a typical 8-5 look like for you?
Provide an example of a time you successfully accomplished.
What about a time out wasn’t so successful? How did you pivot?
When no clear direction is given or in unfamiliar territory, how do you use your resources to more in the right direction? Provide an example.
The main take away is to see if this person can genuinely speak to their experience and have it line up with their background.
Onsite Assessments
Tests: Although very useful, tests may not always be the best indicators of proficiency. Some people may not perform well with test taking yet can still perform the job exceptionally. Use tests as an additional vetting metric.
Walkthroughs: Walkthroughs can help both the candidate evaluate the operation and whether this is an environment they can see themselves committing to. While conducting walkthroughs, the employer can ask additional questions related to the job as well as observe the candidate's behavior and demeanor in real time.
All in all, conducting a comprehensive evaluation of a candidate's technical skills and practical experience requires additional time and attention. This is precisely why teaming up with a reputable staffing agency can prove invaluable. By leveraging our expertise and resources, you not only streamline the hiring process but also ensure that you make well-informed decisions that align with your company's needs and goals.
The FLAG Difference:
FLAG Recruiters are well versed in the world of sourcing, screening, and selecting. This affords you the time to focus on interviewing and extending offers with the confidence of knowing you’re working with relevant qualified talent.
As an extension of your HR team, we partner directly with the hiring managers to expedite hiring and onboarding and allow you to reallocate your recruiting bandwidth with other HR matters.
Don’t let the good hires pass you by and don’t invest your time in the wrong hires.
We invite you to connect with a FLAG professional and see how you can enhance your Recruiting Practices and staff your operation with talent!
Cheers to your Success!
#WESTANDFORYOU
Employee Insights Volume 3: What are key questions I should ask employers during my interview?
So, you landed yourself an interview… Congratulations! You are now one step closer to identifying your next potential employer.
Picking the right job is a very important decision and making a poor choice can adversely affect your career, income, and the perception of your resume if you decide to leave your new role soon after starting.
Today’s FLAG Masterclass Mondays: Job Seeker Edition details the 5 questions you can equip yourself with to make sure you walk away knowing whether this job is the job for you.
An interview is a two-way street that allows both parties to determine whether there is a mutual fit or not. During most interviews, you will be provided with an opportunity to ask questions regarding the employer or the opportunity itself. This is your time to identify and learn more about their company values, leadership, and management style.
5 Key Questions To Ask An Employer During An Interview
What is the biggest area of opportunity I can make an impact on?
Asking this question gives you a broad overview as to what areas of the operation your strengths and expertise can positively impact.
If it is relevant, share any examples where you actively contributed to a solution to a similar problem they have.
What constitutes a successful employee at this company?
Straight from the source! Who better to tell you specifically what competencies and attributes this company values!
You now have a clear view of the fast track to success at this company and a clear understanding of what would be expected of you.
What does the onboarding process look like and what type of training is provided thereafter?
An employers onboarding can give you insights into how much a company invests into its workforce. Was it thorough? Do you understand more about the company, its mission, and the resources available to you?
If not, these features and values are probably nonexistent.
A growing company allocates time, energy, and money, into training and developing their team; if you don’t see one, learning will be something you must seek from other peers.
What is the management style like in my corresponding department?
What can you expect from your management team? As professionals, we can do our job with minimal supervision yet still require the proper guidance and direction from the leadership team. A good leader ensures their team is aware of the expectations and is trained and equipped to execute.
Now is your time to determine if this is a working dynamic that suits your personality.
What does the career path look like for someone in my position?
The main thing you want here is transparency. Whether you have to wait for someone to leave or retire, or whether the company has a succession plan, its important to determine where the company stands for you to determine if this is the best career choice.
Some companies just need someone who is satisfied with the job as is for an indefinite future and that’s OK! If this is not you, you now know there is a finite amount of experience to acquire before you consider your next career move.
While there are many other questions you can ask about job specifics, the above questions are focused on the company’s values, and leadership approach that help you asses’ other aspects of the company, particularly your longevity there. After all, there is much more to job satisfaction than items like compensation, schedule, and commute.
While the job search is for yourself, it doesn’t mean you have to do it by yourself.
Call a FLAG Recruiter today and see why so many satisfied contractors are leaving 5 Star Review after 5 Star Review! FLAG not only partners with great companies, but our recruiters also educate and prepare Job Seekers like you to find that next perfect fit!
Cheers to your Success!
#WESTANDFORYOU