Strategies for Hiring Key Employee Talent

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Strategies for Hiring Key Employee Talent

• Hire Power

February 21, 2006
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Strategies for Hiring Key Employee Talent

• Strategic
• Thinking

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Why worry?

• Turnover costs
• Effect on People
• Lower morale
• Affects customer service
• Energy spent on turnover versus coaching
• 30 of all business failures due to poor hiring
  practices (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)

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Objectives

• Learn strategic hiring process
• Identify critical success competencies and
  related behaviors
• Understand behavior-based interviewing
• Develop behavior based interview questions
• Use scoring system to document search results
• Avoid common interview mistakes
• Obtain resource book

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Plan Your Approach

• Think Strategically
• Gain Approvals
• Announce the Position
• Form a Search Committee
• Plan and Prepare for the Interview
• Conduct the Interview
• Evaluate and Decide
• Check References
• Hire the right person

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Think Strategically

• Align with strategic plan/business needs
• Vary strategy depending on position-nonexempt,
  entry-level exempt, senior level exempt or
  management
• Identify jobs that are
• Hard to fill
• Represent special skills to the college/admin
  unit
• Have high turnover
• Consider succession planning where appropriate

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Think Strategically

• Balance filling vacancies through internal
  promotions/diversity goals/ need for external
  expertise
• Standing or fixed term?
• Should you reassign current job responsibilities
• Do you need the position? Full-time or less -
  HR-88?
• Is it time to reorganize?
• Can the job be combined with another job?
• Can it be automated?

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The Secrets

• Hire Tough, Manage Easy - Max Kleinman
• Hiring the right person is the most important
  thing we do as Supervisors/Managers/Directors
• Its less costly to have a vacant position than
  to hire the wrong person
• According to Jim Collins, its about getting the
  right people on the bus

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The Secrets

• CHANGE your focus
• BE proactive
• PLAN your approach
• ENGAGE the whole organization
• (Activity Case Study on thinking strategically)

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Recruiting Internally

• Distribute all announcements to Unit employees
  for referrals
• Make personal contacts
• Network to recruit passive job seekers
• Review saved resumes files
• Consider new approaches

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External Recruiting Options

• Open houses
• Technical school recruiting
• Announcements at sporting events
• Vendors and suppliers
• Produce a TV ad
• Movie theater ads

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External Recruiting Options

• Advertise in trade journals and professional
  societies
• Recruit at conferences and trade shows
• Newspapers, listserves
• HigherEdJobs.com Monster.com
• Diversity Talent Bank

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Continuous Recruiting Options

• Maintain database of good applicants
• Alumni recruiting
• Local community connections
• Dual Careers and ONE programs

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Continuous Recruiting Options

• Employee referrals
• Make yourself the employer of choice
• Improve your work environment
• Establish school-to-work programs
• Conduct informational interviews

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Process

• Contact your Human Resources Rep
• Provide updated job description
• Ensure job is appropriately graded
• (Handout Process Guidelines resource material)

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Diversity Considerations

• Applicant pool should reflect college/administrati
  ve unit diversity goals i.e. gender minorities
  
• Get with HR Rep to check the diversity of your
  applicant pool and your short list
• Finalize the short list of candidates to
  interview, to ensure they reflect diversity goals

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Identify Competencies Related Behaviors

• Review job description
• Interview highly successful employees in the
  position, if possible (will have different
  competencies)
• Interview supervisor of position
• Develop scorecard for candidates to be
  interviewed

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Definitions

• Competency
• A combination of knowledge and skill sets
  needed to effectively perform a role in an
  organization. They are used as human resource
  tools for hiring, training and development,
  performance evaluation and succession planning.
  They are observable and measurable through
  defined behaviors.
• Behaviors
• Examples that demonstrate the desired
  competencies.

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Penn State Competencies

• 1. Effective knowledge
• 2. Accountability and self-management
• 3. Teamwork and leadership
• 4. Communication
• Innovation and problem-solving
• Customer service
• Quality
• Support of diversity

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Obtain Approvals

• Obtain internal approvals to fill a vacancy or
  create a new job
• Budget Executive (Dean, VP, Chancellor or HR Rep)
• Verify funding with Financial Officer
• Coordinate with HR Rep
• Update job description
• If filling existing position, obtain written,
  signed letter of resignation from employee

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Announce the Position

• Draft the announcement based on current job
  description
• Market/sell your job/college/Penn State
• Include language appealing to diverse audiences,
  e.g. Demonstrated commitment to diversity
  required.
• Official SPEC/Competencies Job Title (industry
  title in parens)
• Key Duties and Responsibilities
• Knowledge and Experience minimum qualifications
• Work unit and location
• Required Certifications or Skills

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Announce the Position

• STEP 1 - THE INTERNAL SEARCH
• Vacancies are announced weekly for 1 or 2 weeks
• Coordinate with your HR Rep to ensure appropriate
  deadlines are met for announcements
• Vacancies close on Tuesday the following week,
  1159pm

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• Search
• Committee
• Responsibilities

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Form a Search Committee

• Select a committee chair
• Select individuals based on ..
• Confirm commitment to the search process
• Set up first meeting to include training
• Establish timeframe and guidelines

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Search Chair Responsibilities

• (May) select the appropriate
• members, representative of stakeholders
• Ensure gender and minority representation
• Have at least three members (odd number)
• Charge committee
• Do you want pros and cons ranking,
  recommendation, etc.
• Establish ground rules for committee participation

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Search Chair Responsibilities

• Obtain access to resumes from the HR Rep.
• Ensure
• Planned hire date is met - handout
• Time commitment
• Members are trained
• Confidentiality, now and forever
• There is documentation maintain it for 3 years
• There are no personal notes or illegal comments
  on documentation

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SearchCommittee Responsibilities

• Identify competencies critical to success for the
  job
• Develop/select behavior-based questions that
  revolve around critical success competencies
• Address situations that are familiar to the
  candidates
• Determine what appropriate responses to
  questions should address/include

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A good answer should address 3 things
Think P-A-R for the course in learning what to
listen for during the interview (Problem-
Action- Result).

• P Problem
• What was the problem the candidate was faced
  with
• or what did he or she need to accomplish?
• What were the circumstances?

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Think P-A-R for the course in learning what to
listen for during the interview.

• A Action
• What specifically did the candidate do to solve
  the
• problem? Ask follow-up questions to discern
  the
• candidates involvement.

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Think P-A-R for the course in learning what to
listen for during the interview.

• R Result
• What was the outcome? Were the tasks
  accomplished?
• Did the actions solve the problem with which the
  candidate was faced?
• What did the candidate learn from the experience?

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SearchCommittee Responsibilities

• Maintain confidentiality forever
• Develop use scorecard for screening applicants
  resumes
• Develop use scorecard for candidates
  interviewed
• (Handout Scorecard -Activity Screen resumes -
  what would you do?)

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Screening Internal Resumes

• Review resumes online on EJMS
• Must meet minimum qualifications
• 21 ratio work-related experience formal
  education
• option to consider experience in identified
  competencies
• Close off candidates who are clearly not
  qualified
• Selects short list of applicants to consider
• Complete the resume scorecard for every applicant
  considered

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If the Internal Search Fails.
STEP 2 - THE EXTERNAL SEARCH

• Announce the job externally
• Recruit
• Advertise
• NES can help write ads to market Penn State and
  our job
• Remove PSU jargon

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Announce the Position Externally

• After considering/interviewing/carrying
  over/closing-off internal applicants
• Notify internal candidates you decide to carry
  over (3-5)
• Notify HR Rep with decision to go external if no
  qualified internal candidates, no diversity, and
  or need for external expertise or just to test
  the waters
• Check with your HR Rep to ensure appropriate
  deadlines are met
• Follow process of screening

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Prepare for the Interview

• Past-behavior predicts future performance!!
• Behavior based questions require examples of a
  time when he/she demonstrated a specific
  competency/behavior
• Should be based on competencies/behaviors
  critical for success in the job
• Provide consistency and structure
• Ask a diversity-related question, such as, Give
  me an example of how you have demonstrated your
  commitment to diversity.

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Sample Question
Job Title Program Manager

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Sample Question
Job Title Counselor

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Sample Question
Job Title Counselor

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Additional Competencies
Job Title Counselor

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Sample Question
Job Title Counselor

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Behavior Based Interviewing
INTUITIVE

Conversational Interviews
Gut-Feel Interviews
JOB SKILLS
PERSON
Trait Interviews
Behavioral- Based Interviews
STRUCTURED
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Determine Interview Process

• Who needs to interview one-on-one
• Entire search committee group interview
• Any other groups, stakeholders, partners
• Any presentations/samples/test

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Determine Interview Process

• How long should the interview be
• Conduct a second interview, as appropriate
• Assign specific questions
• Chair invites final candidates to interview

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Interview Tips

• Advise candidates that you will be taking notes
  during interview
• Downplay negatives - give a pat on the back
• Use active listening
• Look for auditory and visual clues
• Benchmark against appropriate response

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DOs

• Make candidate feel comfortable
• Explain agenda
• Advise youll take notes
• Ask same behavior-based questions of every
  candidate
• Ask probing follow-up questions

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DOs

• Keep an open mind
• Take notes (legal)
• Ask legal questions
• Avoid interruptions
• Let candidate do the talking
• Listen and observe

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DONTs

• Talk too much (the 80/20 rule)
• Telegraph answers
• Make premature decisions
• Ask questions requiring yes or no answers
• End the interview before asking every question
• Restate what the resume already states
• Ask illegal questions

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Topics to Avoid

• Arrest record
• Less than honorable military discharge
• Gender and marital status
• Maiden name/mothers maiden name
• Number/ages of children

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Topics to Avoid

• Childcare arrangements
• Spouses name/education/income
• Family plans/birth control form
• Place of birth/citizenship
• Other languages spoken

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Topics to Avoid

• Proficiency in speaking/writing English, unless
  job related
• Disabilities/handicaps/prior illnesses
  accidents
• Age/date of H. S. graduation/weight
• Religion/church affiliation
• Social organizations

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Conduct the Interview

• Structure the interview for control and
  consistency
• Ask the same behavioral-based questions
• Techniques to use to get information
• Ask probing follow-up questions
• Pause or silence
• Restatement or reflection

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Sample Question
Job Title Supervisor

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Conclude the Interview

• Conclude the Interview
• Ask for questions
• Thank candidate for coming
• Obtain reference list of
• former supervisors
• Tell candidate about next steps
• Time line
• Second interview
• Stay and fill out scorecard
• Give documentation to committee chair

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Sample Interview Scorecard

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Lets test our knowledge!!

• What will you do if your children get sick?
• How do you get to work?
• Describe the most difficult person you ever
  worked with and what you did about it.
• Do you own your own home/car?
• Tell me about on-the-job stress you have
  encountered.

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Lets test our knowledge!!

• Do you get along well with other men (women)?
• Do you like football?
• Hows your health?
• Describe a time you lost your cool at work and
  the result.
• Will it bother you if others swear?
• Tell me about your attendance record.

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Reference Checking

• Final candidates
• Review Penn State application online
• Conduct reference checks
• Obtain permission before contacting current
  employer if refused, ask for peers
• Always check references on top 2 or 3 candidates
• Check even on Penn State employees
• 80 of job applications contain false information
  regarding work history 30 false related to
  educational background. Small Business Report

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Reference Checking

• Ask only legal questions
• Good question - If you had the opportunity to
  re-hire this person, would you?
• Talk to former supervisors, not just references
  provided by applicant
• Review the jobs responsibilities competencies
  culture with former supervisors and ask if
  candidate would be successful

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Verbal Offer

• Contact HR Representative
• Discuss obtain approved salary
• Discuss total compensation - HR Rep can help
• Make verbal offer
• Offer position, including salary
• Contingent upon a successful background check
• Negotiate starting date with current Supervisor
  (internal hire) OR with applicant
• (2-4 weeks is customary notice)

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Verbal Offer

• Give an end date that the offer remains open
• Start date early in the month for being paid and
  vacation/sick days
• Discuss any other contingencies
• Receipt of signed PSU employment application
• Physical exams
• Possible moving expenses/house-hunting trips

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Written Offer

• The offer
• Confirm offer in writing
• Obtain acceptance in writing
• Contingent upon successful background check
• Schedule orientation for new employee
• Follow-up with the new employee

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Written Offer

• Public relations Close off unsuccessful
  candidates
• Must send close-off letters to all candidates
  carried over from step I - the system does not
  do this
• Call and/or send personal thank-you
  notes/close-off letters to all candidates who
  were interviewed but not selected - the system
  does not do this

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Questions?

• Congratulations and THANKS for serving!!!!

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Reference Materials
Employment Law for Business, Bennett-Alexander
Hartman, McGraw Hill Irwin, NY, NY, 2004. Get
Hired!, Paul C. Green, Ph.d., Bard Books, Austin
TX, 1996. Good to Great, Jim Collins,
HarperCollins Publishers Inc., NY, 2001. Hire
Tough, Manage Easy, Max Kleinman, Humetrics Inc.,
Houston, TX, 1999.
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Reference Materials
Interviewing Skills/Secrets of Recruiting, Lynda
Ford, The Ford Group, Rome NY 2004-5. Recruiting
Architect Handbook, Robert W. Eichinger Michael
M. Lombardo for Lominger Limited, Inc., August,
1996. High-Impact Interview Questions, Victoria
A. Hoevemeyer, AMACOM, NY, 2005.
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Search Committee Members
Kim Evancho Julie Hartley Crystal
Switalski Clint Eury Robert Hannegan Ken
Lehrman Carolyn Fisher David Piltz Chris
Fivek Susan Morse Dorothy Guy Cindy
Campbell Esther Lauchle Marianne Karwacki Joe
Mattivi Steve Hayes Bob Oakes Kenesha
Bentley Paul Peworchik Bobby Misher Dale
Punshon Chris Clermont Sharon Symanovich Mike
Zuckett Jolaine Teyssier Beth Trimble