So, now that we are all aware we are “winging” a process that impacts the most important decision we make in our organization — WHO decisions — let’s review the most common interview pitfalls and mistakes made by hiring managers so we know what not to do!

First impressions. A study by the Wall Street Journal indicated that 70 percent of the hiring decision is based upon the following: emotions, biases, chemistry, personality, and stereotyping. All of which have nothing to do with whether someone can actually do the job for which they are being interviewed.

Do you find yourself “liking” someone in the first 90 seconds of the interview? Take a step back for a moment and remember that we don’t have to “like” someone in order for them to be a good fit for the job. I’m not saying likeability isn’t an important factor; however, if we “like” someone we have a tendency to not interview as in-depth as we should. Our questions are easier, we smile more and nod approvingly to the answers and may not ask the same questions. We like them!  Of course they can do the job! We ignore negatives and our investigative process stops.

On the other end of the spectrum, what happens if we don’t instantly like someone? Our gaze may be more intent, we don’t listen as closely, our smiles are less frequent, and the head nods are non-existent. We put more emphasis on the negatives and undersell our opportunities.

Some hiring managers like to hire teams that are like themselves. While you may be a great manager, remember we all have flaws. A team that brings a variety of strengths to the table can help off set individual weaknesses and can often be much more powerful than a team full of “quarterbacks”. After all, someone has to run the ball in and without the kicker you may not hit those “extra points” in business.  (I know it is baseball season, but I am a football fan at heart!)

Interviewing Styles. Are you the “Chatterbox” who talks AT the candidate versus asking questions OF the candidate to learn about them? An interview should be about questions, not about monologues. What about the “Art Critic” who can “read” people by getting to know them through a series of non-work related questions but end up learning nothing about their genuine experience. Do you take the “Sponge” approach and let everyone in the office ask the same questions in hopes you and your team “soak up” information about the candidate? 

Another favorite of mine is the “Fortune Teller”. The questions center around “what would you do…” which only set the stage for your candidate to tell you exactly what you want to hear. In this strategy, the truth is yet to be told, but there is no better predictor of behavior than past experiences. The past predicts the future. 

Does your company use Aptitude Tests in the hiring process? There are many wonderful tools out there, however remember they are TOOLS in the process, and should not be used as a determinant to proceed. Most firms that provide assessments will tell you that it is just one piece of the candidate puzzle, and all pieces together should help you formulate your decision.

So what do you do now that I have told you all you are doing is wrong? Prepare.  There are more than 1.8 MILLION Web sites on preparing for a job interview.  Your candidates are preparing, why aren’t you?

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you prepare for your next interview.

• What is our interview process, or do we even have one? Who is involved and have they been trained in interviewing? 
• Do we ask the same questions of each candidate?
• Do we know how to describe the position and why someone would want to work for us?

As Elizabeth Ambri, Manager of the Celebrity Staff Lincoln office and I reviewed these hiring pitfalls in our last seminar, many attendees chuckled and even volunteered which method they have used and where they have fallen prey to traps. If you are like many of our customers, you have made some of these mistakes at one time or another. I have. They are easy traps. It takes a concerted effort to refrain from making a decision about an interviewee in the first 90 seconds, it takes practice to develop an appropriate interview style, and it takes restraint to reserve making your decision about a candidate for at least 30 minutes after the interview concludes. 

So the next time you contact your Account Manager at Celebrity Staff for assistance in finding the right candidate, invest in some preparation so you make a good evaluation of the candidates we present. What is the pay off to preparation? Reduced turn over, increased productivity, and saved time and money by hiring the right person the first time build a more effective team, and the list goes on and on. One more pay off? The people you hire are a reflection of you!

Want to join the next one-hour seminar available for continuing education credit for free? Become a Celebrity client!  Contact us today about your upcoming vacation coverage or strategic staffing needs and let us help you identify talent to help your company get ready for the economic recovery.

Patty North, CPC, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

About Patty North, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager
As the regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a leading staffing and recruitment firm, Patty North has assisted organizations across a four-state region with the development and implementation of best practice strategies in the areas of talent acquisition and talent management. Her collective insight and expertise on workforce planning, garnered from her 15 years in the staffing industry, has enabled clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. Celebrity Staff is based in Omaha, Nebraska and serves the Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri region.

Take a look at this data from a survey of 2,700 hiring and HR professionals recently conducted by CareerBuilder and USA Today:

• Temp help. Twenty-five percent of employers are expected to hire contract workers or temps in the second quarter of 2010 and 13 percent said they were likely to hire them permanently. 

What does this mean to you? Accepting temporary assignments may be a great way to explore a full-time career move! Not only that, but working on a temporary assignment while you are looking for full-time work demonstrates you are motivated. Celebrity has even had a few clients specifically request individuals who are working, temporarily. In their opinion, working on a temporary basis shows character.

• Interns. About 25 percent of employers planned to hire interns in the second quarter. 

So all you new grads out there with no applicable work experience, roll up your sleeves and be ready to take a job in your industry/desired field and work from the ground up! You may make very little money (if any at all) however, the network and contacts gained are invaluable and it shows you aren’t a prima donna who isn’t willing to start at the bottom and show your worth.

• Social media. Close to 10 percent planned to bring in a new employee to handle social media efforts. 

The message here is two-fold. Those of you with marketing experience should definitely know the ways of the virtual world to make yourself valuable, and second, be sure your personal profile and data on the Internet is professional. It isn’t hard for employers to find you online. What will they see?

• Second languages. One-third of employers want to hire bilingual candidates this year. Half said they’d probably choose a bilingual candidate over one who speaks just one language. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean these positions come with higher pay rates, but it does mean you offer a better value and skills that help you stand apart as your career develops.

• Retention. Thirty-two percent are worried about their top employees leaving as the job market picks up. To prevent this, 14 percent are offering more flexible working conditions, another 14 percent are providing more training, and 5 percent are giving high-performing employees a more prestigious job title (without any more money). 

While employers are going to work to keep you, be sure you aren’t taking advantage of your employer offerings. They may want to keep you, but not forever if you are the one person who takes advantage all the time. The employer/employee relationship should be one of give and take. If your employer gives a little in terms of flexibility, be sure you put in the effort to show you are grateful in the work you perform. Not to mention, you want to be sure your co-workers don’t see you as one who is doing all the taking either.

The signs of recovery are in sight, but we all have to keep in mind that employers are looking for people who are valuable contributors to the organizations. If you are willing to put in the time and energy, the pay-offs can be big!

Patty North, CPC, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

About Patty North, CPC, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager
As the regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a leading staffing and recruitment firm, Patty North has assisted organizations across a four-state region with the development and implementation of best practice strategies in the areas of talent acquisition and talent management. Her collective insight and expertise on workforce planning, garnered from her 15 years in the staffing industry, has enabled clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. Celebrity Staff is based in Omaha, Nebraska and serves the Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri region.

Now that the warm spring and summer days are upon us it is time (if you haven’t already) to go through your closet and make sure your wardrobe is “work ready.” This applies to both men and women, but women seem to have the most challenges when it comes to appropriate attire for summer months.

There is something to be said about your appearance saying you are “here and ready” to work. In today’s competitive job market, you can’t afford to loose a position because you made the wrong choice in the morning. A little extra detail in how you look may help you stand apart from someone else who brings the same experience as you. So let’s review some basics “rules” and tips for both men and women:

• Casual dress doesn’t mean you wear the same clothes as you would to run errands. No t-shirts with writing or print; they are too casual and run the risk of offending.
• Jean days can be tricky with the distressed and torn look being in fashion. If you don’t have a pair with no rips or holes, invest in a nice pair you have on hand for these occasions.
• Pick out your clothes the night before. I know, this sounds “junior high,” but there is something to be said for the benefits of planning. You may identify a new outfit or a shirt tucked in the back of the closet you forgot about during the winter. Bonus – you can sleep a few minutes later in the morning, or better yet eat a good breakfast with your extra time!
• Iron your cotton pants, skirts, and shirts. Nothing looks sloppier than cotton, a great summer fabric, than cotton that is all wrinkled.

Men – your list is smaller, but just as important!

• If you need to wear a dress shirt, it doesn’t matter how hot it is, wear an undershirt (not a t-shirt with print so you can easily transform into evening attire). No one wants to see through your dress shirt.
• Socks – white is never a good choice with dress shoes, never!  White socks are perfect for athletic shoes and that’s it.
• If you tuck your shirt in, wear a belt and make sure it matches your shoes. It makes you look complete and the matching rules still apply to you!

A common complaint among many of our clients is that women have many more choices when it comes to summer attire, and therefore have many more opportunities for mistakes!  Beware of these pitfalls that could not only change how your boss views you, but could damage your credibility:

• Too much cleavage. Summer tops and blouses tend to be a bit more revealing. Easy solution, wear a coordinating tank or sports bra underneath so you can wear your fashionable blouses yet remain within appropriate guidelines.
• Sandals don’t mean thongs are OK. If a strap goes between your toes they are thongs and shouldn’t be worn to work. While we are on the subject, now that your toes are exposed, take a look to make sure your polish is fresh and feet are presentable. Seeing someone’s scaly feet under a cute skirt can leave a lasting impression, but not a good one.
• Short skirts. Two inches above the knee is an appropriate length for the office. Anything shorter should be reserved for your evenings out.
• You may giggle at this one, but I can’t make this up, it comes from a real-life situation. Make sure your undergarments can’t be seen from underneath your clothes. White pants and white shirts may require a bit more thought. Do you really want someone talking about the pattern you chose underneath? 
• Year round reminders for women – be sure your make-up, perfume, and nail polish aren’t to the point of distraction. 

Remember, work is not a fashion show; it is a place where you are paid to produce something in order for your company to meet its business goals and objectives. This doesn’t mean you can’t be fashionable, it simply means you need to be a bit more conservative than we might be outside of work.

Patty North, CPC, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

About Patty North
As the regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a leading staffing and recruitment firm, Patty North has assisted organizations across a four-state region with the development and implementation of best practice strategies in the areas of talent acquisition and talent management. Her collective insight and expertise on workforce planning, garnered from her 15 years in the staffing industry, has enabled clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. Celebrity Staff is based in Omaha, Nebraska with offices located in Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri.

Last month, Elizabeth Ambri, Branch Manager of Celebrity Lincoln and I conducted a workshop exclusively for Celebrity Staff clients on why managers should step back and evaluate their interview skills. We explained how doing so could benefit their company and offered specific tips on what they should do differently when interviewing.

I was amazed at the number of responses from owners and hiring managers prior to the workshop who felt they did not need this type of information. One business executive said, “I have been hiring for years and I know what I am doing.” 

That may be true, but even the best interviewers can learn a new tip here and there.  As a manager of a staffing firm, I am privy to “insider information” from job seekers about the interviews our clients conduct and let me just say . . . most of you could use some brush up on your interviewing techniques.

Candidates share details about what transpires at the interview and often ask us for our opinion because some candidates leave the interview not knowing how to feel about the process. While there are some interviewers who are prepared with meaningful questions that help identify if someone will “fit” into their company, most interviewers simply wing it. Literally.

Most of you think that candidates don’t realize that you are winging it, but you are wrong. Candidates can tell when you aren’t prepared to meet with them. They have to wait past their interview time, you don’t have a copy of their resume, you aren’t able to articulate details about the position, or you ask two or three questions and after 10 minutes you tell them you have no further questions. Some of you don’t explain anything about why someone would want to work for you other than, “it’s a job” and this is not a good enough reason.

One candidate shared that the hiring manager they met with told them they could not tell them anything about the company or department because no one told him. He was simply sent in to meet the candidate and had no idea why. Meeting a potential employee like this leaves a bad impression of not only you, but of your company.

In Hire with Your Head by Lou Adler, a University of Michigan State study indicated that the typical interview is only 57 percent accurate. That means that only one of every two interviews actually tells you if the candidate is a fit for your job or not.

What if all of the business processes in your company were only 57 percent accurate? Would you continue to grow or would your customers return if only 57 percent of your services were worthwhile? Of course not!  Any other business process that is this unreliable would have been scrapped years ago. So why aren’t you taking a step back to plan and prepare for your interviews?

Estimates indicate that the average hiring mistakes cost between two and three times the annual compensation of the position. Goeff Smart and Randy Street, authors of the book Who estimate that for management and upper-level positions the average hiring mistake can costs fifteen times an employee base salary in hard costs and productivity loss. 

Now just think, if your hiring is only 57 percent accurate, and the average hiring mistake costs even just two times the compensation, the fastest way to increase productivity and minimize expense is to hire the right people, the first time. To do so, that means you need to step back and evaluate not only your staff, but your interview skills and hiring process. 

Jim Collins said it best in his book Good to Great: “The most important decisions that business people make are not what decisions, but who decisions,” and I couldn’t agree more.

I’ll review the most common interview pitfalls and mistakes made by hiring managers in the next Celebrity Staff blog as part two in my series on “How Smart Hiring Strategies Make a Big Impact on Results.”

Want to join the next one hour seminar available for continuing education credit for free?  Become a Celebrity client!  Contact us today about your upcoming vacation coverage or strategic staffing needs and let us help you identify talent to help your company get ready for the economic recovery.

Patty North, CPC, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

About Patty North
As the regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a leading staffing and recruitment firm, Patty North has assisted organizations across a four-state region with the development and implementation of best practice strategies in the areas of talent acquisition and talent management. Her collective insight and expertise on workforce planning, garnered from her 15 years in the staffing industry, has enabled clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. Celebrity Staff is based in Omaha, Nebraska with offices located in Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri.

Grete Ruder, Celebrity Staff Recruiter and Q1 Employee of the Quarter

Mission Man, meet Wonder Woman. You can find her in Kansas City. She goes by the name Grete.

She’s no throwback to the 70s and she’s not jumping off skyscrapers, chasing the bad guys. Instead, she’s a recruiting dynamo who has zeroed in on helping Celebrity KC build its brand and become a player in the staffing market.

Her efforts have also earned her recognition as an Employee of the Quarter for Q1 of this year.

A self-titled jack of all trades, Grete has done just about everything in Celebrity’s small but mighty office during her five years with the division. She was hired as a staffing assistant in what was then its Overland Park location – greeting candidates, setting up candidate testing, and fielding calls.

She didn’t plan on staying long. “When I started I really thought it was just a temporary step while I finished my degree. I fell into it and have evolved in my role. It has a little bit of everything for me – sales and the people factor,” Grete said.

She worked into her current role, recruiting manager, stepping up when there were holes to fill, sometimes plunging right in with both feet.

Early on, when a recruiter left the company, Grete took on recruiting responsibilities. Six months into the job, the office found itself without a branch manager so she began running a desk.

Now she’s not only recruiting for Celebrity but also for Aureus Group, with both KC operations under one roof.

Beyond recruiting, Grete assists in training new staff and helps account managers learn the ropes of writing ads and interacting with candidates. She also accompanies co-workers on sales calls.

She’s the backup to most every role in the office and takes the initiative to lend support whenever she sees a need. She doesn’t wait to be asked or for a ball to drop. She’s right on it – all the time.

Grete is such an integral part of the client side of the business that when they are unable to reach their account manager, they call her directly. “All of our clients know me by name. They know me, what I do, and feel comfortable calling me.”

She believes in making the most of every opportunity and giving anything less than her all isn’t in her vocabulary. “I’m focused on bringing in candidates who will bring us closer to a placement. If I’m not batting 100 percent then I know something will fall through the cracks and we may miss out. I know that what I do affects the bottom line.”

Always ready for whatever challenge comes her way, she takes pride in the daily contributions she makes and in Celebrity. “I care. That’s the biggest part of it,” she explained. “The way I look at it, if it’s going to have my name on it, even if I’m having a horrible day, I think to myself, ‘I’m a part of Celebrity Staff.’ I can’t turn it off.”

Since Grete joined Celebrity, the branch has steadily increased its market share in Kansas City and received C&A’s Business Builder Award in 2008. “I like to think I’ve been a key player in that,” she said.

And while the last year has been a tough one, she and her team are, “always shooting for something more. We know we can get back up there.”

Her level of perseverance isn’t surprising. A first generation American, Grete came to the United States from her home country of Romania when she was just five years old.

“When we left, Romania was a communist country. The government controlled religion and those who practiced other faiths attended churches in apartments,” she explained. Her dad, an engineer, lost his job when it was discovered he was attending a non-approved church.

Not long after, he and his family – his wife and nine children – left Romania and settled in California, eventually migrating to the Midwest where he learned English and took a job with the postal service. Later, the family grew by three more.

One would never know that English is Grete’s second language. To this day, her mother speaks only Romanian. Grete’s husband of not quite two years, David, is currently taking lessons.

Self admittedly, she’s goal-focused as are her siblings. “Of the 12 of us, nine have our bachelors or masters degrees.” She’s a marathon runner (she’s completed three) and is involved with numerous organizations that focus on adolescents – Girls on the Run, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. She’s also a volleyball referee.

Looking back, Grete is fairly certain her upbringing helped shape the kind of person she is today. “That may be where my assertiveness comes from and what makes me so driven. We had to work for everything we had.”