You just said what?

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I had a candidate sitting in our reception this week that made the decision to ruin their chances for a role prior to sitting down with me for interview. “You have a lot of Asians in this building” the applicant called out as I was preparing before coming out to see them. I nearly fell over with disbelief and had to refrain a bit before responding to them with my calculated response and a tone that showed my disapproval. The conversation ended abruptly and there was an uncomfortable silence before I stepped out to see them for a very short interview.

Interesting things that people say and do

Whilst it was a first for me to have someone ruin their chances that close to an interview, we often come across some really interesting (dumb) things that people say and do during the process. From our point of view a lot of the time it’s not about being nervous, it’s actually about self-awareness, something that a few people are lacking. To help our clients, we have shielded you from some interesting thoughts and activities from candidates during interviews such as the following:

  • During an off site interview over a coffee, the candidate decided to order some toast to go with it and ate breakfast (at 11:30am) whilst we tried to discuss a role. He didn’t go much further but enjoyed his breakfast
  • We asked a candidate what they knew about the company and they asked “what role is it for again?”
  • “I don’t really want this particular job but….” – I missed the rest of what they said during that interview
  • “I’m retiring at the end of next year and just want a role now where I can sit back a bit and do what I have to do” – thank you for kindly for letting us know that now
  • When a candidate has ‘Professionally presented’ stated on their resume – take that with a grain of salt. We have seen some very interesting interpretations of this

We have also had candidates talk themselves out of the job, bad-mouth their last employer (or every employer they have ever had) and also have high demands on what they want rather than what they can give to their prospective employer. It’s an interesting business being in recruitment as we meet some great candidates and also the ones that you don’t ever want to meet. We would enjoy hearing your stories on some of your ‘interesting’ interviews.

 

Interview No-Shows – Not Very Cool

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From time to time we can all relate to scheduling in an interview with a candidate and then have them not attend, or in today’s case, reschedule and then not attend anyway. In most cases the person vanishes from the face of the earth. You do the follow up call and/or text just in case they are running late or forgot but of course you get no response. Yes, we feel your pain and it’s not very cool on their behalf. The trouble for that candidate is that they don’t understand they will most likely be out of luck if they apply for another opportunity down the track – the Gold Coast is a small place.

Professional courtesy

From our experience we have had some really great candidates that have pulled out of interview due to another job offer, family matter or other reasons however, have notified us in advance and extended a professional courtesy. That is all that is expected, it’s really easy to do. In a few cases, we have placed some of those candidates in future roles as they showed professionalism and a respect for business. They were remembered for the right reasons and have shown good character. The great thing about a candidate that doesn’t show up and extend this courtesy is that they have done you a good service – you don’t have to deal with them as an employee.

Your time is valuable

In the case of being a recruitment agency we can factor a no-show into our day as this is what we do – recruitment and this is just part of one of the processes in how we make our money. We have a lot of screening activities we can continue with and have also mentally built this into our expectations with particular roles. To be honest, no-shows are generally a rare occurrence and when they do happen, we process it for a moment and then move on. In the case of a business though, if you are directly recruiting and looking at a number of candidates, you have set time aside, possibly even before or after hours or around other meetings to schedule interviews and have an expectation that they will all show up. When a candidate doesn’t show up it can have a negative impact on your business that may have taken you away from money making activities that you could have been doing. It can also affect the rest of your day – that person is going to be in your thoughts, they just will be.

Good news

From our experience, we have so far (knocking on wood at the moment) had a 100% show up rate for candidate interviews that were scheduled in with our clients. Yes, we have had people pull out due to job offers however they have given us the courtesy of knowing prior to the interview. You can look at what we do as the initial interview and screening process to pick up these type of traits and get a gut feel for who a candidate is. You as our client are the second interview for candidates that have already been vetted and are genuinely interested in your role, minimising the risk of lost time for your business. It also creates a positive recruitment experience for you.

Your time is valuable in business and should be acknowledged. Thanks for reading.

Best regards,

 

David Ford.

 

 

Free Personality Testing and Other Resources

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This week we have compiled a list of links to free resources on the web for your business including a personality test that is very simple for candidates to take and delivers results that can assist your hiring decision. We often speak with small businesses that get stuck somewhere in the hiring process and also managing performing and under-performing staff during their tenure. The links that we have outlined provide forms, templates and guidance to help you in your business.

Personality Testing

We often get asked about personality tests and what is the best one, do we do them and how much do they cost. The best answer is that there are quite a few of them, they all claim to be the best and the cost varies considerably. Why not try a free test at: 16Personalities  they have recently updated their website and it has a really good interface for anyone to use. We recently used it as a tool for two hires and found them to deliver accurate results based on our pre-assumed thoughts from the interview stage. The best idea with any personality test is to try it on yourself first and see how the results relate to who you are, then you can try it out on others. Our agency uses personality tests as a tool in the reference checking stage for any ‘red flags’ that appeared rather than basing it solely on a hiring decision.

Tools, Templates and Guides for your Business

We also get asked about various resources such as templates for letters of offer, forms and guides for performance management or counselling of staff and recruitment tools including reference checking. there are a lot of places on the internet to go to however it is all about being current and compliant to protect your business. Whilst probably not as creative as other sources, the Fair Work Ombudsman ‘Templates & Guides’ web page has a page specifically designed to provide a good number of tools to use. The reason for sending you there is simple – if you do find yourself in trouble with an employee and they decide to take it further, what better way to back yourself and the company by showing evidence that you followed the Fair Work Ombudsman’s guide?

Business Management and Growth 

Another handy resource is the Government’s Business and Industry Portal which has a lot of information for starting up, running and growing your business. Jump onto the site and it will give you access to a very broad range of information including tendering, grants and other resources available to you as well as general tools for the day to day management of your business.

 

We believe that the resources outlined can help your business when used correctly and if you get stuck or have any questions, always feel free to make contact with us to help you find a solution.

 

Do They Have Open Plan Offices?

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Does their workplace have open plan offices or closed work spaces?

I heard this a few months ago from a candidate and didn’t think too much of it until recently when I have started hearing it again during interviews. It’s an interesting question and it makes me wonder what the future office holds and how it is going to affect you when hiring good and productive staff?

The great idea

Many of us were pushed into open plan office scenario because it just seemed like a great idea at the time and would bring creativity, collaboration and a really cool looking workplace. It definitely did for some companies however for others it just doesn’t cut it. They have some great benefits for the organisation including lower fit-out costs and the promise of more creativity and collaboration but have they actually achieved it?

The problem

Noise, privacy, colleagues that sing and the ability to do quiet productive work are some of the responses that were raised by candidates during interview. A Web Designer does not want to sit near a hardcore Sales Rep – thousands of dollars can be in play for both of them but one requires concentration and the other requires freedom to talk. From my experience in an open plan office, it looked like everyone was collaborating however when they you approached the desk or cubicle, the conversation was generally not about this month’s sales targets. Improved collaboration? Not really sure about that. High creativity and productivity, not really. A social workplace – yes!

How do you stay appealing?

What we found from some of our clients that have created successful workplaces through a combination of proper offices (not break out rooms) and open plan areas. The offices are not about seniority but about work function and the needs of the worker to undertake productive work. Managers did not necessarily require offices whereas ‘creatives’ did. Sales teams were grouped together as they like to compete and bounce off each other’s energy and those in administrative functions were also grouped together in their own work space. Their workplace looks great with a lot of colour and highly appealing to anyone walking in for the first time.

It doesn’t matter what you think

Maybe this appeals to you and maybe it doesn’t however the real question is whether a new employee that you really want to get on board likes what you present to them as their next potential workplace. If you take the lead and mix it up to offer an attractive workspace, it could be just the right move to get a person that adds a lot of value to your organisation.