The Secret to Reading Resumes—Five Tips to Choosing the Right Candidates to Interview

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a Huge Secret to reading resumes?  One that would let you get through that huge stack on your desk more quickly and that would give you more confidence that you were selecting the right people?

Unfortunately, there is no secret to reading resumes properly (sorry for the misleading title). Just as resumes differ, so do the jobs they target and so do the resume readers.  So while I can’t give you one secret to reading resumes well, I can point out some things that might help you do a better job of winnowing down the number of people you plan to bring in for interviews.

Tip #1.  Before you ever read a resume, before you ever request a resume, before you ever post a position, spend time developing the job description so that you really understand what you are looking for.  This is the most often overlooked part of the job search.  All too often, hiring managers pull out an old job description, change the title and posting date, and breathe a sigh of relief. They’ve done their part—see, on paper, here it is, a job description. The problem is that while recycling is a laudable process in many areas, it’s not always a great idea for job descriptions.  After all, are you looking for the person who would have been right for the job 5 years ago?

Tip #2.  Create a list of attributes, skills, education, experiences, etc. you are looking for. Use this list as you review resumes to look for those specific skills. While it can be tempting to want to bring in the guy who won the long jump national title in 1999, if he doesn’t have the rest of the skills you need you are just wasting your time.

Tip #3.  Skim the resume for obvious red flags.  If the job calls for organization and the resume is chaotic, you might not choose to continue with that candidate.  Look for misspellings and grammatical errors.  Read the cover letter to see if any gaps or changes in career direction are well explained.

Tip #4.  Do a phone prescreen. Whether you call or have someone else place the calls is not as important as taking a few minutes to be sure this is someone you really want to spend your valuable time speaking with in an in-person interview.  Generally, pre-screen interview questions include reasons for leaving current/last position, salary requirements, whether the general hours fit the person’s availability, request to explain any gaps, changes in career direction, or other confusing items.

Tip #5. Read the resume more than once.  Be sure to reference it as you create an interview guide so you can be sure you’ve asked about any open issues.  Then be sure to read the resume (carefully) right before the interview.

What are your best tips for reading resumes?

Learn more at http://JGraceConsulting.net or follow Judi on twitter @JudiCogen.

Conative Testing—The Key to Better Hiring Decisions

Conation refers to the third part—the doing part—of the mind (the other two parts are cognitive and affective). Our conative actions are our natural, striving instincts—the part of our mind we use when we are solving problems in our best, most effective way. 

Because these instincts do not change over time, they are integral in how a person will fit in a new job.  Conative testing—when properly used—is 83% predictive of the success an individual will have in a job.

Conative testing allows us to measure the conative requirements of the job and the conative attributes of the candidate prior to the interview process.  By choosing to interview only the candidates with appropriate skills, education, experience, AND conative attributes, the likelihood of selecting a candidate that will be successful in the position skyrockets. Imagine all the time, effort, and money company will save!

Time and again, the approach of fine tuning the job requirements for cognitive, affective, and conative attributes, screening for these specific items, and conducting high quality interviews has proven to be the most effective method for screening candidates.

Learn more at http://JGraceConsulting.net

Is Pre-Employment Testing Predictive of Job Success?

Not all pre-employment testing is designed to be specifically predictive of job success.  For example, background checks are used to ensure companies are not unknowingly hiring a convicted axe murder, and credit checks are important for individuals who may be handling large sums of money for the company.  These checks do not ensure success; rather they minimize the risk of catastrophic failure.

Other testing, however, is used to try to determine the success an individual will have in the position.  The challenge is that while these tests are legal if appropriately administered, they are generally not particularly useful in predicting how well a candidate will perform in the position.  In-person interviews, which companies spend so much time and effort to conduct properly, have only a 14% probability of predicting whether the interviewee chosen is the right person for the job! Even the most predictive of the traditional techniques—cognitive testing—is only about 53% predictive of a candidate’s success rate.  In other words, you’re probably better off flipping a coin than engaging in the cost and effort of most of the ways of choosing new hires.

I am not suggesting we abandon all hope or that we give up all attempts to find the right candidates. However, I am pointing out that we need new and better ways to evaluate candidates if we’re serious about reducing turnover and increasing workforce productivity.

Is Pre-Employment Testing Legal?

When I talk to people about pre-employment testing, even savvy, knowledgeable Human Resources professionals, they inevitably have one reaction.  Their face begins to pale, their heart rate speeds up, they begin to stutter protestingly.  You can see the war going on in their minds:  I want to like this idea, I DO like this idea, but I’m not sure about the legality and I have to protect my company.

It’s not that they aren’t interested in pre-employment testing. Many of them believe that using more objective ways to ensure they are bringing on the right candidate would greatly improve their organization.

The problem is that early pre-employment testing was often highly subjective and unfair (either intentionally or unintentionally), and the EEOC and the courts now have strict regulations in place to ensure that any testing is directly related to the position and non-discriminatory.  Many companies have chosen to eliminate all pre-employment testing rather than risk using a test that may be biased.  This is the proverbial throwing out the baby with the bath water, and most professionals recognize it as such.

So is pre-employment testing legal? The answer is absolutely “yes” as long as the test are job related, non-discriminatory, and properly administered.

DISCLAIMER:
While J Grace Consulting has made every effort to provide accurate and complete information, we cannot guarantee it is correct for your state or business situation. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct. This information is not legal advice and is for guidance only.

Not All Interviews Are Created Equal

Not All Interviews Are Created Equal

Just as all jobs are not the same, all interviews shouldn’t be the same.  After all, you’re looking for different skills and problem solving abilities—even different personalities—for different roles.  Therefore, not all interviews should use the exact same questions.  That said, there are some general approaches that are better than others.

The key to all good interviews is to prepare.  Create an interview guide for the position with some consistent questions for all candidates and some tailored to each individual.

Reread the resume.  I can’t emphasize this enough. Not having read the resume does not make you appear busy and powerful.  It makes you appear unprepared and uncaring.  Who wants to work for a boss like that?

Remember that interviews aren’t conducted on either side of a one-way mirror. Just as you are evaluating the candidate, so the candidate is evaluating you. You are in fact marketing your company.  You will interview far more people than you will ever hire.  Be sure you leave those who are not offered a position feeling great about you and your company. You never know…

Learn more at http://JGraceConsulting.net

The Good, The Mediocre, and the Unspeakably Awful Interview

The Good, the Mediocre, and the Unspeakably Awful

A good interview moves you smoothly along the path of determining whether to invite the candidate to continue the interview process, and (hopefully) encourages the candidate to remain enthusiastic or remove himself from consideration (better to know now!).

A mediocre interview doesn’t do any particular harm, but doesn’t do much good either.  The interviewer is generally left to make a “gut feel” decision based on how the person interviewed. This is generally a fairly poor predictor of success in the job.

Unspeakably awful interviews are just that:  interviews that damage your company’s image and reputation and may even put the company at legal risk. Here are some examples:

• The interviewer talks about himself and the company for the entire interview.
• The interviewer makes the candidate sit and wait for 45 minutes—and then reads the resume for the first time in front of the candidate.
• The interviewer asks seriously stupid or illegal questions.  I’m not talking generically dumb or useless questions (those are generally harmless and fall under the mediocre column);  I’m talking bone-jarringly stupid questions.  Like “So, what did you think of Lisa, my secretary?” or “What should I get my wife to make up for the fight we had last night?” (I wish I were making this up.)

Be sure everyone in your organization understands that an interview is not just for deciding about a candidate–the candidate is also deciding about you.

What Good, Mediocre, and Unspeakably Bad interviews have you witnessed (or heard about).

Learn more at http://JGraceConsulting.net

The Five Worst Interview Questions Ever

The Five All Time Worst Interview Questions

Unfortunately, there are all too many bad interview questions that get asked all too frequently.  Here’s my list of questions that should be retired to their own special Hall of Shame.

1. Tell me about yourself.  Here’s how any candidate will interpret this question:  ‘I didn’t have time to read your resume or if I did it wasn’t interesting enough to remember so why don’t you fill me in so I have a clue what we’re talking about.’  It’s also so vague, it leaves many candidates wondering if you’re the type of manager who expects people to read your mind.  If you must ask some form of this, at least make the effort to look professional by saying something like, “I’ve had the opportunity to review your resume, but I often find it helpful to hear people explain their own background.  Why don’t you give me a short description of your career.”
2. Where do you see yourself in five years?  Seriously? Most of us aren’t even sure where we’ll be in a month.  Also, it’s an expected question. Therefore (again) the answer is likely to be rehearsed, polished, and practically meaningless.
3. Tell me your strengths and weaknesses. Easily my least favorite question of all. First of all, everyone expects this question. If the candidate can’t answer this smoothly, they struggle with other questions so you can’t really use this to weed people out. Everyone knows to make the strength something generic enough not to be threatening, and to make the weakness something you’ve worked hard to overcome (and that wouldn’t really matter if you still suffer from—like working too hard). If you ask this question, you deserve the hogwash you’re about to be fed.
4. Do you like working in a team environment? “Nope. Pretty much hate people. Hoping for a job in which I can stare at my computer all day long and growl at anyone who asks for help or information. I figure if I do this well enough, I’ll become the next Dilbert character.” If you want to know how they will work in a team, then that’s what you need to ask.  For example, “Can you tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team to solve a big problem?” or “What role do you find yourself filling in a team setting? Is this a role you’re comfortable in? Can you give me an example of a time when you worked in a team in this kind of role?”
5. Do you work well under pressure? What do you expect someone to say? “Er, not really.”? “Can I call use a lifeline?” “No, but I bring my mom to work every day and she’s great with pressure.” There is only one possible answer to this question, so why bother asking? The days of the high pressure interviews are gone with other unfortunate trends of the 1980s, so if you want to know how the person will respond to a high pressure situation, ask for an example of when they worked under pressure in the past.  Of try something like, “Here at XYZ Diamond Cutters, we understand that cutting extremely large gemstones is an art that involves a lot of stress. What do you do to balance your environment so the stress does not become overwhelming?”

What are the worst interview questions you’ve ever heard?

To learn more about Judi Cogen and J Grace Consulting, please visit www.JGraceConsulting.net or read some of her articles on www.EzineArticles.com. You can also follow Judi on Twitter www.twitter.com/JudiCogen where you can never be quite sure what she’ll be talking about.

The Five Best Interview Questions

The Five Best Interview Questions

Here are the best questions I’ve found over the years, starting with my all-time favorite.

1. What is your colleagues’ biggest misconception about you?  In all likelihood, the candidate has never heard this question, but it is a question he should be able to answer with a little thought. Give him a little time to think—after all, that’s part of what you’re trying to uncover: how does he react when something new is thrown his way.  This question can be used at any level of the organization or in any industry.  It doesn’t require special knowledge about anything except himself—and your candidate should be an expert about himself! It does require self-awareness and willingness to think a bit differently.  One frequent answer is “Nothing—I’m a very open person—what you see is what you get.”  I generally probe a bit with that answer, but you have to judge based on the candidate’s reaction. 
2. Case study.  I love using case studies for positions where the candidate will have to make decisions with less than complete information and for positions where the candidate will be required to do analytical problem solving.  The idea is to ask him to think about something in a way they’ve never  thought about before. As long as the answer is reasonable, I don’t worry about it being “correct.” I am interested in how they think the process through and how they deal with the ambiguity of the situation.  I suggest having them think out loud so you can follow the process and answer questions they might have. (No, they cannot use the computer, their iPhone, or anything else. They just have to think the problem through.) Some examples of case studies might include: How many pianos are there in New York City? How many eggs does the local coffee shop use in a day?
3. Please tell me about a time when you changed someone’s mind. What was the situation? What did you do? What happened?  This particular behavioral-based interview question is one of my favorites.  As the ability to work in teams becomes ever more important in the workforce, influencing people and working in a collaborative manner are critical skills.
4. Please tell me about a time when you changed your own mind. What was the situation? What did you do? What happened? Closely related to the previous inquiry, this question is designed to highlight whether the candidate is open to new ideas and new ways of thinking.  Depending on the position I’m interviewing for or the answer I hear, I may ask for a second example just to be sure that she has demonstrated real  adaptive ability as opposed to changing her mind one time in a moment of weakness.
5. If you were going to convince a friend or colleague to apply for this position, what might you tell them? Assuming you’ve done the prescreening well, you can be fairly certain that the candidate has the skills for the position. Hopefully, you’ve also figured out that she has a natural fit, the instinctive modus operandi, to be a good fit for the job and for working with the hiring manager.  Now you need to know if she has desire to bring her passion for the position and the company to work every day.  This question will help you understand how much research she has done on the company as well as give you some insight as to the attitude and zeal she’ll bring to your department.

What are your favorite, most effective interview questions?

Learn more about Judi Cogen and J Grace Consulting at www.JGraceConsulting.net and you can find articles she’s written on www.EzineArticles.com . You can also follow Judi on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/JudiCogen.

Trust Your Gut in the Hiring Process

I was visiting my chiropractor (crack!) last week and we began talking about the importance of trusting your gut in the hiring process.  As he twisted and turned my spine, he told me about the situation he was in with his office staff (crunch!)

Several weeks earlier, he had hired a new front office worker to help ease the pressures of his highly flexible work force and the growing business (click! click!).  As he described her, I remembered meeting the woman—and I remembered being surprised at her forceful personality in an office well known for its soothing, caring and understated environment. I asked how she was working out (pop!). “Oh, she’s not here anymore,” he replied, “she just wasn’t working out.”

“The funny thing is,” the doctor added twisting my neck, “I knew in my gut hiring her was the wrong decision. But I did it anyway.” (snap!)

By no means is he alone in this situation. How often have we brought someone on board at the urging of other staff members, on the advice of a recruiting professional, or because it seemed like a solution that “just might work out after a while” only to regret having that person join the company?  Our “gut feel” is a very powerful instinct we don’t pay enough attention to.

Certainly, gut feel is insufficient to make a final hiring decision.  There are lots of other criteria that must enter the decision making process to ensure you have the right person for the right position. However, gut feel is almost always a good enough reason NOT to hire someone.  If your instincts are telling you this is not the right candidate, that they won’t work out, you are almost always certain to be correct.  Do yourself and your company a favor and listen to that inner voice!

As I explained this to my chiropractor, I could see him visibly relax. “Thank you so much for sharing that,” he said, “it makes so much sense—I wish we’d had this conversation a couple of weeks ago. But I certainly learned an important lesson. I will never hire someone unless it feels right.”

Glad that something had “snapped” into place besides my back, I continued.

When you ask most people to describe a situation in which they made a less than ideal decision, they will generally tell you “they knew better” or “their gut told them to go another way, but they let themselves be talked into” the decision.  On the flip side, most people can also tell of decisions they’ve made where the “logical” facts weren’t the driving force, their gut was—and how pleased they were at their decision.

What’s really happened is they’ve used their conative mind, their natural instincts, to solve their problem.  And when we allow ourselves to trust our guts, to use our conative mind, the magic happens.

Learn more at www.JGraceConsulting.net.

Top Ten Tips for Surviving Hockey Season

Hockey moms are tough. We sit in bitter cold arenas watching opposing teams try to damage our children. We invest in cars the size of Canada to lug equipment bigger than the child from rink to rink.  We endure frostbite and penalty calls equally.  Mostly, we say a silent prayer of thanks each time the child comes off the ice with most important bodily parts intact. 

Here are my Top Ten Tips for Surviving Hockey Season as the parent of a player. With a special bonus Top Ten Hints for Surviving as a Player.

For Parents

1. Wear the same kinds of outfits as the guys who climb Kilimanjaro.  Then bring a blankets (preferably one to sit on and one to cover your legs). Don’t forget the little chemical packets that warm up when you smack them.
2. Invest in an industrial size bottle of Fabreeze.  Better yet, make it a case.  I thought soccer bags got a little ripe, but soccer bags have nothing on stinky boy hockey stuff.
3. Find a portable hobby.  What with the kid having to be there over an hour before the game starts and then the showering and packing up after the game, there is a fair amount of wait time. Do your waiting in the area outside the rink where it will only be very chilly rather than stupid cold. Bringing something to entertain yourself (and any small children you may have brought with you) goes a long way toward making the time more enjoyable.
4. Hockey has often been defined as a fight in which an occasional game breaks out.  Fortunately, it is not nearly as vicious in High School—except in the stands. Seriously? These are kids. Back off and enjoy the game.
5. If you haven’t already learned it, figure out the best way to get from your rink to the Emergency room.  Be nice to the doctors, as over the next few years you are likely to be there more than once. (Corollary: If you are there so often they know you by name, you might consider encouraging the kid to switch to a nice safe sport, like boxing.)
6. Hockey rink food is pretty bad. And generally all you can say for the coffee is that it is more or less hot. Plan accordingly.
7. Many High School hockey teams have a variety of players.  Don’t say “But you’re a GIRL!” when you meet Chris the Goalie.
8. Turns out, much to my surprise, that referees are human too. They make mistakes. Shouldn’t happen, but it does. Disparaging their eyesight or casting aspersions on their ancestry is annoying, rude, and teaches our kids the wrong things. Kindly remember that there are siblings in the stands.
9. Cheering for your team is good. Booing the opponents is bad. Cow bells are fine. Fog horns should earn you a one-way ticket to the penalty box (these are not professional size arenas, folks!).

10.  The most difficult position in hockey is MotherOfTheGoalie and she might be sitting near you. Try to remember that if the puck gets to the net, someone else on the team either didn’t do their job or got beaten. Phrases like, “Oh, come ON, you gotta get those!” are neither useful nor informative. Guaranteed the goalie did not let the puck in on purpose.

Reminders For players

1. Looking at the latest in NHL level equipment is not a substitute for getting your homework done.
2. The front hallway is not an acceptable storage area for hockey equipment. And stacking your equipment neatly so that it conveniently blocks the front door is not helpful.
3. I bought you a case of Fabreeze. Please use at least some of it.
4. Watching an NHL hockey game on tv is not—under any circumstances—“studying.”
5. Your sister has gone to all of your hockey games. Yes, you have to go to her dance recital.
6. I don’t care how big you are or how effective you are on the ice rink. I’m still your mother, and I make the rules.
7. Hockey pucks do not belong in the house. Especially when there is a hockey stick in your hand.  No amount of “I promise I won’t hit anything!” changes this rule.  Just as no amount of “I didn’t mean to” will repair Great Aunt Sophie’s vase.
8. “I have to re-tape my stick” is not a reasonable excuse for not doing school work. Nor is it a reason for us to invest in enough tape to mummify the entire western hemisphere. Sorry, extra tape is on your own dime.
9. We are only half-way though the season and so far this sport has cost us the equivalent of the national debt of a medium-sized nation. Try to act grateful occasionally. Or at least not sullen.

10.  The floor, the chair, the banister, inside your hockey bag—NONE of these are considered appropriate places for your wet towel.

Hockey is a great (albeit chilly) sport.  Let’s enjoy the season, shall we?

When not freezing her toes off in the hockey stands, Judi Cogen is a Principal with J Grace Consulting and an expert in reducing unwanted organizational turnover.  Her Selection Strategist Program helps companies reduce turnover and take the guesswork out of hiring by using proven conative testing and company specific analytics to select the right person for the right position.  J Grace Consulting also offers Youth Strategist, a program to help 10 to 17 year old kids understand their conative attributes for more success in life and school.  Learn more about Selection Strategist and Youth Strategist at http://JGraceConsulting.net  and you can follow Judi on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/JudiCogen.