Common Interview Mistakes
July 1, 2009
Four Common Interview Mistakes that may cause Compliance or Inequity Issues:
1) Failure to define requirements – Not taking the time to carefully define the requirements for successfully performing a job. Interviewers may not consider the full set of knowledge, skills, and abilities that underlie successful performance. Some interviewers just look for candidates who are “savvy”, “go getters”, “tough-minded”, etc. These traits could potentially serve as a partial set of requirements. However, without defining the work behaviors that reflect these qualities, it is difficult for an interviewer to properly explore or evaluate them in an interview.
2) Failure to structure an interview plan – This can lead to fairness and legal issues if not consistently asking the same questions for each candidate applying for a specific position. Lack of a structured plan can also leave a negative impression of the company with the interviewee. A prescreen process is recommended prior to scheduling the initial interview.
3) Failure to take notes or properly record responses – It is important to record the critical elements of a candidate’s responses. Notes provide a trigger for full recall so that information can be shared with other interviewers and responses properly evaluated.
4) Failure to avoid common rating errors – Human judgment is prone to be biased. It is important to have a rating scale that is used consistently for all interviewees of the same position. When designing the scale, focus on how they meet the requirements of the job versus how one candidate’s responses compare to another’s.
With myStaffingPro, you can easily overcome these failures by utilizing the automated prescreen process, phone interview guide, and interview scoring capabilities. Not only will your process be efficient and compliant, you can have the ability to report on and share your data. For more information on how you can screen your applicant pool, please contact us at sales@mystaffingpro.com or go to http://mystaffingpro.com/ . Every client is assigned a dedicated customer service manager to consult with them on the hiring process and how to incorporate with the system.
SHRM 2009: Are you Ready?
June 26, 2009
Are you ready for all that the National SHRM Conference has to offer? Below are my Top 10 Tips for a successful show:
- Wear the most comfortable shoes that you can find – period. The conference hall is HUGE!
- Leave space in your suitcase for all the extra goodies that you’ll bring back with you.
- Plan your sessions. Nothing is worse than realizing the session you were the most interested in just ended.
- Make new friends. Take advantage of the opportunity to network with any of the 7,000 attendees.
- Keep a piece of your lunch for a snack. You never know when that apple or granola bar will come in handy.
- Ask questions. Embrace all that SHRM has to offer by asking peers, presenters, and exhibitors for additional information or clarification.
- Take time to see New Orleans. Check out 101 cool things to do in New Orleans for ideas.
- See Sheryl Crow
- Visit the Exhibit hall for information, inspiration, and goodies.
- HAVE FUN!
Help us have a successful SHRM by stopping by the myStaffingPro applicant tracking system booth #2146.
Effectiveness and Efficiency are Key in RPO
June 24, 2009
It is becoming increasingly important in today’s market that companies are able to effectively and efficiently respond to the needs of their clients. RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) companies can be negatively impacted by processes that limit or inhibit their ability to provide proper feedback to their clients. Some of the challenges facing RPOs:
- Effectively prequalifying to ensure only the qualified applicants are reviewed and processed by busy recruiters
- The ability to allow applicants to self-schedule for a phone interview, assessments, or a face-to-face interview with Hiring Managers freeing up recruiting resources
- Conducting standardized Phone Interviews that allow the recruiter to enter the applicant’s responses and then create data sheets that can be sent to hiring managers for review to determine the best fit candidates
- Establish and maintain communication between the applicant, recruiters, and hiring managers throughout the entire recruiting process
This list may seem trivial but to busy recruiters, these challenges can either make or break a recruiting deadline and the relationship with the client. There are applicants tracking solutions that can solve the challenges discussed above and more. One system to review is myStaffingPro. This solution offers recruiters the ability to manage their daily activities as well as building and maintaining a relationship with their clients and prospective candidates.
Are You “Sold On” your Applicant Tracking System?
June 18, 2009
When the decision is made, the implementation completed, and the users trained, is that the end of it? Most ATS vendors are investing resources with an eye on a long lasting relationship with the new customer. To achieve that goal your company should have a number of ongoing opportunities that you can take advantage of. Will you? Are they worth your time?
Examples:
a. An assigned Client Services Manager who will consult with your system Administrator to be sure the system is meeting your needs. Are you interacting with your vendor on a regular basis?
b. Training Opportunities for users often are provided by the Client Services Manager or via webinar classes designed to expand and strengthen user successes. Are your users well-trained?
c. New features offered by the vendor are released and information provided to you on the value of the feature to your process. Do you pay attention to the vendor announcements and newsletters?
d. Participating in customer and user surveys, or an Advisory Board is a great way to be sure your vendor is aware of any areas where you are experiencing frustrations. Do you take the time to respond to their requests for feedback?
On both sides, there is nothing more disappointing than the decision to transition to a different vendor. Your company takes a hit a second time on the resources required to go through the vetting, selection, and implementation process once again. The vendor loses a customer, perhaps without an understanding of why you decided to leave. Both sides lose. Could that have been avoided?
Thoughts? Experiences to share?
Go Green With Your Interview Process
June 16, 2009
Going Green has been the latest buzzwords for some time now, but how far should you take it with your hiring process? myStaffingPro has recently increased their green initiatives with applicants self-scheduling and an online phone interview guide, but should we take it a step further with web-based interviews?
Three to Five years ago, it was nothing for large companies to have massive hiring events where they brought in candidates from all across the country and paid for all the travel expenses. Times have changed, and the economy is making all of us rethink how we do things. So why not do a face-to-face interview via the web?
Pros of Web Based Interviews:
• Cut travel expense costs to bring candidates to your site
• Reduces the administrative costs associated with arranging the event/interviews
• Eliminates the need for a travel agency
• Increase volume of interviews efficiently and cost-effectively
• Quick turnaround time – same-day interviews
• Decreases your time to fill ratio
• Increased accessibility to candidates with various time zones
• No rental cars, lost luggage, or trying to get your laptop through airport security for you or your interviewers!
Cons of Web Based Interviews:
• Applicant does not get a personal view of the company and the culture
• Interviewer doesn’t get entire experience of the applicant
• Applicant needs to ensure they have private, quiet place for the interview
• Potential internet connectivity or technology issues
• Hardware issues
While this may not be a fit for every company or even every type of position, it definitely has potential; and why not utilize technology to its fullest potential.
What do you think? Would you like this available in your applicant tracking system? We value your input and would really like to hear your thoughts on this.
HR Software – Build vs. Buy Dilemma
June 11, 2009
This blog is brought to you by Matt Lafata, at Hrchitect
HRchitect is brought in to many of today’s most successful organizations to assist in the area of HR Systems, or HCM (Human Capital Management) Systems Strategic Planning. An element of this is building out a 3-5 year HR technology roadmap and inevitably the question of “build vs. buy” comes up.
Before we tackle some of the pros and cons of each, let me say that investing in HCM technology of any kind, build or buy, without a strategy on how each component system will support the other often results in the implementation of systems that are not best suited to meet a company’s business objectives, wasted time and money, and staff inefficiencies.
Build – Primary Drivers
- Perceived lower cost – In house systems have a perceived lower cost, but if you add in all the additional staff time which could have been spent working on other business initiatives, the cost may be actually higher than a purchase.
- Unique features – In house allows for easier customization and including unique features to match the current process; however, these may not always be the best practice.
- Scalability and Flexibility – Can be flexible and scalable as they match the current IT process and workings
- Integration to HR System – May be easier to customize; however, oftentimes, In House systems are more difficult to interface as the necessary keys are not always available. This will require in-depth planning which will increase the costs
- System Adoption and Cultural Fit – May be easier to have the end-users adopt as the system matches the current process.
Buy – Primary Drivers
- Implementation Speed – System is ready to implement with minimal development required.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – Development cost paid for by multiple clients and not just one.
- Includes Best Practices – System has been validated and proven with other clients. It includes best practices from multiple clients
- Vendor R&D/Technology and Support – Vendor is responsible to develop and maintain the system. It does not rely on the company to keep the system updated.
- Internal Staff Time – Internal staff will be used less during the implementation as the vendor provides much of the needed resources in its cost.
Build – Hidden Price Tag
- Cumbersome applications results in inconsistent system use.
- Takes management away from revenue generating projects.
- Cost of internal resources to develop and maintain.
- Cost/inconsistent of system adoption
Build – High Maintenance Cost
- When building you will need to create all the system documentation and user training. This oftentimes is not included in the cost analysis, which was done to convince the company that Build was the best decision.
- To keep your system current to all new laws and trends, you will need to provide on-going R&D for the Built System. This may include legal and/or consultant time. Once the system goes live the real work begins.
- IT resources will need to be assigned to the system for it lifetime. This will include programmers for development, testing and general maintenance.
- Unlike a vendor system, a Built System will not include any industry best practices as it is customized to the company’s way of talent management. This may include any inefficiency or redundancy; therefore, resulting in the system not saving time and money, but merely transferring the manual process to a computer screen.
Buy – Advantages
Cutting Edge Technology
- Vendor will assure that your system will remain on the cutting edge of talent management systems. This is due to vendor’s need to compete and that the member company will have input into any system enhancements.
- R&D dollars are being spent over a wider company base. Instead of one company supporting the system (as in a Build System), all vendor users share in the R&D costs which lowers the cost per employee.
Best Practices
- Are integrated into the system. These are gleaned from the various companies that the vendor has as a client as well as the vendor’s research and knowledge of the talent management systems Industry
- Each vendor has user groups and some have user group conferences. The User Group allows you to network with other clients to ascertain better ways of conducting talent management and using the system to its full advantage.
Lower TCO
- Vendor has methodologies which makes the implementation of the system quicker and more efficient.
- Vendor can use their internal knowledge of emerging technology and incorporate it into the product. Again, as the R&D costs are shared by all the system users, the cost to change the technology is minimal on each company.
- Vendor provides support for both system knowledge and implementation. This frees up internal IT resources to focus on business applications and providing decision support for the company.
- Vendor spreads the maintenance cost between all clients. Most support is used during an implementation. Vendor will provide newer versions of your system to upgrade.
Adoption
- Training is developed by the vendor. The consistency of the training allows for additional implementation of best practices along with internal system knowledge on how to get the most out of the software.
- As training has been standardized, the adoption rate is higher. Use of user networking also aids with adoption as the company can research better methods to get the system used from other users of the product.
Compliance
Vendor includes all governmental requirements in their software to assure that you will be compliant during any audits. This does not cover any business practices which may be outside of the system and could be suspect during an audit.
Delivered Integration
- Vendor systems usually come with many “pre-programmed” interfaces to the other system vendors. This does not mean the integrations are plug-and-play, but the basic design is established and some configuration to the programs will be needed to match your exact set-up of both systems. This delivered integration provides you with the ability to share your data between vendor systems and increase your analytical options.
- Shown are some options of the type of system which can have an interface.
Flexible and Scalable
- Vendor provided systems can be scaled both in activity and price should you increase your employee dramatically during a merger or acquisition. The systems can be reconfigured relatively easy to accommodate the change in the organizational structure and reporting relationships.
- While most vendors will limit customization, the systems have been developed to allow for configuration which will accommodate most, if not all, of the unique needs of the company. The delivered systems also provide systems which are rich in features which should provide system functionality which exceeds the client needs.
- The highest cost of most Built Systems revolve around the cost of the hardware – particularly the servers required to accommodate the systems. The server costs is included with the vendor monthly fee thus eliminating the need for costly servers which need to be capitalized by finance.
Proven Functionality
- Purchased systems come equipped with pre-programmed analysis and reporting. These reports have been developed over years of working with clients on what type of analysis Senior Management has been requesting.
- Due to vendor competition, each vendor is fiercely attempting to be the “best of Breed” vendor by providing excellent functionality and features which exceed the competition. This continued R&D to the product, provides you with a system which will grow with your expectations.
Build – Summary of Positives and Negatives
Positives
- In house systems have a perceived lower cost, but if you add in all the additional staff time which could have been spent working on other business initiatives, the cost may be actually higher than a purchase.
- In house allows for easier customization and including unique features to match the current process; however, these may not always be the best practice.
- Can be flexible and scalable as they match the current IT process and workings
- May be easier to customize; however, oftentimes, in house systems are more difficult to interface as the necessary keys are not always available. This will require in-depth planning which will increase the costs
- May be easier to have the end-users adopt as the system matches the current process.
Negatives
- System does not include the best practices which you will get from a vendor system which accommodates many processes.
- Cost to develop and maintain an In House system may be prohibitive over the years. Particularly if compliance issues begin to require legal and outside assistance to keep the system current.
- Staff time is oftentimes not included in the calculations as “they’d get paid anyway” mentality takes over. However, these employees are pulled off of other initiatives which may be more beneficial to the running of the company.
- When dealing with an In House system you will need to communicate accurately with your IT department. This does not always produce the desired results.
Buy – Summary of Positives and Negatives
Positives
- System is ready to implement with minimal development required.
- Development cost paid for by multiple clients and not just one.
- System has been validated and proven with other clients. It includes best practices from multiple clients
- Vendor is responsible to develop and maintain the system. It does not rely on the company to keep the system updated.
- Internal staff will be used less during the implementation as the vendor provides much of the needed resources in its cost.
Negatives
- Look at other system options and buy only those components which will be useful to the company. This will improve the TCO
- Implementation cost can become excessive if you try to include too many things into the system. Use the system to help you to streamline your process and take advantage of the best practices included in the system.
- May require you to change your process.
- You need to know exactly what you need. To do this you must have a complete and thorough list of requirements to choose the best system for you.
This blog is courtesy of Matt Lafata, at HRchitect. HRchitect is a consulting firm with tremendous experience in assisting businesses select HR software. For assistance in selecting HR software, please go HRchitect.com.
It’s a debate I’ve heard time and again over the last 10 years…
Job Board: “We are sending a ton of candidates to your career site, but only 30% are completing, what’s wrong with your career site?”
Career Site aka Applicant Tracking System (ATS): “Our job is to screen out the candidates, and that’s what we’re doing! The system is doing its job thoroughly and well.”
The truth is, both arguments are correct. The job board’s goal is to drive as much traffic to your jobs as possible, to find as many candidates as possible. The career site’s job is to screen out those candidates so you only have to communicate with the potentially qualified applicants.
When a candidate clicks on a link in a job board ad, there are still many questions in that candidate’s mind. Is the company reputable? Is this is a job I want? Is this a job I even have a chance to get? As the candidate views the detailed job information on the career site, those questions are answered, and the candidate only completes the application if he answers those questions affirmatively.
Over the last ten years, across over one thousand career sites we’ve built for our clients, the average number of applicants who look at the job, and then actually complete and pass all the pre-screening questions is 30%. 30% is a good, solid number to shoot for, because those 30% of applicants have already screened themselves as a viable candidate for the job, and passed most of the job requirements, if the pre-screening questions are written well (How to Write a Good Prescreening Questionnaire.
With that screened applicant pool, you can focus your time on further assessing and interviewing the candidates, saving the time you would have spent screening out the other 70%.
But the other 70% aren’t lost – a good ATS will refer the candidates to other jobs, such as the job information screen for Delphi Automotive, which refers candidates to similar jobs they might be interested in, and allows candidates to share the job opening with friends via email, Facebook, mySpace and more:
So who wins the debate? You do! Because job boards are generating traffic to your career site, and the career site is screening out unqualified candidates, you get the best of both worlds.
Is Free Really Better??
June 4, 2009
With so many free or built in applicant tracking solutions available today, it may seem like a no-brainer to pick a free system. Seemingly, you are saving your company some money, right? Well, the answer to that question is debatable.
Due to the lack of functionality, you may not be saving as much money as you initially calculated. Remember, you do get what you pay for. To make sure an applicant tracking system will help you recruit, qualify, track, and hire the best talent, the applicant tracking system you use should enable you to:
- Post openings to a hosted career search screen
- Collect applications online and screen for qualified applicants
- Efficiently review, export, and email applicant information
- Report on EEO, requisition, sourcing, and applicant data
The applicant tracking system you chose should meet and exceed all your recruiting needs and challenges. The efficiencies created will save you both time and money, and the system will eventually pay for itself.
For information about our robust applicant tracking system, myStaffingPro, and to learn how our applicant tracking solution could help you with your recruiting challenges, please call a Sales Representative at 800-939-2462.
In the Spotlight with Ogden Clinic
June 2, 2009
Ever wonder if your clients are feeling satisfied with the purchase of your product? We decided to set up an interview-style meeting to see how well our signature product, myStaffingPro applicant tracking system, stands up against the rest of the pack.
To help us answer this question, we put our client Ogden Clinic in the spotlight. Here is just a snapshot of the feedback we received:
What is your experience with using an applicant tracking system?
I have not used many, but myStaffingPro is much more user friendly than other systems I have used.
How long have you been using myStaffingPro?
We have been with myStaffingPro for about 6 months now.
How has myStaffingPro affected your processes (cost effectiveness, time to fill, etc.)
It has decreased the follow-ups that were a constant issue with the other systems we have used which means more time for other necessary processes.
What is your favorite myStaffingPro feature?
My favorite feature would have to be that it saves the job descriptions. I don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time we post a position that is often posted.
What would you say to other HR professionals about myStaffingPro?
It takes some time to get it set up the way you want it, but once the set up is done it is one of the easiest systems to maintain.
With all the time you have saved since using MSP, what do you do with your extra time? (We promise we will not tell your boss!)
I have more time to dedicate to the problems with other systems we are using.
If you want your company to shine in the spotlight, please visit our website to sign up for a free 30 day trial of myStaffingPro.
Go Green with an Applicant Tracking System
May 26, 2009
Going green with an applicant tracking system:
- Reduces your carbon footprint: Remove the paperwork from your hiring process by accepting applications and viewing applicant data online.
- Improves accessibility: Data is at your fingertips 24/7 from any internet-enabled computer. The online process eliminates digging through piles of paperwork to find back information.
- Provides accountability: Timestamps record when an applicant record was updated or reviewed. The built-in accountability provides you with up to the instant details on the applicant’s progress in the hiring process.
- Builds repertoire: Customers will view your company as environmentally responsible, and will translate that responsibility to the product or service that you provide.
- Saves Money: Going green reduces your printer, toner, and administrative costs.
- Increases recruiting and hiring efficiency: Post and fill jobs faster with an online hiring process. Some companies boast that they have reduced their time-to-fill by 40% with an applicant tracking system.
For more information on how you can Go Green with myStaffingPro applicant tracking system please contact us at 800-939-2462 or sales@mystaffingpro.com
