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THE TRADE-OFF
Which has the higher return on investment, experienced hires or entry-level workers?
THE ART OF COLD-CALLING
It is no longer considered to be unethical to direct source candidates. Here's how.
THE INTERVIEW PARADE
Putting your best foot forward through well organized on-site interviews.
BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING - A CASE STUDY
Here's one example that shows just how effective behavioral interviewing can be.
COLLEGE SALARIES RISING
College graduates in the class of 99 are reaping 4 to 9 percent more than last year's class.
In our zeal to satisfy our clients, we work very hard to find fully qualified candidates as fast as we
can. We pay dearly in both recruiting fees and in salaries for workers who often must be recruited away
from other employers. Whether we know it or not, we may be sealing our own fate in guaranted turnover.
If the experienced workers we are hiring are so quick to move to us for a few dollars more, how long
will it be before someone else increases the ante and they leave? The average high tech worker is said to
be averaging only 18 months with each employer. We should be asking ourselves if this is enough time
to get a fair return on our investment.
Although we won't admit it, many of us are vain enough to think that we will be able to manage, mentor
and reward these people better than any other employer can. Look at your track record. If you haven't been
retaining your workers previously, what makes you think you can begin to do it now?
With the labor shortages in high tech, many organizations are offering training and certification programs
to individuals whose former skills are no longer in demand. These retooled workers provide an inexpensive
alternative to the experienced hire.
Many of these retraining programs are federally funded. They produce A plus technicians, network administrators,
programmers, MSP's, MSCEs, CNEs, DBAs, and practically every other skill set in demand in today's market.
There is an expected trade-off in hiring entry level workers. They will require some additional training
at some cost to the organization. However, they do not demand the same high salaries of the experienced
worker, and they are less likely to leave as soon or as often as the experienced worker. There are a
variety of retention studies that show that workers who perceive they are getting special attention and
training from their employer are more loyal and dedicated to that employer.
Unfortunately, many of the managers we support continue to insist on hiring the expensive, yet highly mobile,
experienced worker. Professional recruiters need to take the intiative to enlighten these managers about the
staffing alternatives available to them. Sometimes it is as simple as asking, "Would you consider . . . ?"
Certainly, most one-of-a-kind positions cannot accept an entry-level worker. However, when you have several
needs, or you have an existing cadre of like workers and only need one or two more, why wouldn't it
make sense to hire a less expensive, developmental person to round out the team?
Recruiters are finding it increasingly important to be able to reach out to the currently employed
"passive job seekers" to network and recruit for the talent their employers demand. Many corporate
recruiters are concerned about the ethics of cold-calling, as well as the intrusive or annoying aspects
of it.
Whether you are calling via phone, or emailing your initial message to a potential candidate or resource,
here are a few basic "rules":
Identify yourself by name and the organization you represent.
Explain how you obtained the name of the person you are contacting.
Mention the title of the position for which you are seeking candidates.
If phoning, ask if it is a convenient time to speak. If not, offer to call back at another time.
Give a brief description of the job and the requirements.
Ask, "Do you know anyone who may be interested?"
Most recruiting specialists and staffing managers will tell you that one of the most frustrating
aspects of their jobs is putting an interview schedule together. In many cases, finding the needle-
in-the-haystack candidate is easier than finding enough qualified decision-makers to interview him
or her on a given date.
We all want to put our best foot forward when we bring candidates on site for meetings with hiring
managers. We know that the people with whom the candidate meets and speaks can make or break the
relationship. We don't want anything or anyone to botch it up, particularly if we have recruited the
perfect candidate.
To prevent your worst nightmares from coming true, here are a few things you can do to ensure the
interview comes across in a well-organized, professional fashion, rather than a fire drill.
First of all, make sure everyone who may be asked to participate in the process is trained in effective
interviewing techniques. No last minute substitutes by untrained interviewers should be allowed.
To the greatest exent possible, have your hiring managers communicate their expectations to the rest of
the team before the interviews take place. Ideally, a position specific selection profile that identifies
the critical competencies required of the successful candidate should be utilized. That way, your
interviewers are more likely to base their selection decisions on a common set of criteria, rather than
allowing their individual biases and prejudices to shape their evaluations.
Too often we hear the all-too-familiar tales of the frenetic office environment where managers are
too busy to interview. Candidates are quick to recognize this. A receptionist at one company in Fairfax,
Virginia, told us she has watched many candidates get up and leave when kept waiting too long by managers
who thought that their time was more important than the applicant's.
On the other hand, well-planned and efficient interviews with friendly and personable managers who seem
to go out of their way to make the candidate feel like the VIP of the day reflects very positively upon
the company and its people-friendly culture.
The managers you are serving often focus their planning on their mission or projects. They often have
neither the time nor the the interest to determine how to efficiently manage a flow of several candidates.
But you do, and they expect you to show them how.
Over the past twenty years, Cluff & Associates has introduced several companies to behaviorally-
based interviewing and selection. Over time, the results in quality, job satisfaction, productivity
and retention have been significant. Here is a case in point.
A Fortune 500 company in Ohio had five sales divisions. Four of the divisions adopted the behavioral
interviewing system, while one retained the MLM (most-like-me) approach hiring only tall men who had
been athletes at Big 10 schools.
After five years, the four divisions utilizing the behavioral approach had a retention rate of 93
percent of the people hired during that period. The other division had only 88 percent retention.
Convinced by the numbers, the fifth division decided to implement the behavioral approach. One
year later, the divisional VP, after whom the MLM model had been fashioned, personally and proudly
presented his two top sales awards to a five foot two inch tall, non-athletic woman and a five foot
six inch tall African American from Atlanta.
Properly implemented, behavioral interviewing will not only provide a better prediction of future
job performance, but it can also control biases and promote diversity.
To implement behavioral interviewing and selection, an organization must take the time to identify
the critical performance factors and create selection profiles against which all candidates can be
measured. Then, all interviewers must be trained in this new selection language.
According to the April, 1999, Salary Survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers
(NACE), starting salaries for this year's college graduates are up again. Driven principally by the
continuing demand, salaries in many fields have risen by 4 to 9 percent just since last September.
Among yhe leaders in starting salaries are those who majored in:
Chemical Engineering - - $ 47,795
Computer Engineering - - $ 46,190
Computer Science - - $ 45,562
Electrical Engineering - - $ 44,803
Mangement Info Systems - - $ 41,005
High tech firms, of course, have been leading the charge to the college campuses. But there has been
increasing demand for accountants, consultants, engineers and sales people as well. Business administration
graduates are enjoying an incresing value in the market place with salaries starting around $ 34,152.
Also, liberal arts students in areas such as communications or English can expect beginning offers of
more than $ 28,000 per year.
The NACE survey also revealed a proportional analysis of the industry sectors where students are getting
their offers of employment. The Services sector accounted for 60.9 percent of all offers to Bachelors
level candidates. Manufacturing came in second at 29.9 percent and Non-Profit/Government employers made
up the remainder with 9.2 percent.
For a complete copy of the April, 1999, NACE Salary Survey report, contact NACE, 62 Highland Avenue,
Bethlehem, PA 18017, or visit their website at www.jobweb.org.