Hiring and the bogus resume

Recently, I have had the joy of interviewing several candidates for job openings at my organization. I have seen some really great resumes, some that are just too good to be true. I usually scan their education and experience, looking for key words and phrases that let me know they are qualified. I usually skip over the coined phrases such as hard-working, strong management skills, leadership ability, competent, and fast learner. Everyone knows you always put those on a resume, I have used them myself. There are now internet sites that can create a great resume, and you can even pay to give fake references. It’s my job to sift through all the fluff and find candidates that are really qualified. I have made hiring mistakes, so I am very careful to review and re-review candidates. I ask hard questions that make the candidate think on their feet. One time another manager sat in on one of my grueling interviews, and she said, “geez, those are hard questions; I don’t think I could answer them.” On some questions, I’m not really looking for content, but rather watching their body language and observing how they react in a high pressure environment. Other questions do revolve around the actual job duties. I make sure they know the functions of the position, and they need to give me specifics about how they would do the job. With all the resources available through the internet, it’s easy to have a really great resume or even compile a bogus one. It’s not so easy passing my interview process. I do make mistakes. I once I hired someone that could not type. Ut oh, I forgot to ask if they can type! I had assumed since this was a data entry job, they could type and with past data entry experience, I just assumed. I never assume anymore. Since we don’t give typing tests, I now always ask if they can type, how fast, do they use all fingers, and do they look at their fingers. If they stumble at all, that usually means they can’t type.
My interviews last about thirty minutes, unless I quickly find they are unqualified, then fifteen minutes just so they don’t think they wasted their time.

Here are some questions I like to ask that are specific to the job. I am looking for content on these:

*Tell me why you think you are qualified for this job?
*What are the essential functions of customer service?
*How do you handle an upset customer?
*In what time frame do you (name an essential job duty)?
*Explain… (name a key term or phase in the industry that only someone with experience would know. I’m in insurance, so I usually ask them to explain coinsurance).

I always expand on their answer and ask more questions based on how they answered the question. I always have a conversation about the job functions in order to make sure they know what they are talking about.

Next, these questions are my think on your feet questions that I’m not necessarily looking for content, but how they react and how well they can come up with an answer:

*Tell me your strengths (This is not too hard, just reiterate what’s on the resume, however some stumble anyway).
*Tell me your weaknesses and how do you overcome them. Most interviewees stumble on this one. If they say, I have no weaknesses….next candidate. The good answers revolve around being too detail oriented or trying to take on too much work...which actually can be a strength.
*What is your most creative achievement at work? I’m looking for anything positive they achieved or did to make the work or environment better. Most candidates really struggle with this question; however, the good candidates will come up with something they did at work that was beneficial to their employer.

Having face time with a candidate can be invaluable in weeding out those resumes that are just too good to be true. The interview process is essential in finding a good candidate, do not skip this step. A fabulous resume can get them in the door, but the interview is how to make sure, they are, who they say they are. I have been duped before, it’s not fail proof, but it can help weed out the unqualified. And, if the unqualified is still hired, cut your losses quick ! My non-typer was provided an opportunity to find employment elsewhere on the third day.

Resolutions

Here we are again, another year gone by, and we are feeling bad we did not achieve what we wanted to in 2009. And now we resolve to do new things in 2010. One of my employee's resolution is:

Mine is not to be judgmental or talk negatively about people.....be more accepting of people and who they are, not who I think they should be. And......no more soda!

I’d like to take the credit for hiring such a wonderful staff that would have resolutions like this. What a great resolution for all staff. The working environment would be so much better if we all practiced these qualities. As managers, executives, and staff, we can resolve to create a better work environment. Here are a few more resolutions for the workplace:

-Compliment staff often on a job well done. They don’t hear it enough.
-Talk to staff individually; find out what is going on
-Clean up speech, no more redneck talk, learn new adjectives.
-For Execs and Management--Take management classes, you’d be surprised, you don’t know everything.
-Learn to deal with difficult people with tack and respect.
-Keep abreast of new HR laws and regulations… and there are some for 2010.

With the economy still in a fragile state, most of us are glad we have jobs in 2010. Making the workplace a better environment for all can only help us be more productive and successful for 2010.

Now, about the no more soda resolution….that is just a little too hard! Let’s be reasonable!