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Keep It Legal! Legal Issues in the Selection Interview

How can you ask questions in the selection interview that will keep you and your organization out of hot water? Even more important, how can you ask great questions that will really generate answers that will be a good predictor of on-the-job success? These are questions that many organizations continue to face in the light of increased workforce diversity, coupled with inexperienced, untrained interviewers. Here are some general guidelines for asking the right questions in the selection interviewing process.

The Dos and Don’ts of Discipline

One of the most frustrating situations for any manager to address is when an employee is not meeting the performance objectives of his or her job, and discipline is needed. In order for your employee to understand that you correct and redirect because you care about the employee’s success, it becomes imperative for you to consistently demonstrate positive discipline within the framework of legal compliance.

Beyond Orientation: Creating a New Employee Engagement Plan

Finally, your talent search is over. At substantial cost to your company, you ran the ad, carefully combed through resumes, prescreened and interviewed applicants, and made the hires. Now your employees are ready to work—or are they?

The Surprising Truth about Mis-Hires

Have you ever puzzled over an employee who just wasn’t working out? Maybe he or she meant well, seemed qualified, and worked hard, but things just kept not turning out right . . . and maybe your story ended up with your employee quitting, or even having to be fired. Although managers often blame retention problems on a lack of skills or qualifications, research shows that a surprising 80% of mis-hires are due to culture misfit, and not a lack of competence.

I Want to Work for That Manager!

It probably comes as no surprise that many employees dislike working for their managers. In fact, Gallup surveys of U.S. workers show that about 20% of employees are dissatisfied with their immediate supervisor. Realizing that such discontent endangers employee retention and threatens productivity, can you afford to be a toxic manager? See if you recognize yourself any of the manager types listed below, and decide if you need to make a change to become the kind of manager your employees talk about when they say, “I want to work for that manager!”

Why Interviews Fail – Managing for Retention

The best possible recruiting plans are useless if good candidates are being lost because of problems during the interviewing process. Outlined here are eleven ways interviews fail—and steps you can take to improve the selection process.

Negotiating for More in a Hungry Economy

Remember the scene from Oliver Twist where Oliver asked the master of the orphanage for more soup? The master was shocked and outraged that the boy wasn’t satisfied with just one bowl. As a currently employed person or a candidate seeking a job, you might be tempted to ask for more from your place of employment or potential employer. Here are a few pointers you’ll want to consider to help you avoid getting a similar negative response.

Wanting More

Remember the scene from Oliver Twist where the master of the orphanage was outraged when Oliver, new to the orphanage, asked for more soup? During a recession, it’s easy for hiring managers to imagine that both candidates and employees should be happy with whatever they are offered since a surplus of candidates may appear to create an employer’s market. But as an employer, you need to be aware of the potential surprises that accompany that line of reasoning, because like Oliver Twist, workers today want more!

Interview Tip: Arriving Early

So you got an interview! In your excitement, you wake up four hours early (no more lounging around in your pj’s, scouring the web for new opportunities to apply for while eating your third bowl of Lucky Charms), iron your shirt, try on three ties (or ten pairs of shoes, ladies), eat breakfast, brush your teeth twice, and stand around (no sitting–wouldn’t want to wrinkle the suit!) for twenty minutes before deciding that, with traffic, you could probably leave now and arrive at a reasonable time. Find out what is a reasonable time by reading on!

Interview Tip: Listen Up!

One of the most common mistakes that we hear about is also one of the easiest to control. Many candidates get into an interview and feel that they must talk about themselves from start to finish.

First of all, remember who’s running the show. Your interviewer will fill the silence with information about the company, questions for you, and opportunities to ask questions you may have.

Getting It Covered: Give Your Resume a Good Face

A cover letter is the first impression you make on a potential employer. Read on to find outwhat an ideal cover letter looks like.

Interview Tip: “Tell Me About Yourself!”

Most of us haven’t had the chance to sit on the “easy” side of the desk in an interview, so it’s difficult to know just what to say. When an interviewer wants me to talk about myself, should I tell him about my love of Sea World? My dyslexia? Maybe I should mention that my last boss told me I was like a modern-day Jackie O . . .