Category: Hiring

In a previous ASK HR post, I addressed the question of fully completing the employment application. A recent article in Wall Street Journal discussed eight blunders made by job seekers. The list included:
1. Entitlement syndrome- asking for things such as free lunch at the conclusion of the interview
2. Behaving rudely- examples included bringing a child to the interview or opening a sandwich during the interview
3. Acting arrogantly-accepting a call during the interview
4. Lies, lies, lies- a candidate falsely claimed a referral from a company employee
5. Dressing down- wearing jeans or attire that doesn’t fit to an interview
6. Over sharing- sharing personal information
7. Saying thanks with gifts- sending gifts instead of a simple note to thank the interviewer
8. Sporting a mom-and-dad complex- having mom or dad contact the interviewer

For those you who recruit regularly, you are can probably relate to this list and can most likely share your own horror stories of things candidates have done in the interview process. My list of recruiting blunders seems to be a little more common than the WSJ list, but still equally as damaging and many applicants seem to be oblivious to the fact that they ruin their chances of being hired.

1. Sending in a resume with the changes marked (track changes function in word still showing)
2. Not completing the application
3. Submitting an application full of grammatical, spelling or typographical errors
4. Not following the application directions
5. Lies or fabrications on the resume or application (although these will be found in the background checks, many candidates seem to forget their own lies and admit the falsehoods in the interview or show the inconsistencies between the resume and the application)
6. Arriving late to the interview without an explanation or apology
7. Knowing absolutely nothing about the company or the position

Recruiters, what is on your list of blunders?

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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The changes in the job market over the past few years have certainly impacted job seekers in a way that many of us have not seen before. For the first time in history, there are four generations of workers in the job market with each generation facing a unique challenge. Whether you are a recent college grad looking for your first opportunity or a victim of downsizing looking for your next career, the job search can be a very frustrating experience.
A question I often get from jobseekers is, “Why do I have to spend hours completing an online application if I already sent over my resume?”
The simplest answer to this question is this, “Because they asked you to.”
Honestly, it is really that simple. Every step of the application process is a screening tool for the recruiting team. The online and/or paper application should be completed in its entirety using the same care that is used on the resume. Proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar are essential elements in all communication with a potential employer (including setting up your profile on their online system). Additionally, follow all directions provided exactly and pay attention to the details of the instructions. Many online applications are programmed to screen out applicants based on your answers to key questions or whether or not the application is complete before a recruiter even gets to review the application. Even when the initial screening is done by the recruiter, incomplete applications (in most cases) will be screened out of the process immediately and all those qualifications you have for the job will never be seen by the hiring manager.
A question I often get from recruiters is, “Why can’t applicants just follow directions?”
My advice to recruiters is also very simple. Give the applicant all the information they need to be successful in the ad and on the application. If you don’t want phone calls, explain how applicants can determine the status of posted jobs. If you have already screened the resume and know that the applicant doesn’t meet the minimum criteria, generate a quick email thanking them for applying and letting them know you are pursing candidates that better meet the qualifications. Communicate how your hiring process works and what applicants can expect going forward. As a recruiter, you are most likely the first impression a candidate will have of the company. That comes with a great deal of marketing responsibility. If you understand that, then for you, the answer to the question is also very simple.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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A thorough examination of the topic of Human Resources (HR) would include multiple topics. Within those, one would find recruiting. Recruiting is an important topic to everyone in an organization, as the consequences of a bad hire can have a wide organizational effect. In an effort to mitigate the risk of a bad hiring decision, companies can use multiple tools in their hiring strategy. One of those, background screening, can help identify if your candidate is included in the 56% of applicants that provide false information on their resume. Background screening will also help protect your company from multiple risks including negligent hiring, theft, and workplace violence. But are all background screens created equal?

During the past two years, I have developed a much stronger understanding of this tool. Below is a list of the top three things I wish I understood about background screening before I worked for the industry leading provider of this service.

1. Not all criminal background checks are created equal. There is no one source for criminal information that will provide you with every record available. However, there are certainly ways to ensure that you are getting the most accurate, up to date and thorough information available. Jason Morris, President and Chief Operations Officer of EmployeeScreenIQ, identifies the following short cuts in his white paper, Best Practices in Employment Screening: using national or statewide searches in lieu of county research, or checking only the current county of residence. These types of searches may save you a few dollars on your background screen; however, the price of not running the more thorough search could be higher than all your other recruiting expenses combined. According to Morris, “an effective criminal program should always include physical research in each county in which the subject has lived, worked, or gone to school over the past seven to ten years.”

2. Fifty-Six percent of applicants falsify information on their application or resume. While most experienced recruiters understand that applicants may inflate their resume, EmployeeScreenIQ finds discrepancies in resumes on important hiring factors. Those include dates of employment, education, experience, salary, and criminal history.

3. There is an increase in the use of diploma mills. Nick Fishman of EmployeeScreenIQ defines a diploma mill as “an organization that sells academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by legitimate educational accrediting bodies. The buyer can then claim to hold the purchased degree and the organization makes a profit. Many of these fraudulent organizations claim accreditation by fake or unaccredited licensing bodies, creating another layer of supposed authenticity.” The number of these organizations has increased in recent years. Perhaps due to the increase in unemployment. Regardless of the reason, hiring someone with fake credentials can be very costly.

To learn more about any of these topics, visit the EmployeeScreenIQ University at http://university.employeescreen.com

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is currently employed as the Human Resource Manager at EmployeeScreenIQ, a global leader in pre-employment background screening.