Selecting the Right Candidate

How can I screen job

applications effectively?
When you post a job advert you’re hoping to find the perfect
candidate that matches your exact requirements. Whether
you get a response of 20 or 20,000 CV’s you need to know
how to effectively evaluate every application.
Determining your criteria
It’s important to highlight the key things that you should be looking
for so you can quickly evaluate all applications on a level playing
field.

If you've created an effective job description you should have the

basis for the criteria which you will mark all candidates against.
These can usually be split into three sections:

• Technical - Does the candidate have the necessary education

in order to succeed in the role or do they have certificates
relating to relevant computer software?

• Experience - Have they worked in a similar industry before or

have they shown a history of success when managing similar
budgets?

• Personal - Have they displayed examples of when they have

used their communication skills or their creativity in a business
scenario?
 hiring.monster.co.uk

Once you have a good idea of what you're looking for, take a quick
scan through each CV and discard any that clearly aren't going to
cut the mustard.

The more applications you have received, the more ruthless you can
afford to be.

Developing a screening chart

Create a grid in order to see how each candidate measures up to
the criteria. Either electronically or using good old pen and paper,
put the names across the top, the criteria down the side and then go
through each CV putting a score out of 5 by each.

For example, if your role requires a candidate to have a degree in

History, you may use the following scores:

1. No degree or a degree in a unrelated subject

2. Degree in a related subject or a 3rd in History
3. 2:2 or 2:1 in History
4. 1st in History
5. History Masters Degree

Adding up the scores can give you a good idea, which candidate
best meets your needs.

Depending on time and resources you can get as complex as you

want with the scoring or even bring someone from an internal
department to have a look at the CV’s (to avoid any pre-conceived
bias)

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Selecting the Right Candidate

How can I attract

international candidates?
The Internet revolution means you now have access to a
much wider reach than just the candidates who read your
local paper.
Coupled with the single market agreement across the EU, gives you
access to an unprecedented number of quality candidates who
could help your business grow. The purpose of this article is to
provide tips on enabling you to market yourself to an overseas
audience.

The 5 C's are a good starting point:

• Country - Know why your country is an attractive proposition

to international candidates. Does it offer a good standard of
living? Are the interest and currency exchange rates
favourable?

• Culture - Understand your own cultural stereotypes and that of

your target group. Will it be an easy transition for them? Is
there already a community of people from their country? Are
there facilities to allow them to practice religion beliefs?

• Company - As people from overseas are often less likely to

have heard of your company, you will need to provide a bit
more information about the history of the business and the
products and services you offer.
 hiring.monster.co.uk

• Careers - Sell the benefits of the career path they will be

taking. Is it a quick rise to the top? Are there a lot of training
and development opportunities?

• Colleagues - Let people know what kind of working

environment they will be coming to, and show examples of
others who may have done the same. Portray your business
as one that embraces newcomers.

Once you've identified your key targets, you'll need to find ways to
get your vacancies in front of them. Take a look at local websites to
determine the best and most cost effective places to advertise.

Evaluating candidates
Higher number of responses can be made manageable by hiring
local temps. It may also be a good idea to offer to pay for any long
distance travel expenses candidates may embark on. In the long run
this will make for a much better cost per hire.

Once your successful candidate has been selected, it's important to

make sure their transition is a smooth one. Do what you can to help
with visas, work permits, accommodation, bank accounts and
arrangements for their family.

Assigning a local “buddy” can also help ease the shift. Once hired
promote your international candidate in order to hire other talented
individuals from the same areas.

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Selecting the Right Candidate

What characteristics
identify a job hopper?
If you’re discarding candidates just because they have
switched jobs too many times, you could be missing great
talent.
There are three typical categories of job hoppers that you should
look to identify when screening candidates.

Essential hoppers
These hoppers are set apart from others because the majority of
their moves would have been out of their control.

The candidate should be able to easily explain each move and often
you will spot patterns that fit in with wider economic trends. Some
people are destined to hop by necessity. Those who are involved (or
have partners that are involved) in roles or industries that will
necessitate change, such as:

• Time related roles - Olympics, event management

• Project related roles - Construction, software installation
• Mobile roles - Oil engineers, training consultants

Regardless of the time a candidate has been in a role, they should

be able to explain what they have achieved. If they're able to make a
bigger impact in 6 months than some people do in 36 months, then
they will surely be an asset to your business.
 hiring.monster.co.uk

Opportunity hoppers
There are people who opt to change careers regularly and are
unlikely to cause much disruption to your business. This is regularly
done at the start of people’s careers, usually because they have not
yet decided in which direction they want to take their career.

These candidates can provide a worthy addition to your workforce,

presuming they are able to show logic and progression in each
move.

Difficult hoppers
Occasionally ‘difficult hoppers' will have moved on for valid reasons,
but their CVs will show a pattern that the candidate finds it difficult to
adapt to the work environment. They will have difficulty in explaining
success in interviews and will have stories about bad managers, bad
colleagues and generally bad experiences.

Remember the following when assessing hopper behaviour.

• Do not discard people without knowing the facts

• Give the candidate a chance to explain each move
• Look for successes rather than date ranges

As well as the questions you ask at an interview, make sure you

probe candidate's references a bit deeper if you're worried about
their job hopping past.

A glowing report from five recent employers could tell you a lot more
than an average recommendation for someone who had been in
their job for five years.

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Selecting the Right Candidate

What should a job

interview consist of?
This is your chance to get to know your candidates and
discover which will be right for your business.
After assessing job applications, the next step on the road to hiring
is the job interview. This is your chance to get to k now your
candidates and discover which will be right for your business.

There is no right and wrong way to conduct interviews and every

role will require a different technique. However, there are certain
stages that every interview should go through to ensure an effective
evaluation of candidates.

Who takes part in the interview again depends on the type of role
that candidates are going for. A representative from the HR team
should always be there as well as the manager of the department
that is hiring. You may also wish to bring in a current employee who
is doing a similar job as they will be in a very good position to work
out if the candidate is capable of doing the job.

Conducting the interview

Whatever type of interview you choose, you need to prepare
effectively. Allow at least half an hour in between interviews in case
one over runs. Setting up a schedule can be helpful.

Try and be as flexible as you can with candidates and provide a

quiet environment for the process to take place in.
 hiring.monster.co.uk

When your candidate arrives, look to roughly follow this process:

• Welcome the candidate, offer them a drink and put them at

ease with some casual conversation.

• Introduce yourself and briefly explain the interview process

• Talk through an overview of your business and the role.

• Ask them to take you through their CV.

• Ask open-ended questions so that the candidate has the

opportunity to express themselves.

• Try to cover important questions in the beginning to avoid less

detailed answers due to time restrictions.

• Ask the candidate if they have any questions.

• Inform them of the next stage in the recruitment process, e.g.

second interviews and estimated timescales.

• Walk the candidate to the exit, thanking them for their time.

• Write up any notes you have taken as soon as possible. It's

easy to forget which candidate said what.

A job interview is as much for the candidate to find out if they would
like to work for you as it is for you to see if you would like them to
join your team. Always talk about the positive aspects of your
business.

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Selecting the Right Candidate

What questions should I

ask candidates?
All managers have their favourite questions to ask
candidates, from the banal to the bizarre. But what do the
answers to these questions actually tell you about the
interviewee.
Interview questions can generally be grouped into the following;

Standard questions
These are commonplace at job interviews and your candidates will
probably have some pre-prepared answers. They still provide an
effective way of evaluating candidates against each other. For
example:

• “What attracted you to this role?” - This will tell you how
much research they have done into the role and company.

• “What are your main motivations?” - Are they looking to

develop their skills with your company or do they feel
passionate about the industry you operate in?

• “What are your main strengths and weaknesses?” - Worth

finding out what candidates think make them stand out and
also how they plan to overcome their limitations.
 hiring.monster.co.uk

Investigative questions
As well as technical questions about the role, you will want to find
out a bit more about the type of worker they are:

• “What management styles do you work best under?” -

Does this match the type of management that they could
expect to experience if they got the job?

• “What type of people do you like to work with?” - This will

help you find out if they will fit into your existing team structure.

• “What has been the biggest challenge in your career?” -

Finding out how they turned a situation around can tell you a
lot about an individual. It also lets you assess what they
perceive to be a ‘challenge'.

Bad questions
A bad interview question can not only take your interview wildly off
course, but it may also put you in a negative light:

• “Tell me about yourself” - By not providing a starting point,

the response might not tell you what you were hoping for. Try
asking “Can you describe why you have chosen this career
path?”

• “Where do you want to be in five years?” - The truthful

answer would be on a beach in Hawaii. Instead, ask “Which of
your skills do you hope to develop over the next few years”

• “What can you do for us that others can't?” - Candidates

will be unlikely to know about the strengths and weaknesses of
their competitors.

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Selecting the Right Candidate

What is the process of

making a job offer?
You’ve found the right candidate for your business and now
you’re ready to offer them the opportunity to take the job.
Whilst it's great to be the purveyor of good news, it's important that
you follow the correct procedure in order to close the deal

Letting the candidate know

Initial offers made over the telephone can help display company
enthusiasm and discuss the terms of employment to see whether or
not it’s an acceptable offer for the candidate.

Be prepared to go through a couple of rounds of negotiation before

you reach a salary agreement.

Let them know you will be sending out an offer letter by post (not a
contract of employment). This letter should set out the main terms
and conditions of the job and include:

• their name
• the job title
• the date employment starts (and ends if it's a temporary role)
• the length of the probation period (if applicable)
• any conditions the offer is subject to
• any action required by the candidate (such as forwarding
details of their work permit)
 hiring.monster.co.uk

Checking up
It's always necessary to put candidates through a number of checks
in order to verify they are suitable to join your company.

• References - You should look to contact at least two previous

employers of the individual to determine that they did actually
hold the job with the company for the time period claimed.

• Medical examination - This can be used to check for general

health or to trace any illegal substances that are within the
candidate's system. If used, medical exams must be
conducted on all candidates, not just certain individuals.

• Criminal record - A disclosure can be obtained from the

Criminal Records Bureau and should always be considered
when the job will involve dealing with vulnerable individuals,
children or valuable items.

• Work permits - Making sure all your employees are eligible to

work in the UK is your responsibility and there are heavy fines
for companies who employ illegal workers.

Letting the other candidates know

As great as it is to let someone know they have got a new job,
you've also got to break the bad news to the unsuccessful
candidates.

If you genuinely believe there may be an opportunity in the future for

some of the candidates to apply for an alternative role with your
company, ask if they will allow you to retain their details. It could
save you a lot of time and effort in the future, or if you’re newly hired
employee doesn't perform as well as expected.

‘Needle in a Haystack’ eBooks

Finding the perfect employee is never easy, but if you use
the right tactics, pulling the needle from the haystack needn’t
be an impossible task. Our series of eBooks brings together
expert advice to help you improve your hiring processes.

For more useful tools and tips, visit hiring.monster.co.uk