Randi Frank HR Consulting

By

Recruiting with Randi Frank

How to stand out with your recruiting efforts!!!!

Randi Frank of Randi Frank Consulting LLC speaks about how you can stand out with your recruiting efforts from focusing on the correct places to advertise, and developing a profile that highlights your specific agency and the position and what you really need for great candidates and using a questionnaire to screen the top candidates. Take a listen.

If you have any questions feel free to contact Ms. Frank at [email protected] or review her website for samples of Executive Searches conducted. Randi Frank Consulting can help you with full recruitment services, executive searches or just portions of the process.

By

Executive Search Tip 8: What type of background work is done on the finalist candidates?

Since most executive searches are conducted for high level management positions with fiscal responsibilities we will do a credit check through a certified firm with all the appropriate waivers and offers to allow the candidate to view the credit check. We also conduct a driver’s history check, criminal and civil court check and verification of their education. We conduct a google check and ask candidates about what we find.

We let candidates know that we will be doing these types of checks and ask if there is anything we need to know upfront. Many candidates let us know in advance that they have a cousin with the same name who may have some problems with a google check. Then of course we do reference checks.

As you know, some businesses have the practice that they will not provide any information other than dates of employment and title of position. We let the references know that names will not be attached to their comments but combined with the other references so there is less of a concern about liability related to references. We summarize all this information for the client in the final report with the list of the finalist candidates to be interviewed by the client.

Some clients ask that we meet with the candidates at their current position to get a better idea of the work they do and their interpersonal relations with their co-workers. We conduct these face-to-face interviews if requested and prepare a report. Depending on the candidate, we may do the following…

  • conduct tours of their workplace and watch for the reaction of their co-workers
  • conduct a two hour interview over lunch or dinner
  • meet with some of their co-workers to learn more about the candidate

In some cases the people we meet know why we are there and in others they just think we are colleagues or an outside consultant trying to learn more about their operations for our client or organization. Some clients prefer to conduct these site visits of the top candidates themselves.

Questions? Contact me today!

 

By

Orientation & Onboarding Tip 7: Provide new employees with written objectives and responsibilities for their new position.  

Even if it may seem that the job description, job objectives and responsibilities have been discussed thoroughly throughout the hiring and orientation process, it is essential to provide written objectives and job responsibilities as well as a training plan. The written document(s) will help the new employee stay on task and meet agency goals within expected time frames.

  • Give new employees a written job description so they understand their responsibilities
  • Provide them with performance goals and objectives for their division and their position, or make sure their supervisor covers this
  • Determine a training plan (e.g., compliance, supervisory, professional development), and establish a plan and timeline for training

By

Four Tips for Employment Applications

1. When should you have an application for employment?

It is always helpful to have an application on file for all employees.  However, when recruiting for professionals you may want them send you a resume first and if they are being asked to come in for an interview then you will want to have them complete an application so you have more specific information like dates of previous employment, confirmation of education degrees and that they signed that they understand misinformation is cause for dismissal, etc. For entry positions you may want to start with an application to see if people can follow instructions and if they meet the minimum qualifications.

If your organization has walk in candidates then you will want to have a application for them to complete and keep on file for future vacancies.  If you have an online process then you may have the application format as a fillable PDF with the ability to attach a Resume.

2. What should be asked on the Application?

Section 1 – Personal Information

The first section should be personal information such as: Full Name, Date, Phone numbers, email, maybe city and state since most people receive information via email or phone; are they a citizen or legally authorized to work in the U.S; position they are applying for and whether they are available part-time or full-time, etc. Sometimes this section may include Military Service Dates.

Section 2 – Education

The second section should be about education including: the name of school, major or course of study, number of years completed and if they graduated, if so what type of degree.  This should include a section for high school if entry positions, technical schools or trade schools, and undergraduate and graduate schools or space for at least two colleges.

Section 3 – Experience/Past Employment

The third section should include information for past experience and past employers. It should include the name of employer; type of employer – what they do; title of position; supervisor name and contact information (email/phone); dates of employment; reason for leaving; summary of past job description with the ability to attach resume with more details. Usually you have room for four past employers with a note to add pages as needed.

Section 4 – Special skills and Job requirements

The fourth section should be about special skills needed for the position – you can leave it open for candidates to fill in or have a list of special skills such as typing speed, driver license, certificates, trade licenses; ability to operate heavy equipment, training or knowledge in certain type of technology – hardware & software, etc.

Section 5 – References

Fifth Section can include references or you can wait till they are finalist to collect this information along with information for background and reference checks. Background checks could include: credit check, drivers license check, criminal & civil court check, drug tests and physical examination depending upon the position. It would be at this time you would collect birthdates, social security numbers and other private information after you have made a pre-offer pending background check.

Section 6 – Legal Agreement/Signature

The final section would be when you have the candidate sign their application. This is where a lot of legal items are listed which say you are agreeing to this if you sign.  Some of the legal language includes;

  • Misrepresentation of information can be cause for dismissal
  • Acceptance of employment does not create a contractual obligation of employment for any set term
  • If credit checks are done candidate has a right to get a copy per the credit report laws
  • Authorization for the employer to do background and reference checks, etc.

3. What should not be on an Application form?

Most of the items that can not be on an application form are related to discrimination or privacy such as:

  • Birth date (age discrimination)
  • Gender, Marital Status, Race, disability (Title VII discrimination or ADA-Americans with Disabilities Act)
  • Many states do not allow you to ask about criminal convictions
  • New laws are being raised about not being able to ask about past salaries
  • Graduation dates (age discrimination)

4. Should you ask essay questions on an application?

 I do not recommend this – I think it should be a separate document or requested in the advertisement to be addressed in the cover letter.  For example, for an entry level position you may wish the candidates to describe their technology knowledge or skill levels with certain software.  You can also ask them to review the job description or advertisement and address how they meet the qualifications, knowledge, skill and abilities. I use a special questionnaire on many of my recruitments to find out more details about the candidates.  This is done only if they meet the minimum qualifications and is used to reduce the list of qualified candidates.  Some questions asked are:

  • Provide an example of dealing with an irate customer
  • Provide an example of a tough decision you had to make and provide details of the situation
  • Provide an example of how your have worked cooperatively with a team
  • Describe your strengths and weaknesses as it relates to this position
  • What is your proudest accomplishment in your past positions?
  • Why are you interested in this position and how does it fit into your career goals?

By

Job Description Tip 6

6. Job descriptions help to develop equitable and competitive compensation programs according to the skills, experience and abilities needed for the positions.

The job description describes the level of skills, responsibilities, accountability, experience and education. All of these factors determine the level of the position in relation to other positions and, therefore, the level of compensation. For example, in a point-factor job evaluation system, each job is evaluated based on compensable factors to determine the relative worth of one job to another and the appropriate pay level. Compensable factors usually encompass four categories, including skills (experience, education/training, ability), responsibility (supervisory, fiscal), efforts (mental, physical) and working conditions (location, hazards, physical demand, extremes in environment). In a word, job descriptions are the basis of job evaluation and pay structure.

By

Hiring an Intern Tip #4: How do you find Interns?

Tip 4 – How do you find Interns?

You’ve decided that an intern would be ideal for your company, what now? There are several ways to find interns. One of the best places to start is your local College or University. Many higher education programs now require internships (if they don’t they should). Several Universities have someone assigned to serve as the liaison for internships. If not, you can contact the department or major that is most closely related to your business (i.e. Accounting, Master’s in Business Administration, Communication, Technology, etc.).

Many professional associations have internship programs and they make direct contact with the colleges for you. Another option is your local workforce board. Many of them have youth work study programs. These are local students that often can work year round in some capacity, which helps alleviate the need to constantly train someone new.

Many firms have set up internships that require students to submit applications with the idea that after they train the intern and provide them with specific rotations in their firm they will be placed into a full time job. Since more people are talking about internships for college students there are now companies that are specifically available to find you interns for a fee and assist you with the whole process.

As a Human Resource professional and business owner, I was contacted by a University Professor who serves as the advisor to HR students. I am now getting resumes directly from students who have been referred to me by the Professor. This helps to ensure my internship opportunities match the right intern.

Questions? Contact me today!

By

Executive Search Tip 9: What types of interviews are conducted during an executive search for finalists?

Once finalists have been chosen, the interview process begins. If there is an appointing authority or board of directors we usually have a full interview with the board/council so they can observe candidates in normal meeting settings.

Some of the other methods include the following…

  • One-on-one interviews of each candidate with each board member.
  • Candidates meet with stakeholders in private or public meetings or interviews.
  • Meet and greet types of meetings that are very casual and allow the stakeholders to meet each of the candidates in a social atmosphere.
  • Candidates meet privately with employee groups and department head groups so there is an exchange of ideas and input from various stakeholders.

In the public sector it is not uncommon for candidates to be in a public hearing of citizens who have the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates. Tours of the agency or community also allow another group of people to observe the candidates. Sometimes these types of interview formats are done with all the candidates at one time in the same room or as individual sessions. It is important to see executive leaders in various situations that are a part of their everyday life as a manager.

Questions? Contact me today!

By

Orientation & Onboarding Tip 8: Always follow up with new employees.

Stay in touch – ongoing communication will help you to ensure that the employee is succeeding and has all the tools they need for continued success. The better the on-boarding process and follow-up, the more likely you will avoid employee turnover.

  • Make sure new employees feels comfortable with their new job. Always have open channels for their feedback and be ready to assist them.
  • Identify the employee’s strengths and determine what knowledge, skills, abilities and assignments that will complement or enhance them.
  • Identify areas and provide them with the tools or training that the employee needs to grow and improve to achieve job competencies
  • Schedule and hold a six-month performance appraisal meeting.

By

Job Description Tip 7

7. Job descriptions should be accurate and legally compliant to provide legal defense against discrimination.

State and federal laws prohibit employment discrimination. Some laws that all employers should consider when writing job descriptions include:

• Fair Labor Standards Act – Job descriptions should indicate whether the position is non-exempt or exempt; in other words, subject to overtime or not subject to overtime, respectively.

• Americans with Disabilities Act – Job descriptions should only include physical restrictions that are essential functions of that position. For example, one cannot ask a secretary to lift more than 50 pounds just because there may be a file box that is more than 50 pounds. Lifting heavy items is not an essential function for the secretary, and should instead be part of the custodian’s position.

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Job descriptions should not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability (including pregnancy), genetic information and citizenship status. For example, a job description should not indicate that only a male or female can fill the position.

• Age Discrimination in Employment Act – Job descriptions should not indicate an age limitation on the position. Anyone who can meet the essential functions of the job should be eligible for the position.

By

Hiring an Intern Tip #5: Do you have to pay Interns?

Tip 5 – Do you have to pay Interns?

Now that you have a project in mind, the next question is… Do I have to pay my intern? It’s pretty easy to make this determination by looking at the scope of the internship.

  1. If the intern is doing work that you would have done yourself or had another employee handle then you need to treat them like a paid intern. You must pay them minimum wage or higher. The term intern indicates it is a temporary position and they are not considered an employee. But they could become an employee if they work full time and for more than 6 months then you may be crossing the line between intern and employee.
  1. If the internship is part of a college/university course then you may not have to pay them. Since it is part of their class requirements it will be used as a learning experience. These types of internships usually require the student to keep a journal of their work and require you as the supervisor to prepare reports and evaluations about the students’ performance. If you can prove that the internship is fully a learning experience and not replacing an employee or not performing work that would be done by an employee if you did not have an intern then you may not have to pay them. However, in this case I would recommend that you consult with a labor attorney so you do not get fined by the Department of Labor.

Overall, be fair. If the intern is learning a great deal, getting credit and only putting in a couple hours a week, then an unpaid internship may be okay. However, if the work they are doing contributes to the success of the company and they are putting in a lot of hours, the intern really should be compensated.

Questions? Contact me today!

By

Executive Search Tip 10: What are the final steps and is there any follow up to the process?

This is another step in the Executive Search process that needs to be defined prior to choosing a firm as it can vary. With our firm, once the client or appointing authority has made a selection of a candidate, we as the Executive Search firm serve as the liaison between the candidate and the client to assist them with negotiating a contract or terms of employment. Details discussed include salary and benefits, starting date, etc. Of course it sometimes happens that the selected candidate declines the position or has received another offer that they accepted. In these cases, we need to know if the appointing authority is comfortable with candidate number two.

We continue to keep all parties informed at the end of the process and offer to assist with any concerns during the first year of employment. We will conduct another search if the candidate selected through our efforts leaves before a full year of service for no additional fee, just expenses. We also offer the services of goal setting with the new candidate and the appointing authority to establish performance measurements for the first year of employment. For more information on goal setting tips or anything else mentioned in this series of posts, please Contact Us.

 

By

Job Descriptions Tip 8

8. Job descriptions should be kept up to date to ensure they reflect any substantive changes in the key duties.

If the job description is not kept up to date, then when it is time to recruit for a new employee, job advertisements will not reflect the organization’s actual requirements. It is important to update the job description while there is an employee—and a supervisor—available to verify the new responsibilities. If there is a vacancy, this is a good time to update or rewrite the current job description so it aligns with any new goals and objectives of the firm.

For example, the employer may have decided that the position is more technologically oriented and they hire a person who already has that skillset. The job description will need to be updated to accommodate this required skill.

Member – Louisville Independent Business Alliance

member of Louisville Independent Business Alliance

Follow Us