Vol. 1 No. 3 - august 2009
Linking Human Resources to Your Business
Tips to Improve your Interview Process
Looking to hire great people? The interview is your golden • Avoid the following :
opportunity to evaluate the candidate for the position and allows
the candidate to learn more about the job and helps him decide o Asking leading questions or questions that can be
whether the company is a good fit. answered by yes or no
Unfortunately, the interview is often not taken seriously enough or o Not taking any notes
is not done in a professional manner which can hinder your ability
o Talking too much about oneself
to make the right decision or can leave a negative impression on
potential candidates. o Asking questions that are irrelevant to the position
Here are some tips to get the most out of your interviews: o Favoring candidates that remind you of yourself
1. Be prepared.
o Asking questions that can be perceived as being
• Schedule sufficient time to ask all of your questions. discriminatory (i.e. whether they have a family, what
• Review the job posting so that the job requirements and country they come from, etc.)
responsibilities are fresh in your mind.
• Describe the position and your expectations clearly and honestly
• Review the candidate’s CV before the meeting. so the candidate is able to properly determine whether this is a
• Prepare a list of questions that you will ask each candidate to suitable position for him. Allow them to ask questions.
make sure you are collecting comparable information. • Explain the next steps in the recruitment process.
• Ask a second person to attend, if possible. It’s always good to
get a second opinion. • Call the candidates back, even if they’re not selected.
• Ensure you have a private area to conduct the interview and Even in a tight economy, the best candidates still have many job
there are no interruptions or distractions. opportunities and receive multiple employment offers. Remember
to put your best foot forward - you want the candidates to leave
2. Conduct a professional interview.
your office hoping they have the job and telling family and friends
• Put the candidate at ease - one tends to get the most honest about the positive experience they had visiting your company.
responses when the candidate feels comfortable.
Of course the interview is only one of many recruitment tools that
• Do not be afraid to ask for more details. can help you hire the right candidate for the right job so you should
• Ask questions that describe past behaviors to find out what a never solely base your hiring decision on the interview. Hold the
candidate has done, or how they have reacted. For example, interview in combination with reference checks, skills tests, criminal
ask them to describe how they dealt with an angry customer or checks, etc. This will greatly increase the chance that your effort
a situation where they demonstrated initiative. will result in a long-term employment relationship.
Has Summer Casual Gone Belly Up?
The heat and sunshine finally makes Montreal start to feel like a tropical island. Our minds quickly push aside the memories of rain and
clouds. Our brain’s capability becomes limited to deciding on white wine or rosé with supper?
For many, another section of the brain also seems to go on vacation – the one that determines what clothing is appropriate for the
office!
Many offices tend to relax the dress code during the hot summer months. However being more permissive can lead to mixed results.
For some, determining what is suitable comes naturally. For others, the outcome can be… well, quite scary.
Here are some simple guidelines to consider (pass this on to your staff!):
• If you are unsure whether something is suitable for the office, it probably isn’t.
• Imagine if your top client popped in for a surprise visit. Would you be embarrassed by your appearance?
• Showing lots of skin is not appropriate for the office.
• Want to show off your tattoo? Great, if you’re working in a tattoo parlor.
• Reserve your flip-flops for beach vacations.
• If your dress code permits jeans and shorts, great. However keep in mind that these should still be clean, in good condition and
work-appropriate.
Remember that people do judge on appearances. The clothes that you wear to work should not only be appropriate for the position that
you currently hold but should reflect where you see yourself in the future. Even in the summer.
1
4 reasons why your employees are leaving
An aging population, shifting loyalties, and global competition 4. Insufficient recognition and appreciation
are some of the current trends causing turnover; however, these
Ensure that feedback is frequent and accurate and that key
factors are beyond an employer’s control! Here are 4 reasons why
behaviors are noted on the employees’ evaluation forms. Thank
your employees are leaving that you can control:
or reward your employees for their efforts verbally or in writing.
1. The employee’s manager Recognizing their achievement in public can also be very rewarding.
The number one reason why people leave their job is disharmony Next time someone resigns, ask yourself:
with their manager. Coach and support your managers on how
to better manage their team. Teach them to be equitable and to • Are we losing a key employee?
make effective and consistent decisions. Involve them in changes • Are most departures from the same department?
affecting their team and hold them accountable. Make sure you are
accessible to them for advice and follow-up with them regularly. • Are they leaving to work for the competition?
2. Little or no opportunity for career advancement • Is there something we could have done differently that would
have led them to stay?
Employees want to know that you take their career progression to
heart. Be aware of your employees’ career objectives and try to find Conducting exit interviews are a great way to get the answers to
ways to enable them to meet those objectives, whether through these questions.
upwards or lateral moves. Offer career planning and implement Make a list of things you could be doing differently - whether it is
succession strategies. Provide on-going training and development building stronger relationships between managers and their team,
opportunities. Assign a mentor to your high-potential employees. encouraging professional development, stimulating employees
3. A lack of interest or challenge in day to day work to meet objectives or recognizing and appreciating employee
contributions.
Recruit the right person for the right job. Job descriptions must
be accurate and clearly communicated to selected candidates so Once your retention strategies are in place, the level of employee
that their expectations are met. Involve your employees in areas loyalty will increase and your turnover rate will decrease. Benefits
outside of their regular tasks, such as planning, new purchases, of reduced turnover include stronger client relationships, amplified
policy changes, and any other projects. Encourage employees to team cohesiveness, greater ease at attracting candidates,
be innovative and creative. Also, assign new objectives and follow- diminished costs associated to training and recruitment. And the
up on their progress. company will have an impressive reputation!
Calculate your turnover rate today!
Total Turnover = # of departures in a given year X 100
average number of employees in that same year
You can also do separate calculations for your turnover of voluntary and involuntary departures.
Watch for improvements year to year !
Want to improve retention? Fuller Landau can help!
Our Human Resources Consulting Team can help you uncover what can help reduce turnover in your company!
• Retention interviews – non-biased interviewing of several employees to see what they like about the company and where they feel
the company could improve
• Employee satisfaction surveys – anonymously surveying your employees about different aspects of the company (management,
compensation and benefits, internal services, etc.)
• Focus groups – creating a discussion group consisting of employees from different departments and levels and asking questions that
allow for a sharing of opinions about the facets of the company
• 360° evaluations – having multiple evaluators, including the employee himself/herself, superiors, subordinates and colleagues appraise
the employee’s performance and behaviors
Please do not hesitate to call Fuller Landau LLP’s Human Resources Consulting Service with any additional questions or for further details.
Micheline Maillet, CHRP Juliana D’Orso, CHRP
T : 514 908 4772 T : 514 875 2865 x.301
mmaillet@flmontreal.com jdorso@flmontreal.com
Please note that the information provided in this bulletin consists of general guidelines and that there are many exceptions and special cases that could apply.
LLP
Place du Canada, 1010, De La Gauchetière Street West, Visit our Website : www.flmontreal.com
Suite 200, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3B 2N2 Member of : www.leadingedgealliance.com
T 514 875 2865
F 514 866 0247
2