Employee Involvement in the Employee Selection Process

Employee Involvement in the Employee Selection ProcessEmployee Involvement in the Employee Selection ProcessYur employee selection process is a critical component of your business success. If yours is a company that values people as your most important asset, the asset that sets you fremd from your competitors, your selection process is vital. Your selection process must be legal, ethical, transparent, documented, and involve current employees significantly. In a selection process with these attributes, resume review, serious attention to cover letters, and job application review are more important than ever. So are phone screens to eliminate less qualified or unqualified candidates. I dont know about in your company, but in mine, we interview with an employee selection team. Consequently, employee time invested in each candidate who comes in for an interview is costly. In our selection process, the involved employees spend additional time outside of the actual interview, comparing c andidates and providing menschenwrdig Resources employees with feedback and input. Their input about which candidates to invite back for a second interview, that will involve even more people and staff time, are heeded. In our selection process, in addition to asking employees to work on selection teams, we train them in legal and effective interviewing. Finally, we involve employees in the final employee selection. As you can see, all told, candidate selection is costly in terms of employee time and energy. So, the decision about who to bring into our selection process for an interview is the key step in employee selection. Why Involve Employees in the Employee Selection Process? Are you shaking your head and wondering why we would commit this kind of time to our employee selection process? If so, my response is simple. We want to create a company that has transparent communication, in which employees know what is going on and have animpact on decisions that affect their jobs. Is anything more important to an employee than the selection process that hires the employees with whom he or she will work every day? The employees with whom they will develop friendships, spend timeand sit with each day at work... I doubt it. When we bring a new employee into the organization, their fit with and potential collaboration with their colleagues, is critical. So is employee ownership of the decision to hire the new employee. If an employee is part of the selection process that picks their new colleague, they are committed to making that coworker succeed. After all, they wouldnt want to be wrong, would they? Trust your employees instincts about the potential cultural fit of a new person, too. They will work most closely with the new employee and their gut reaction to the fit of the potential employee is noteworthy. For example, in a recent employee selection decision, we had two equally qualified candidates who had been culled from several hundred applicants. At the can didate debriefing meeting, after the second interview, a number of employees stated that they had received a negative vibe from one of the candidates. These centered on cultural fit issues that might make herbei fail as an employee. Apparently, during her interviews, the candidate radiated a 9-5 mentality which will not work in a company that does whatever is necessary to delight customers. The employees also picked up on a sense of arrogance, that her opinion welches the opinion that mattered despite the input of other employees. This attitude wont work in a company that emphasizes employee involvement. Not always successfully, but we strive to encourage meaningful conflict over ideas and decisions. We discourage consensus decision making that might lead to groupthink. Our companys success rides and falls on employees who are willing to think big, stick their necks out, advocate for their ideas, make thoughtful mistakes, work hard, and embrace accountability. (Hey, did I just descr ibe the perfect employee?) The employees said this candidate did not fit the bill and so, she was not hired. Did the selection committee make the right decision? We will never know for sure. The employee who was selected, however, is doing a great job. But, the candidate bypassed is like the road not taken. We will never know, and I dont know how to measure, the cost of lost opportunity when our selection process fails to choose a particular candidate. All you have to go on is the best judgment of your employees in the selection process. Why waste your most important resource?

How to Handle Job Interview Stress

How to Handle Job Interview StressHow to Handle Job Interview StressAre you looking for a job and stressed over interviewing? Youre not alone. Job interviews can be tough, even if you have gone on a lot of them. The high level of anxiety around interviewing can make life difficult, andeven sabotage your chances of landing a job. Some anxiety around interviews is modell and can sharpen your focus as a candidate. On the other hand, if youre stressed, youre not going to interview well. The key to interview success is to keep anxiety under control, so the level of stress is manageable. Here are some tips for managingpre-interview and during the job interview jitters, so you more easily handle the process, avoid stress, and ace your interviews. Prepare Thorough preparation can go a long way toward easing interview stress. Identify your most relevant skills, and be ready to share examples or anecdotes showing how you applied those strengths to work, volunteer, academic or co-curricular roles, and how you have generated some positive results. Here are tips on how to prepare for a job interview. If you are interviewing out of town or in another state, there are some more steps you can take to prepare for a successful interview. If youre an introvert, interviews can be really stressful. Review these interview tips for introverts to help you get ready. Research Research your target company thoroughly, and be prepared to share why the employer and job in focus match your interests. Heres how to research a company. Practice The adage practice makes perfect applies to interviews. The more familiar interviewing feels to you, the less anxiety you will feel about the process. Meet with advisers, mentors, and friends for mock or practice interviews. Conduct as many informational interviews as possible with alumni or personal contacts to gain confidence in sharing information about your background. Search Vigorously Conduct a vigorous job search to generate as ma ny interviews as possible. The stress associated with anyone interview will likely be lower if you have many other irons in the fire. Heres more on how to job search effectively. Try to Avoid Negative Thinking Stress around interviews is often influenced by our assumptions or the statements we make to ourselves about the process. Identifying and countering anxiety-provoking thoughts can help to lower levels of anxiety.Some of the negative thoughts that can up your anxiety level include I have to land this job, or I will be hopelessly unemployed. Counter this thinking with statements emphasizing that no one interview will determine your work future. There will be other options and other chances to land a good job. I just messed up that answer, Im toast, and Ill never be hired here. One poor answer normally does not knock a candidate out of consideration. An interview is like a test, getting an 85 or 90 might be good enough to land the job. Im afraid that they will ask me a ques tion which stumps me and Ill look foolish. If you are well prepared, you will normally be able to share some answer which reflects positively on your strengths. If you are truly stumped, then say something like Thats a great question, can I give that some additional consideration and get back to you? You might even supply the answer in question as part of your follow up communication. Theres no way Im qualified for this job. Mentally review your qualificationsrepeatedly prior to the interview to convince yourself that you have the right stuff. Focus on Success Many athletic and job coaches believe that visualizing images of success can improve performance and alleviate anxiety. Try frequently imagining positive interactions with your interviewer, particularly in the hours immediately before your interview. Counselors recommend relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation or breathing exercises as a way to manage anxiety. There are other strategies you can use to handle job search stress, as well. If your anxiety around interviewing is excessive, then you might consider engaging a psychologist in identifying the underlying issues and helping you to develop effective coping strategies. One other point to remember is that if you dont get this job, there will be another one. It just wasnt meant to me. Consider it a learning experience and move forward to the next opportunity.

Is a Career in Corporate Finance for You

Is a Career in Corporate Finance for You Is a Career in Corporate Finance for You Corporate finance professionals are primarily tasked with managing an organizations money. They give advice regarding project costs, analyze company revenues and expenses, make investments and structure deals that will promote a companys growth. They also identify ways to increase a companys profitability, reduce expenditures and free up capital. Anytime a company wishes to make a major expenditure, it usually has to be approved by its corporate finance department, and approval is granted only after a thorough review of the companies finances to make sure it can afford the expenditure.The size, industry, complexity and stage of the company (i.e., established or new company) determines the specific responsibilities of a financial or accounting professional. While all companies need to maintain balanced books, some companies need financial professionals experienced with valuating potential acquisitions, while other companies want investment experts.A corporate finance career is also ideal for the financial enthusiasts who voraciously read financial publications and periodicals and for whom watching the stock market is a favorite hobby. You must possess a strong interest and understanding of the industry. You have to stay on top of ever-changing marking conditions, financial trends and economic forecasts. You have to be able to identify external factors that could positively or negatively impact a companys profitability.You will probably have to become certified as a MBA, CPA or CFA depending on the type of job youre interested in. If there are opportunities within your company, and your company offers tuition reimbursement, you could look into going back to school to get certified. If there are not opportunities within your company, start looking outside the company for a position that will expose you to the type of finance or accounting experience you wish to gain.A few of the pe rks of working in corporate finance are that you get the chance to develop good teamwork skills, since finance professionals generally work in teams. You also get to travel and meet people, and the pay is pretty good. A financial analyst can make $44,000 to $72,000 a year. A controller can earn $110,000 to $237,000 a year. A treasurer can earn $133,000 to $208,000.