Dear Jobseeker – You’re Not Hired – crafting candidate rejections

March 4, 2010

Despite the uncomfortable pause of giving bad news when recruiters can’t help a jobseeker with an opening, it is so very vital to be clear and communicate with candidates about the status of their application.

JobsFreeForAll.com lets jobseekers see if their application has been received by an employer on the site and if/when the position has been filled. These self-service views can make it simpler to handle candidates who may never enter into the interview pool.

Nothing is more infuriating than a non-response, and in today’s socially charged world of the blogosphere and Twitter, treating candidates respectfully with dignity and timely communications can mean the difference between just letting them down easy to potential viral and irreperable damage to your corporate brand.

Follow these simple steps to provide timely communications:

1. Treat candidates with respect. Don’t allow candidates to have to wait and see.  Provide a simple message within set expectations which should be clear at the close of the interview.  “We hope to make a decision in a week.”  If you say that, then keep to it.

2. Be organized. You may have different messages based on the phase of the interviewing/screening process that a candidate entered into.  i.e. resume/application received, interviewed once, interviewed more than once, pre-employment screenings, etc.  The further along the process you may have courted a candidate should follow with the level of care and dignity you pay in the communication.

3. Consider your brand. Is the timing of your message or the tone of your letter in line with your corporate values and principles.  If you keep to the core of what your organization stands for and represent this letter as another extension of your brand, despite delivering bad news you should retain the respect of the candidate.  Avoiding negative word of mouth advertising from disgruntled candidates should be a concern, they can very easily in Web 2.0 make their experience go a long way with Facebook or Twitter updates or on sites solely dedicated to revealing corporate faux-pas like Glassdoor.

 

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Posted by HR Diva

Interview Questions You Need to Ask

February 4, 2010

1.Tell me about a time you missed a deadline or failed to complete a task assigned to you and how did you handle it?

 The ideal candidate should be able to show that they took responsibility for missing the deadline, and that they did their best to correct the situation. Avoid candidates that look to put the blame elsewhere.

2.What principles guide your conduct?

 Someone with high ethical standards will mention things like honesty, integrity, truthfulness, and professionalism. Whatever the candidate says, you need to follow-up to determine what those values mean to them. For example, if the candidate says professionalism, a great follow up question would be “what does professionalism mean to you?”

 3.Why do you want to work for this organization?

 Exceptional candidates will show that they have done some research on the company by mentioning a specific aspect of the job or company that they feel they’re most interested in. Also listen for how the candidates relate their answers to their long-term goals. This question separates candidates who are just looking for a job from those who truly want to be part of your organization.

 4.What is your worst quality?

 Asking for their worst quality will usually take the candidate by surprise, thus showing how quickly the candidate can think on their feet. Hopefully the candidate will be honest and mention an aspect of themselves that needs some work.

 5.What three accomplishments are you most proud of ?

 Most people have one go-to accomplishment that they cite in all interviews, but coming up with three can often be difficult. Being able to name three accomplishments shows consistency in their performance. If a candidate can name three accomplishments chances are they have a good track record in their past.

 6.Why should we hire you for this position?

 This question gives the candidate a chance to restate their skills and accomplishments. It will also allow the interviewer a chance to pick up on information that they might have missed while the candidate was speaking. The candidate should show their enthusiasm for the position.

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Posted by HR Diva

In the Spotlight: DFS Hawaii

July 23, 2009

DFS Hawaii began using JobsFreeForAll this past April, the second month of the site’s launch.  As part of DFS Group Limited, the world’s leading luxury retailer catering to the traveling public, DFS Hawaii currently has five new openings on JobsFreeForAll. It’s interesting to note that the company takes pride in offering their employees the opportunity for growth. The DFS Hawaii website states its most successful candidates possess the following:

Qualities

  • Passion for luxury retail
  • Results oriented and able to manage ambiguity
  • High achiever with proven leadership skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills with sensitivity and savvy in working in a multi-cultural environment
  • Ability to perform well in a cross-functional team environment
  • Ability to effectively cope with change
  • Experience at problem solving and able to handle multiple priorities
  • Excellent communication skills

Qualifications/Experience

  • Merchandising, stores operations or travel-related experience
  • Bachelor’s Degree

If it sounds like you fit the bill, visit the DFS Hawaii Profile on JobsFreeForAll.com for more specific job titles and details.

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Posted by HR Hawaii Kawaii

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