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Notes on 45 Effective Ways for Hiring Smart!

(How to Predict Winners and Losers in the Incredibly Expensive People) by Dr. Mornell Pierre, et al

1. Pre-Interview Strategies
   1. Make Phone Contact with the Candidate
   2. Ask for a Letter and Resume
   3. Give an Assignment Before the Interview
      1. visit store, plant, campus, office, or web page and ask for observations
   4. Walk Around the Office When the Candidate Arrives
      1. to lower anxieties
      2. observe behavior
      3. does the candidate asks questions?
   5. Read Resumes in Teams If Possible
      1. 3-5 people
   6. Cast the Widest Net Possible
      1. inform friends, colleagues, consultants, professional associates, board members, ex-employees, family members, search firms, trade groups, previous candidates who went elsewhere of opening
   7. Use Caution Around Any Big Changes
      1. use caution with candidates from significantly different environments (corporate to small business, structured to entrepreneurial, etc)
   8. Rethink the Position Before the Interview
   9. Use Pre-Interview Tips in Combinations
   10. Conduct a Brief Pre-Interview Interview
2. Strategies During the Interview
   1. Trust Your Instincts-Chemistry Is Crucial
   2. Look for the Passionate Candidate
   3. Ask All Your Questions at Once
   4. Have Fun During the Interview
      1. ask "Columbo-type" questions; Are you lucky?; Are you curious?
   5. Assign a Mini-Project to Finalists
   6. Seek Closure by Announcing the Five-Minute Warning
   7. the look for important statements preceeded by "Oh, one more thing. . ." or "I almost forgot. . ."
   8. Watch for Inappropriate Behavior
   9. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
   10. Pick a Subject Where You Are the Expert
   11. Take Notes During the Interview
       1. line down the middle, notes on what canidate says on one side, your thoughts on the other side
   12. Interview in Teams for Top Candidates
   13. Ask for a Legal Release
   14. Throw a Few Curveballs at the End of the Interview
       1. for instance, walk to candidate to their car
3. Strategies After the Interview
   1. Ask for a Return Call from the Candidate
   2. Assign a Take-Home Project
      1. give a current project you're evaluating and ask for an analysis
   3. Travel with Finalists for Executive Positions
   4. Meet the Spouse or Significant Other
   5. Put Potential Problems on the Table
   6. Use an Intuitive Person in the Selection Process
   7. Consider What Psychological Tests Have to Offer
      1. Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, etc
   8. Experiment with Handwriting Analysis
4. Checking References
   1. Ask the References to Call You Back
      1. call during lunchtime, "X is a candidate for (the position) in our company. Your name has been given as a reference. Please call me back if the candidate was outstanding.
   2. Network Up the Chain of Command
      1. be persistent about moving up the chain of command
   3. Use the Internet as a Resource
   4. Perform Due Diligence for All Finalists
   5. Ask the Candidate, "What Will I Hear?"
      1. . . . from references
   6. Devise a Phone Reference Checklist
      1. Technical competence
      2. Intelligence: "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the candidate's intelligence?"
      3. People skills
      4. Motivation: "What motivates the candidate?"
      5. Everything else: "Is there anything that I haven't asked?"
   7. Meet References for the Finalists
      1. . . . in person, if possible
5. Final Strategies
   1. Invest in People, Not Ideas
   2. Find Someone You Trust
   3. Follow These Three Cardinal Rules
      1. Do you trust the candidate?
      2. Clean record on crime and alcohol?
      3. Physical health?
   4. Ask Yourself These Ten Questions

      1. Do you agree with Shakespeare's "Let's kill all the lawyers?"
      2. Do clothes make the man or woman?
      3. Are drug-free employees important?
      4. Does responsiveness count?
      5. Should you create a model for future hires?
      6. Do people like working for your candidate?
      7. Can your current employees help you?
      8. Is documentation important?
      9. Do you also evaluate search firms, suppliers, and vendors?
      10. When you add one new idea from this book, should you discard one old habit?

   5. Use Yourself as a Test Case with Experts
      1. run the same background checks on yourself as you run on the candidates
   6. Suggest a Trial Run When Possible
   7. Design Your Own Hiring System

• interviews in which you induce stress seldom work

Reference Questions:

• Did you like the person?
• What did they fail at doing?
• Reputation in the compnay?
• How did they communicate?
• Reputation in the industry?
• How did they react to authority?
• Reason for leaving?
• Level of energy, drive?
• What did they accomplish?
• What would you change about the person if you could?

Steps:

1. resume & application screen
2. telephone interview
3. face-to-face interview and testing
4. reference checks
5. executive/final interview
6. selection of top candidates, contingent offer, drug/security test, and acceptance of offer

Ten-Step Interview

1. make small talk
2. go over the job briefly
3. ask questions in sequence
   1. education
   2. job history
   3. outside interests
   4. strengths
   5. shortcomings
   6. goals, personal and professional
4. take notes
5. probe, probe, probe--always in your areas of expertise
6. announce "we have about five more minutes", then listen carefully
7. tell the candidate what to expect next in the selection process
8. let the candidate ask questions
9. thank the candidate
10. compare notes with other interviewers