3.
The best employees are not a dime a dozen.
When is the best time to look for new hires to ensure that you find the best? You should always be looking for new employees. You should try to have an interview once a week. Develop relationships with“ A” players and ask they keep you in mind should they ever be looking for a new position. This is a great way to build bench strength by having relationships with future employees. One reason we settle for a mediocre hire is we have no bench strength.
Just like marketing, recruiting should be an ongoing activity. You should recruit new employees the same way you market to attract new customers – proactively and consistently, 24 / 7. In fact, the very best time to recruit is when you don’ t need anyone. If you recruit only when you have job openings, you won’ t get the best people because the pressure to hire quickly causes you to be less selective and sometimes, even results in a bad hiring decision.
Hiring is like dating. It is probable that you will spend more time with the person you hire than the person you marry. Ask yourself: Do you really want to work with this person eight hours a day for the next three or so years?
Where would you look for your next date? Spa owners and industry experts agree that trade schools can be a source for new employees. You might want to make regular visits to local schools and participate in Career Days to let students know about employment opportunities in your industry. If you develop a relationship with the top schools, you will be on the school’ s preferred list and they’ ll send you their best students. You should also use your employees, customers, and vendors to help find good people. The biggest source within the workplace is the people who work with you … who they know. Create an employer referral program.
4.
When interviewing, what types of questions should you ask? Basically, there are three types of hiring questions: Questions that ask for facts; questions that determine skills and questions that reveal attitude and references. How you ask for this information determines how revealing the answers you’ ll get.
Asking about achievements makes an applicant feel proud and allows you to follow up with questions like,“ What were the three most important things you learned from that?” and“ How did you apply them?”
To gauge attitude and personality, ask questions like,“ Tell me about the dream you had when you got out of school, and what have you done to make sure that dream comes true?” A person who has goals and has taken steps to meet or exceed their dreams will most likely be successful.
A great hiring system treats every part of the hiring process as a test. It also keeps you focused on the qualities applicants need to successfully perform the job. For example, if the job requires working in the evenings, schedule the interview at 7 pm. If the job demands a great phone conversations skill, conducting the interview over a phone should be your first step. An applicant that leaves you with a favorable impression will leave the same impression with your customers.
Every step in your hiring process should be viewed as a test and each test should get progressively more difficult. How did the applicant answer the phone the first time you called? Did she show up for the interview on time? Did she complete the resume completely? What did her body language say during the interview?
5.
KLEIMAN SAYS we often hire people for what they know, when we should also hire for who they are. To do this, he suggests using the CAPS System. Visit digital
Pulse at experienceispa. com to learn more about The CAPS System.
What are the critical criteria to look for when making the final selection? When making the final decision on who to hire, there are four criteria you should consider in your analysis: Interview = 30 % Reference( always check references) = 30 % Skill Test = 30 % Personal Perception = 10 %
When you get good to great ratings in all four areas, you’ ve found the right person for the job. ■
LEANN HAMM is the Human Resources manager of Associations International based in Lexington, Kentucky.
Get more recruitment advice from Kleiman at the 2011 ISPA Conference & Expo. Catch his Professional Development Session titled“ How to Build a Frontline That Will Build Your Bottom Line” from 8 – 9:30 am on Tuesday, Nov 8. Or, purchase the PDS audio recording on-site or at ispa2011. com
November 2011 ■ PULSE 69