1 Stop HR

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6 Ways you can Find the Best Candidate for the Job

You’ve got an open position in your company—great news for people looking, right? The problem, of course, is finding that person: taking a chance on the unknown and making a decision based on what is probably just a short interview and a first impression combined with some key questions about work habits, strengths, and weaknesses. So how do you find people who fit your staffing clients’ needs and not waste your time searching through unqualified candidates?
You can start by relying on good applicant tracking systems. Those networks an referrals are a great way to narrow down the list of standout candidates for a job. And of course, the materials that an applicant sends to you—resume and cover letter—should be error free and provide all the information that you requested in the opening.
What other tips can help you get the best person yet for your open position? Use the ideas in this graphic for help.

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6 ways you can find the best candidate for the job

Via AkkenCloud

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5 Interview Tips for Answering Interview Questions

Many candidates dread the interview process and become a pile of nerves as soon as their name is called.  Ok, maybe even way before their name is called – like when the call comes in to book the interview!  We get it!!  Interviewers know this and are used to this.  We know that for most people, the interview is an uncomfortable time. It is always good to do your homework ahead of time and to ensure you prepare by reviewing interview tips and tricks, etc.

Looking for some quick interview tips to help you with answering the questions?  Check  out 5 below:

  1. Do your preparation ahead of time. Look for the common interview questions and have lots of answers prepared.
  2. Ensure to work your top accomplishments and impressive items into your answers.
  3. Stick to the point. Often we see interview candidates go off on tangents and even ask to have the question repeated after they have been talking for a solid 5 minutes.
  4. Don’t hog the interview, if the interviewer has stopped making notes, they probably have what they are looking for – they will ask you for more examples if they need them.
  5. Wrap up your answers. Think about your answer like a very short story.  A story starts with a quick intro, the points and then wraps up by rounding off the question.

Think about being on the other side of the table.  You are there to find out if the candidate is indeed the best fit for the role.  You want to have a positive experience with the candidate, be engaged and see a natural fit.  Ensure you now -as the candidate- show the interviewer that you are this fit through your thoughtful detailed answers.

Practice, practice, practice.  Be positive, smile when you answer and give eye contact.  You can do it!

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Top 10 Most Common Interview Questions Part 2

Here are the remaining questions of our top 10 (if you missed the first 5 – check out our previous blog)

  1. Why do you want to leave your current job?
  2. Tell me about some recent goals that you set and achieved.
  3. What is the salary range that you are looking for?
  4. Why should we hire you?
  5. Do you have any questions for me/us?

job-interview-1784385_1920

Let’s do Some More Thinking…

  1. Why do you want to leave your current job?

    Don’t bad mouth your current employer.  Look for answering something like:  “I am looking for a new opportunity where I can continue to grow and contribute to the success of a company.”

  2. Tell me about some recent goals that you set and achieved.

    The key here is that they are looking to see if you are goal oriented.  That you like to set and achieve goals – this means that you are motivated.  Ensure to have some examples ready.

  3. What is the salary range that you are looking for?

    Ah the tough question, if they have listed the range in the ad – talk about a number within that range that you are comfortable with, if they haven’t – look to see if you can get an idea of what the salary range is that they have for the position.  Ask “If you could share the range you have set out for this position, I can let you know where I fit within that range.”  Or state something like – I see myself within the x-y range but it would be dependent on learning more about the job, the benefit package etc.  This way you give yourself some room.

  4. Why should we hire you?

    Your answer:  “Because I am the right person for the job.”

  5. Do you have any questions for me/us?

    Always have a couple of questions prepared – don’t go through a whole list – but 2-3 is good.

Preparation is Key

Remember – being prepared for the interview is key – knowing what to expect in terms of the most common questions gives you an edge.

Have more you want to share?  Share this post on Social Media, tell us about it and Tag us.

Need help?  1 Stop HR

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Top 10 Most Common Interview Questions Part 1

woman-214785_1280Interview Coming up?

Looking for a Top 10 list of interview questions?  Well here you go!  If you have an interview coming up – be sure to have an answer prepared for these questions as you will most likely encounter all or many of them during the interview.

  1. What interests you about this job?
  2. What do you know about this company/this position?
  3. Tell me about your Strengths.
  4. Tell me about your Weaknesses.
  5. Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

Let’s do Some More Thinking…

  1. What interests you about this job?

    Do your homework, review the job ad and think about what compelled you to apply.  Is it because you see a good match between your experience and goals?  What is it?

  2. What do you know about this company/job?

    Research the company and be able to speak intelligently about it.  Remember key facts – this shows that you have done your research and indeed are interested in the company.   Have a clear picture of what the job entails from whatever information you have available to you.

  3. Tell me about your strengths.

    This is where you want to do your best to talk about a few strengths that directly relate to the job itself – meaning some key words directly from their job ad.  e. if they are looking for someone with experience in project management – you want to ensure to list project management as a strength if indeed it is.

  4. Tell me about your weaknesses.

    This is a tough one for many as we don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot, but we still need to answer their question.  Typically I advise people to come up with an answer that is a positive but still answers the question, so for example… “I tend to be a perfectionist and sometimes have to remind myself that it is time to move to the next task.” Or something to that effect.

  5. Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

    By this question, they want to see that a) you have a goal in mind and b) that that goal is something that the company can actually provide if you are qualified for that role down the road.  If the goal is so over-the-top, and there is no way they could provide this, they know that you most likely will leave the company shortly down the line.

Preparation is Key

Being prepared for the interview is key – knowing what to expect in terms of the most common questions gives you an edge.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Top 10 Interview Questions in our next Blog.

Have more you want to share?  Share this post, tell us and Tag us in the post.

Need help?  1 Stop HR

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Struggling to Hire? 3 Tips and a Challenge for you!

recruitmentRecruiting Challenges?

So you have been trying to recruit for a stellar candidate and you are having challenges.  I get it – you are getting hundreds of resumes BUT they don’t have what you are looking for right?  You are doing all the right things, you are using social media, advertising on various job boards, your job description and ads are top notch  – you are even targeting passive candidates too!  It is a pain that is all too familiar to many companies these days.

Tap into your Internal Talent!

The good companies are getting smarter, they are learning to keep their talent by working on their internal systems and the overall employee experience.  These good companies hold good people.  So you could keep plugging away or you could look at things a little differently.

Just a little Guidance…

There are still a lot of great candidates out there who have the potential to be even better with some guidance, mentoring and training to fit your job description completely.  So why not look at keeping an open mind and tap into this talent?  This is a tough concept to “get” as we all want that perfect fit when we are hiring.  Sure, this is ideal, but as I just described above, it is getting tougher to secure this talent easily.

Characteristics of Great Candidates

If I have managed to sway your thinking slightly….let’s look at what the things you will want to look for in great candidates to make this happen!

  1. A love of learning. Look in the resume for a track record of recent and on-going training, courses, seminars.  Look to ask about this in an interview.  You need someone with a desire and commitment to continue to learn and grow, thus growing into the position you are hiring for.
  2. A Positive and “can do” attitude. You will want to question the candidate with some behavioural and situational questions to assess these traits.  Look for people that want to dig in, stay positive and work to get the job done with an attitude that is contagious.
  3. Desire to grow. A desire to grow will propel these individuals to do what is necessary to gain the skills to be able to not only fit into the role that they have been hired for, but also to continue to grow with your company.

Absolutely the candidate needs the basics to be successful in the position you are hiring for – I am not suggesting you attempt to make a square peg fit into a round hole – look for the “must haves” and then look for the ability to train the others with the traits listed above.

Think Outside of the Box

If you are having challenges recruiting the right person, I encourage you to think outside of the box, keep the above in mind and bring in talent that you can be proud of, that is grateful for the opportunity to learn and to contribute back to your goals and objectives.  Committing to their success in turn creates commitment to you and your bottom line.

Learn More About US

1 STOP HR was founded by Christie Ferguson, CHRP CHRL Christie is a certified Human Resources Professional & Leader with many years of hands on HR expertise.

Contact US

Tel: 226-750-3160
Email: info@1stophrconsulting.com

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