Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting & Orienting New Employees

by Arthur, Diane

• ISBN13: 9780814420249
• ISBN10: 0814420249
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-06-27
• Publisher: Amacom Books

Summary

Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting & Orienting New Employeeshas long been the go-to reference on every aspect of the employment process. Packed with forms, checklists, guidelines, and ready-to-use interview questions, the revised and updated fifth edition provides readers with practical information on topics including interview methods, documentation issues, reference-checking, orientation programs, and applicant testing. The fifth edition has been brought completely up-to-date, addressing new legislation on FMLA, immigration, record keeping, I-9 compliance, and much more. Full of insights on the latest staffing challenges, this comprehensive guide explores changes in technology such as virtual interviews and recruitment, web-based orientations, and the use of electronic files and social media. Nothing is more important to the productivity of an organization than its hiring program. Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting & Orienting New Employeesprovides readers with the tools they need to get employees on board and ready for long-term success.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Recruiting Qualified People	p. 1
Recruitment Challenges	p. 3
Weather the Impact of a Fluctuating Economy	p. 3
Make Recruitment Efforts Succeed	p. 5
Attract and Compete for Qualified Applicants	p. 10
Establish and Adhere to High Standards of Excellence	p. 15
Summary	p. 16
Applicant and Employer Perspectives	p. 17
Corporate Culture	p. 17
Work and Personal Life Balance	p. 19
Applicant Expectations	p. 21
Employer Expectations	p. 24
Applicants' Questions	p. 26
Summary	p. 29
Recruitment Sources	p. 31
Prerecruitment Considerations	p. 31
Proactive and Reactive Recruitment	p. 33
Special Interest Groups	p. 34
Traditional Recruitment Sources	p. 38
Innovative Recruitment Sources	p. 49
Summary	p. 54
Electronic Recruiting	p. 55
Definition of an Internet Applicant	p. 55
Electronic Resumes	p. 56
Company Career Websites	p. 59
Internet Job Boards	p. 63
Additional Electronic Recruitment Alternatives	p. 64
International Electronic Recruitment	p. 65
Electronic Recruiting Risks	p. 67
Summary	p. 68
Interviewing Applicants	p. 69
Interview Preparation	p. 71
Do a Job Analysis	p. 71
Prepare a Job Description	p. 78
Find the Best Fit	p. 82
Review the Application and Resume	p. 84
Set the Stage	p. 87
Plan Basic Questions	p. 89
Summary	p. 92
Interviewing and Legal Considerations	p. 93
Employment Legislation	p. 93
Employment- and Termination-at-Will	p. 103
Negligent Hiring and Retention	p. 104
Record-Keeping Requirements	p. 105
Electronic Record-Keeping Guidelines	p. 108
Affirmative Action	p. 108
Diversity	p. 110
Discrimination Charges	p. 111
Questions to Avoid Asking	p. 113
Applicant Tracking	p. 117
Summary	p. 118
Competency-Based Questions	p. 120
Key Competency Categories	p. 121
Job-Specific Competencies	p. 123
Characteristics of Competency-Based Questions	p. 125
Competency-Based Lead-Ins	p. 127
When to Ask Competency-Based Questions	p. 128
Developing Competency-Based Questions	p. 130
Generic Competency-Based Questions	p. 134
Summary	p. 138
Additional Types of Questions	p. 140
Open-Ended Questions	p. 140
Hypothetical Questions	p. 144
Probing Questions	p. 146
Closed-Ended Questions	p. 148
Questioning Techniques for Different Stages of the Interview	p. 149
Questioning Techniques to Avoid	p. 155
Summary	p. 157
Interview Components	p. 158
Establish an Interview Format	p. 158
Put Applicants at Ease	p. 162
Get Started	p. 163
Balance Listening with Talking	p. 164
Interpret Nonverbal Communication	p. 166
Encourage Applicants to Talk	p. 171
Keep Applicants on Track	p. 173
Provide Information	p. 174
Consider the Role of Perception	p. 175
Summary	p. 177
Types of Employment Interviews	p. 178
Exploratory Interviews	p. 178
Telephone Screening Interviews	p. 182
Video Screening Interviews	p. 184
HR Interviews	p. 184
Departmental Interviews	p. 188
Panel Interviews	p. 189
Peer Interviews	p. 191
Interviews with Less-Than-Ideal Applicants	p. 192
Stress Interviews (How and Why to Avoid Them)	p. 194
Interviewing Pitfalls	p. 196
Summary	p. 197
Selecting the Best Fit	p. 199
Documenting the Interview	p. 201
Remember the Role of Documentation in the Selection Process	p. 201
Avoid Subjective Language	p. 202
Avoid Recording Unsubstantiated Opinions	p. 203
Refer to Job-Related Facts	p. 206
Be Descriptive	p. 210
Document Applicants with Limited Experience	p. 211
Keep Effective Notes	p. 212
Adhere to Documentation Guidelines	p. 220
Summary	p. 220
Preemployment Testing	p. 221
How Preemployment Tests Are Used	p. 221
Testing Advantages and Disadvantages	p. 222
Test Validation	p. 224
Testing and Bias	p. 226
Test Administration	p. 229
Testing Policies	p. 231
Testing Programs	p. 232
Testing Categories	p. 233
Computer-Based Testing	p. 241
Summary	p. 243
References and Background Checks	p. 244
References Versus Background Checks	p. 244
Legal Guidelines	p. 246
Reference Essentials	p. 250
Guidelines for Releasing and Obtaining Information	p. 256
Fundamentals of Background Checks	p. 258
Summary	p. 262
Social Networks and Hiring	p. 264
Social Networking Primer	p. 265
Uses	p. 268
Legal Risks	p. 271
Social Media Policy	p. 274
Social Media Versus Traditional Reference Checks	p. 276
Summary	p. 277
The Selection Process	p. 278
Final Selection Factors	p. 278
The Final Meeting	p. 279
Notifying Selected Applicants	p. 287
Notifying Rejected Applicants	p. 290
What Could Go Wrong?	p. 291
Summary	p. 293
Orienting New Employees	p. 295
Organizational Orientation	p. 297
Objectives	p. 297
Benefits	p. 299
Characteristics of a Successful Program	p. 302
Components	p. 303
Participants	p. 305
Format	p. 307
Timing and Duration	p. 307
Location and Setting	p. 307
Employee Feedback	p. 307
Summary	p. 308
Departmental Orientation	p. 311
Preparation	p. 312
Content	p. 316
Participants	p. 317
Onboarding	p. 321
Duration	p. 323
Summary	p. 324
Web-Based Orientation	p. 325
Overview	p. 325
Advantages	p. 328
Drawbacks	p. 330
Legal Concerns	p. 331
Conventional Versus Web-Based Orientation	p. 333
Blended Learning	p. 333
Summary	p. 335
Appendixes	p. 339
Job Posting Form	p. 341
Job Posting Application Form	p. 342
Sample E-Mail Cover Letter	p. 343
Work Environment Checklist	p. 344
Job Description Form	p. 345
Employment Application Form	p. 347
Interview Evaluation Form	p. 351
Exempt Reference Form	p. 352
Nonexempt Reference Form	p. 355
Notes	p. 359
Index	p. 361
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Preface

The primary focus of Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting & Orienting New Employees, published first in 1986, then in 1991, again in 1998, and most recently in 2006, remains unaltered: It is still a comprehensive guide through the four stages of the employment process identified in the book’s title. The book’s wide-based readership is also the same: HR specialists who need in-depth information about the entire employment process; non-HR professionals whose jobs encompass select employmentrelated responsibilities; and seasoned HR practitioners looking for a refresher in one or more recruiting, interviewing, selecting, or orientation subcategories. The methods and techniques described continue to be applicable to all work environments: corporate and nonprofit, union and nonunion, technical and nontechnical, large and small. They also pertain to both professional and nonprofessional positions. And the book continues to be useful as a reference for training workshops in various aspects of the employment process and as a text for college and other courses dealing with employment issues.

That said, as a reflection of today’s evolving workforce, fluctuating economy, and interviewing trends, several topics have been added, expanded upon, or otherwise revised in this fifth edition. For example, an entirely new chapter explores differing applicant and employer workplace perspectives. This includes respective expectations, how personal and professional lives are best balanced, and what questions applicants are likely to ask of prospective employers. Another new chapter relates to the rapidly expanding impact of social networks on the hiring process, including their uses and legal risks, and a comparison of social media with traditional reference checks. A third new chapter examines web-based orientation programs, assessing their advantages and drawbacks, legal concerns, and a contrast of conventional and web-based sessions.

The content of each chapter has been carefully reviewed and updated; for instance, the chapter on references and background checks, Chapter 13, has a new look with expanded content. There are also numerous additions throughout each section, including the impact of a fluctuating economy, establishing and adhering to standards of excellence, expanded recruitment sources for special interest groups, updated electronic recruiting methods, additional electronic recruitment alternatives, electronic record-keeping guidelines, up-to-date legislation, testing, and bias. Also, the information in Part IV has been completely revised to reflect three distinct types of orientation: organizational, departmental, and web-based.

Appendixes have been modified, most notably the employment application form. There is also the addition of a sample e-mail cover letter.

This newly modified and expanded fifth edition offers the same, easy-to-follow format as the previous version: four distinct sections that replicate the topics identified in the book’s title. This compartmentalized approach meets the needs of readers wanting to focus on one or more stages of the employment process at any given time, as well as those who like knowing absolutely when one stage ends and another begins.

As with previous editions, readers are cautioned on two points: First, any reference made to specific publications, websites, services, or institutions is for informational purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement. Second, this book is not intended to provide legal advice.

Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, and orienting new employees are tangible skills. How well you practice these skills will directly affect many common organizational problem areas, such as employee morale, absenteeism, and turnover. By diligently implementing the methods described in this book, your organization can greatly improve its employment efforts and levels of employee productivity.