Catchy title,eh? Let’s talk business for a moment. This blog is about Employer Safety and Hiring. We need to take a look at the health of your business. What in particular are you doing to make your business thrive? In the previous articles, I have mentioned employment screening and background checks. Why do you think that is? Let me share the following with you. According to the U S Chamber of Commerce, employees steal approximately 1 billion dollars weekly from their employers. WOW! How does that affect you? It takes roughly $20 dollars in sales to offset one dollar in theft. Here’s another one, also from the Chamber: Almost 1/3 of all companies who go bankrupt can attribute their demise directly to employee theft. Unbelieveable! How do things happen? Is there no hope? This quote is directly from an article the chamber posted on Inc.com-”The U.S Chamber of Commerce estimates that theft by employees costs American companies $20 billion to $40 billion a year. To pay for it, every man and woman working in America today contributes more than $400 per year.”
Before you think all employees are crooks, it should be noted that plenty of data suggests that 10% of the employee population are responsible for more than 95 % of the losses incurred via theft.
So what do you do? Well the top tips suggested by the Chamber of Commerce and the so called experts on AOL’s tips pages state to hire the right people the first time. How? Perform background checks/employee screening on all potential employees. Thorough checks will weed out the most undesirable of applicants which makes it easier and more productive for you to concentrate on doing what you need to do, interviewing according to position need and qualifications. If your business does not have such a policy, begin now. And if the company is your own, it’s a free insurance policy against undesirable results. Don’t just take my word for it. Check the other job search sights and expert help tips. Most will agree that this is now a normal part of business, and honest applicants rarely have a problem with it. Stop losing money, and start getting results!
Next: Safety Responsibilities and Liabilities
Okay, if you’re looking for directions, try a GPS. If you’re trying to get to the point of being interviewed, please read on. What is the one step that keeps people from getting interviews in the first place?— Their applications. Why is that? There are two major reasons that this happens. First, and I hope you’re not in this category, they rush through the application and hope they can wing it through the interview. This is a huge, and I mean HUGE mistake. Any person conducting an interview can see right through a bunch of garbage on an application. So most people in this category never get the call. I will give you some tips in a moment. The other category of people who don’t make it to the interview actually do care, but they share one fatal flaw. They can’t sell themselves on paper. Maybe they’re new to this process, but I have to be brutally honest. The majority of people can’t sell themselves on paper for one basic reason- they lack the writing skills to do so. Please don’t be offended by this. It’s a basic truth. In fact, company brochures for prospective employees are usually geared to a 7th grade reading level. (By the way, the same is true for most internet users.) Don’t believe it? Watch the televison show about being smarter than a 5th grader and you’ll realize how much you’ve forgotten from school lessons learned long ago. So what should you do? I’m glad you asked. Here goes-
- Share the application with someone you trust and give them your possible answers,(not the name and address items, I’m talking about where you may have to give examples of certain types of actions or training to prove you deserve the job). Write your response first, and then ask them for an honest opinion. Here’s the good news- Most people sell themselves short on their experiences and another view will reveal just how much thought, experience and decision making processes are involved in what you do. The point of this exercise is to draw out exactly what goes into any process you’ve been involved in. You will be totally surprised to learn that even the simplest of tasks or actions usually involves a multitude of minor decisions that are made in your thought process. It’s when you can expound upon these on paper that you will really start to grasp how a stranger can think so differently about 2 candidates who may have had similar experiences, and one gets picked over the other for a position. It only takes a couple of tries and very little time to catch on to this, and it is well worth that small investment to get you to the next level. If you really don’t know anyone whom you feel could put it any other way than you did, move on to the next step.
- Pay someone else to do it for you! I’m definitely not talking about cheating here. It’s important for you to be physically involved in this process. You will be sharing the requirements of the position with the person you hire. If they’re good at writing, they will be able to ask you the right questions to bring out great results to be put on to paper. Here’s an example: Let’s say you work with customers at an auto parts store, and you want to move up to a store manager. The application asks for examples of customer service. You may put down that you wait on people courteously and try and fulfill their needs.- BORING! Now, if you tell me that you make it a point to go beyond normal service to make sure your customers keep coming back, I’m at least interested. And if you give me an example of when you did something special for one individual customer,(something that can be verified,please),I’m really curious to read the rest. Perhaps you weren’t able to help the person at your location, but knew of a neighboring company store which had the stock and offered to have it brought to your location at no additional charge for their convenience. Maybe the person made a comment on paper or in person to your Supervisor. Now you’ve shown me something! What you may ask? You’ve shown me you value our business by understanding that it’s the repeat business that keeps paying the bills and supporting our paychecks. You’ve shown me you are not linited in your thinking because you actually put yourself in the customer’s shoes and realized they weren’t just asking for your product. They were asking for your help. And you’ve shown me intitative to take the action on your own without having to ask for assistance. See the difference? The answer is not the major item of interest. It’s what went into the answer that matters!!!! This technique can be applied to any question which requires a written response. Make sure you expound upon every answer without trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. There is enough honest information in any scenario to pull these items to the forefront, and if you can’t do it, then pay someone who can.
- The last point is actually part of the second point. Paying someone to prepare this for you also makes great sense if your typing or language skills are not what they once were. However, this is why I told you to be physically part of this process. It’s alright to relay the story for someone to write for you, but you don’t want to be unfamiliar with what was written, should you make it to the interview. You will want to feel comfortable with what is discussed.
Remember, the screening process tells your prospective employer basic things about you, (whether you want them revealed or not.) The application is something you can take total control over. Spend the time, and maybe the money, to make sure the right candidate is selected. Don’t ever forget—-The right candidate is you!
This is more of a statement than a question. In either case, the answer is yes, of course you can. The trick is knowing which questions to ask and just as important, when to ask them. I thought you could use some levity at this point, so I’m going to share some real questions asked of me in interviews and then I’ll give you some examples of intelligent, applicable questions and when to ask them. Ready? ( Try not to laugh, but believe me these are real!) Also, immediately following the questions, in quotation marks, is the first thing that popped into my head while conducting the interview. Thought you might enjoy that.
“I think I’d like to make more money than you’re offering. Why can’t I apply for your job?”
(Probably because I’m still in it!)
” If I agree to start immediately, could I go home first and get a lunch?”
( Get a lunch, get a dinner, whatever, just get!)
“I don’t care what my schedule is, but how many breaks do I get, and do I get to choose when to take them?”
( Are you serious, do you want to vote on where everyone should go to lunch as well?)
“What if I don’t like what I’m doing or who I’m working with?”
( Then you’re probably normal like the rest of us working stiffs!.)
“Do I really have to dress the way the job description reads? I kind of have a problem with that. Do you understand?”
( I understand that plenty of people are told what to wear at minimum wage positions and have less of a problem with it than you do! Are you coming to model or work?)
“When do I put in for my vacation?”
( Don’t bother, you’ll never make it past the first 30 days.)
“If I change my mind about this position, will you find something else for me to do, or am I just out of a job?”
( Sure, I’ll just change everyone else’s jobs around until we find something you like to do. After all, we’re all about having fun!)
“Are you really strict about being tardy?, cause sometimes I have a hard time getting up.?”
(It’s called go to bed at night, and set an alarm. Are you kidding me?)
“Do you think my criminal record will be held against me?”
( Not since I won’t be hiring you!)
“Is this company covered by workmen’s compensation?”
( Yes, which is why I’m not even thinking of letting you any farther into the building.)
“Has anyone ever been caught stealing?”
( No, did you want to be the first?)
and finally-
“What is your policy on drug testing?”
( The first policy is if you have to ask, there’s no need for a test!)
OK, so enough of the funny business. Is there anything that can be gleened from these idiotic statements that you can learn from? Actually there is. For instance, in the first question, the correct topic would be to inquire about chances for advancement, if you’re interested in that. It’s fine to ask the policy on training for career development as many companies pride themselves on their mentoring programs. The second question deserves no explanation, and therefore does not get one. The question about the schedule is actually expected and quite normal. The time to ask is when the interview seems to be going well, and you sense that you may actually obtain the position. It should however be phrased something like this: ” Could I ask the schedule for this position, including days, hours, and whatever other items it might entail?” ( That will cover breaks, lunches, days off and possibly lead into the vacation policy, if there is one for the position you are seeking. There is nothing wrong with knowing what you’re agreeing to and what is expected from you!) If it’s a competitive positon, there’s nothing wrong with asking how long before a decision will be made. This gives you time to consider if you really want the position, although you should have that about that before the interview.
The question about the dress code can be addressed, but it must be tactful. Don’t question the rules, but if there is something that seems unclear to you, ask for clarification. That way you don’t appear to be pushing the boundaries. The question about safety policies and background checks can be asked, and should be asked if you know something may arise. Simply ask if the company performs background checks, because you’d like a chance to explain something thaqt may show up in them. This is a perfect opportunity to show integrity and honesty. Be very up front and real about the item in concern. If there’s a mistake in your past, share something about it and what has happened since the incident. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s what you do about them and how you’re confronting them that can set you apart. I personally really do listen do the situation and the person’s actions. Then if it comes up in my report, I’m not surprised and I’m not put into the embarrasing position of having to bring it up first. It opens dialogue and can be a positive. ( Depending of course on how bad the item in the report is!)
For the other three questions above, note this: Yes, it’s fine to ask about the companies safety policy, but you are much better off asking about any safety training they may offer for your prospective position. Secondly, don’t ever ask about an attendance policy. In almost every case, the interviewer will cover that in detail. Besides, they are interviewing and possibly hiring you to come to work on a regular, timely basis. Otherwise, why are you there? And last but not least, don’t even think about asking the company it’s drug testing policy. The comment I made after that question was no joke. If you have to ask, just save us both some time and leave now!
I hope these have helped. Please, as always, if you have particular questions about this or any other article on this blog, leave a comment and I will be happy to share my experience and opinion on the matter with you. Remember, sell yourself during the process. Don’t make me or anyone else have to keep looking for the right person. The right person is you!
Alright, hopefully you’ve read the “conducting interviews” sections of this blog. I hope so. You see, I want you to be successful. By reading what top management officials view as important, you will be far better prepared than most other candidates. Understand? It all ties together. So here we go with the basics you need to know for yourself when being interviewed.
- Appearance- Surprised? Let me ask you, are you surprised this rates this high, or are you more surprised that people may not place such importance on this when being interviewed? Let me give you some real examples. I had a customer service position open and several candidates who looked equal “on paper”. When the first applicat arrived, I was stunned. Not only did he look dirty, the odor he carried in with him was unbearable. It was all I could do to make it through his interview. And this was his first impression? What could I expect when he was dealing with our customers? I had to spray air freshener before the next applicant arrived.(I didn’t want them to think it was me!) The next applicant was almost as bad. She came in with cut off sweat shorts and a tank top and sandals. Are you kidding me? Fortunately, the next few applicants were very professional in appearance. Now why is this important? What do you think I remembered from the first 2 candidates? Exactly what I just wrote. The others allowed me to focus on the content of their interview and they all did very well. It doesn’t matter what the job you’re applying for is, the old addage is true. First impressions ARE lasting impressions. Be neat, and clean. That’s all that is necessary. Don’t do anything to take the focus off of your responses!
- Honesty/Integrity- I tell all applicants that I use background checks. ( I told you to review the “Conducting interview” sections of this blog.) It is absolutely incredible to me how much people will lie to obtain a position. Example- I interviewed a young person who swore that she had a clean record. She interviewed extremely well and was very bright. However, when the report came back on her, she had an extensive list of violations including a felony! Another person told me he lost his job due to downsizing. Funny thing, he was the only person in the company downsized. (Because of his anger issues.) I will say that since using the background check service and some other free information, the problems in this area have diminished, but they are still there. (Check out some statistics about how many people just in retail steal from their employer.) You want to project integerity during your interview? Don’t hide anything and don’t lie. Answer the questions as honestly as possible. Listen, I have hired people who have been fired from previous positions. Why? Because they were honest enough to tell me about it; their information was verified and it wasn’t so derogatory in nature that they did not deserve another chance. Some had in fact gone to great lengths to correct their issues. That shows lessons had been learned and initiative to do something about it. (They were not thiefs. Most were personality conflicts with their superiors or they really didn’t want the job anyway, so they could have cared less. In hindsight, they probably should have quit, but didn’t realize the firing would stay with them for quite some time.) Many companies now carry disclaimers on their applications that state if any part of your application contains false information, it is reason for dismissal, even after you are hired. Employers want a work force they can trust. Give them reasons to believe in you and be ready and able to back it up. This includes things you do or don’t know. For example, if you don’t know a particular computer program the company uses, and you’re asked about it, just say you’re not familiar with that program, however add information that may show your ability to learn new tasks quickly and have references to back it up. See the difference? (Even if you did know about it, chances are you will still need some training to perform the job the way your new employer wants it done anyway.)
So, here’s the samples on a couple of big items you will have to deal with every day you have someone in your employment.
First, attendance. I sat in with a friend who was doing an interview to critique his performance. I was shocked when I heard him ask the following: Is your attendance good at your current position?
Are you kidding me? What did you expect him to say?, Oh, I’ve been late 33 times in a year and call off every other Saturday. Remember, without leading the person, which would be unfair to other candidates, you need to solicit responses that meet your needs!
How about using this instead- Can you give me a description of what you consider to be good attendance? Huge difference, and not unexpectantly, much more useful information in the response. After all, you didn’t ask for a reference, you have put the responsibility on the applicant to impress you,(or not), with their work ethic. This type of question WILL bring out that kind of response. Want another? Give them a scenario.
Here’s one of my favorites, and it has been answered in some bizzare and creative ways by various applicants. Say to them: Let’s say you are scheduled to work at 7:00 a.m. and you go out to your car and find it won’t start? What would you do? The first thing they usually respond with is- I’d call my supervisor. Be preared for this! Respond with this- What is your supervisor going to to for you? Now they either think, squirm or just clam up. But honestly, what IS the supervisor supposed to do, and what does that have to do with the responsibility of getting to work? The answer you are really seeking is that they would call a friend or relative or if all else fails, a cab and get to work as soon as possible. I let my applicants know that I’m very strict on attendance. I bluntly tell them, if they don’t show up for work on a regular basis, I will still get the job done. But if I can get it done without them, what do I need them for. I hope you’re grasping the idea. Put the pressure for what an employee is responsible for back on the employee! And start that attitude right with the interview process. People will respond if they know what’s expected from them. Leave no doubt as to what you expect!
Finally, there’s attitude or as some buzz word people like to say, being a team player.Let’s face it, that’s a load of you know what to a brand new employee. ( Don’t forget to review any background check you may have run on an applicant at this time. It’s your perfect opportuniy to address questionable items without being dicriminatory or judgemental.) It would be great to see them develop into a “team player”, but that’s your responsibility.
For those seeking promotions within, it’s a little different. They should be able to give you measurable success stories which can be collaborated. In the case of attitude, current employees require less preparation on your part and more on the employee.
For new hires however, the burden is on you. So, put their minds to work.
Here’s 3 samples for you:
- Ask them to give you an example when they had to go beyond the normal scope of their duties to satisfy a customer, even if the customer was someone downstream from their workload within the same company?
- How have they handled situations where a fellow employee or supervisor said something or gave directions that they disagreed with?
- Can they site an example when they had to work with someone whom they did not particularly like or get along with? How were they still able to complete the task(s) assigned to them?
These three will give you insight into their ability to be flexible, work with others and take or follow directions for the common end goal. See, we didn’t even mention team, mentor or coaching. Those tasks will be yours to develop once the employee is selected for the position.
I sincerely hope these tips have been helpful to you if you are the one doing the interviewing process. Coming up next, per request, I will be sharing tips on being the interviewee and how you can improve selling yourself by knowing how to respond to tough questions. Please let me know if there is a certain area of concern you have and I will be glad to address them for you.
I don’t wish to overload you with too many questions per session so I’ve decided to break them down by categories to make it easier for you and to get rolling with better quality questions immediately. In each case we’ll start with the usual mundane questions we’ve all heard, or perhaps said, during interview processes we’ve witnessed or conducted.
First in the area of safety:
Normally asked: How is your safety record at your current job, or is safety important to you?
Normal response: My record is good or safety is important because no one likes getting hurt. (Well, what did you expect? the applicant answered what you asked with about the same exuberance as your inquiry!)
Example 1: Whether or not you have been involved in or witnessed an accident at your current or any former place of employment, could you please describe for me how it affected or may affect you, your co-workers, your customers or the family of the injured party?
Now the applicant has to think. (Which is a nice sneaky way for you to find out if they’re quick to process information.) And what kind of response do you think you’re going to get now? Hopefully, they understand the magnitude of someone getting injured. As anyone in business knows, an on the job injury can have devastating affects on a multitude of people. It can also ruin productivity and morale for a while. (Sorry, but that’s the cold hard truth of it.) And it almost always affects your bottom line- your customers. If they seem to grasp what you’re asking, get them to expound on the story if they have one. Make them see safety from your point of view! This is paramount in creating the right expectations before hiring.
Example 2:(if they don’t grasp the previous one),:Can you give me an example of how you were personally involved in creating or maintaining a safe work environment for you or your co-workers at any other place of employment?
Again, you are requiring some thought be given to the process. Maybe someone was a safety captain, maybe they gave or attended specialized training, such as CPR. Encourage them at this point to include things learned outside the work evironment as well. Perhaps it was just as simple as making sure their particular area was neat and clean, which may or may not have involved using a checklist to do so. It may have included a buddy system for certain types of vocations. The possibilities of answers are wide open and limitless. The point is you have just solicited more information than you could have dreamed of with just the right phrasing. Always be sure to ask these questions with genuine sincerity though to receive the best responses.
Are you getting the idea? How about one more?
Example 3:(We’ll predicate this one with a little hint.) Let’s say you’ve recieved information through your background check or employment screening process that the applicant has had a previous injury or accident on the job. Does this automatically nix their chances in your eyes? Maybe you just need to find out more about what happened and address your concerns about it not reoccurring.
Try using this: I note that you were involved in an accident in your current/previous employment. Can you tell me the following three things about the accident? A.) What did you learn from the accident? B.) How did your company handle the situation? C.) What steps have you taken personally to make sure something like this does not happen again not only to you, but also any of your coworkers?
This one’s fairly simple. What you’re looking for is some basic information which will also reveal some personal traits such as integrity, concern and the ability to learn. Again encourage the dialogue but do not lead them into the responses you’d like to hear. Remember, you are looking for an individual who has enough integrity to admit truthfully to you what happened, and compassion to express concern for his or her fellow workers. Most importantly, did they affect any change within themselves to prevent accidents in the future when they may be in your employment, or do they still not accept ownership for any action or lack thereof that may have led to the accident in question? This will help you establish the accepted wisdom that safety is everyone’s responsibility.
I hope these get you started. Next- sample questions about attendance and attitude!
After performing a background check, (whether done by your company or a reputable on line service), the questions are the single most important element of preparation to ensure you select the right candidate for your position. Remember, there are 2 things you must protect at all times. First ,the integrity and continuity of your business, and secondly you must protect yourself. The question portion of the interview process has everything to do with both. Let’s be honest, in today’s business world, you are charged with being fair and equitable to all applicants. (And you should be!) I could tell you horror stories of managers who faced civil charges from applicants who felt that they were not treated the same as other candidqates. So how do you avoid this potentially damaging situation for you and your business? The answer is in the questions. Let’s get started. Although we will be discussing the examples of questions to ask in the next forum, the process is the same.
First, prepare a list of questions to ask of each and every candidate. If you have subbordinate supervisors or managers, they can assist you in this task. The main thing is to include the person the applicant is going to be directly reporting to. If that person is yourself, run the set of questions by another manager or business associate you respect. And when I say a list, I mean a list. One that you can reproduce and ask of each applicant. By doing this, you will eliminate any hints of unfair treatment. (And great documentation for later, should one of those ugly situations arise.) When you are thinking of the questions to prepare, it is best to think of certain topics first; safety, attendance, etc., and then break them down into individual items. As a result of this process, I have seen multiple questions emerge surrounding one topic, which is great because then you can choose the one, (or at the most two) that are most applicable to your businesses’ success.
Secondly, be creative in your questioning. I will give you an example: You want to ask a question concerning safety on the job. Even though you may have received information from the company who does your screening that reveals one or more of your applicants has had an injury, you still need to address each candidate with the same question. ( Remember rule number 1- treat them all the same). So instead of asking about their safety record, which may net a response such as, oh- it’s good; ask the applicant to give you a little history of their safety record at work. Encourage them to share if they have had any accidents in the past. Do this by asking them to share what they learned from any past mishaps and how it made them perform their job better from that point on, or how did any accident they had affect their fellow workers, etc. Using this method opens the dialogue without leading them with the question or revealing that you already know. It is also a question you can ask everyone. You can do this by asking if they’ve ever witnessed anyone else getting injured on the job and how it affected them. The point is to be blunt, and push the door wide open for return communication. This same method can be used for each category of questions you may comprise. We will get into more sample questions in our next session, but I want to give you one final tip on the questions and subcategories.
Always use a customer service related question. What’s that, you don’t service any customers directly? Not true. Everyone in business has a customer. It may be the person that purchases one of your goods or services, or maybe it’s the person on the dock who is waiting for your part of the production line to advance your product to their area for shipping preparation. Maybe it’s the person who is going to do the same exact job you are assigned to on the next shift. I think you get the point. This line of questioning will serve you well because you can interject your expectations of the applicant (starting with the interview process!) without having them try to decifer the mission statement of the entire company. And people can relate to helping each other to achieve results even if they have not worked in traditional customer service scenarios before. You can use this same type of creativity in all of your question categories.
Please feel free to post a response if this is helpful to you.
Next: Compiling the list, (complete with samples)
Hello, this is a first in a series of articles designed to assist you in the interview portion of the hiring process. I have over 30 years of business experience and have been involved in the hiring process for the last 15 years for a very large company.
First- Interview preparation. Who are the candidates for the interviews, and what is it that they are interviewing for? The process for interviewing for upward mobility or someone requesting a lateral move, (both from within the current company ranks), are quite different from when you prepare to hire new employees. The biggest difference is in the selection of questions for potential candidates. For those positions being sought out by current employees, the questions should be performance based, and in line with the mission of your particular business. They should involve statements which can be quantified by current fellow managers or workers. Therefore, the questions should use terms that all candidates would be familiar with. Why? These types of questions give you a better comparison tool to evaluate the candidates. You will find your task as the selecting official easier when you limit the items you are reviewing. For new employees, always do some background checks to eliminate candidates who may have obstacles which would not allow you to hire them, even if they were the best interviewee. The questions for new hires should be much more general in nature, and actually require more thought from you. Remember, they may know nothing of your policies or procedures, and honestly, although they may pretend to know your mission statement, it is your responsibility to make it clear what it is you’re looking for. This will not only solicit answers that are easier for you to review, it will also encourage the candidate to give examples in their responses which actually pertain to your needs. They will not,(or should not), be trying to dazzle you with information about your business. They should concentrate on selling themselves as a productive worker. The questions you prepare should gently nudge them towards those types of responses. So, what’s next? What questions should you ask and how do you prepare for them? For that you will have to check back. I have many more valuable tips that will help you in hiring the best qualified candidate.