The Hiring Process - Part II Pre-Screen Candidates

Do you really want to interview someone who doesn't want the job? Do you really want to interview someone who is not suited for the job?

I am a firm believer in weeding out job candidates before the interview. Don't waste your time or their time. Whether you need to fill the position of CFO, restaurant server, store manager, or delivery driver, there are ways of pre-screening the candidates to make sure that they want the job and to make sure they are suited for the job.

You are probably saying to yourself, "No one would apply for a job that they don't want." Of course they wouldn't - if they knew certain facts before the interview. Unfortunately, most times a candidate knows very little about the job prior to the interview.

Most times a job candidate applies because he or she is answering an ad. Sometimes the candidate has attended a job fair or similar event which has the purpose of attracting potential employees. Maybe the candidate heard about an opening in your company from an existing employee. No matter which method applies, none of them tells the candidate much about the job. It is impossible to describe the job in an ad or to discuss it fully at a job fair. Thus, the candidate comes to the interview not knowing much about the position at all. That is why a second stage or pre-screening stage is needed.

All interested candidates should be given some form of application package that they can read prior to filling out an application and submitting a resume. That package should contain DETAILED information about the job. If travel is required, how much? Is it one day every week or five days every week? Is the travel to small towns in the Midwest or places like London and Paris? Don't just say "Knowledge of Word and Excel is required." Be specific. What do you expect them to know and to be able to do with Word and Excel?

"But," you say, "I don't have that kind of business." Alright then, let's take a restaurant that is hiring servers. Here are some questions that should be answered BEFORE you even have the server complete a job application.

• Will the server be working the same shift each day?


• How often do servers change shifts?


• How long do they stay on the same shift?


• How many weekends per month are they expected to work?


• What holidays is the restaurant open?


• What percentage of the holidays does each server work?


• Does each server deliver the food from the kitchen to the customer's table or does the server just take the order?


• Does the server have to bus tables?

I think by now you get the idea. The answer to those and other similar questions will determine whether a person wants to apply for the job or not. Providing this kind of information in advance serves as a pre-screening process. It will save you many hours.

What about formal "job testing programs" for pre-screening employees? There are many types of programs available. Some are quite simple while others involve extensive assessments by highly trained industrial psychologists. They are generally only used for upper level positions but could be, and should be, used for all positions. Remember what was said in a previous posting. The employee who talks to the customer is representing you and your company regardless of what level position they may have. That employee is "the company" as far as the customer is concerned. (In future postings, we will discuss job testing in greater detail.)

Give some serious thought to your particular business. Don't spend hours interviewing someone just because they answered an ad. Know that the person you are going to interview wants the job and is suited for the job.

The next posting will discuss the interview itself.

Please feel free to post your comments and to submit suggestions on any topics for future postings. We invite you to visit our web site at http://www.sentrabusinesssolutions.com/.