Hiring InsuranceBy John W. GuarniereHiring the right candidate for a critical position has never been more difficult. Part of the problem is the unprecedented level of out-and-out falsification in the job market today. Consider these examples: 1. To give credibility to his candidacy for a $60,000 -a-year Financial Management position, one person listed a major public accounting firm, for which he had never worked, as his original employer. Who would ever check it out, he reasoned? 2. An applicant for a Marketing Management opening with a major ethical pharmaceutical products company, requiring a medical degree and drug application experience, had never been licensed as a doctor. Consider the potential legal ramifications! 3. Another candidate applied for dozens of financial" jobs advertised in the Metropolitan New York area. He had never worked a day of his life in the accounting or finance area, but was almost hired for several high-paying jobs. Unusual cases? Hardly.. Employers report that fraudulent resumes have become widespread in US business. Major corporations estimate that anywhere from 15 to 40% of all resumes do not accurately portray what an individual has experienced or achieved. While many fraudulent resumes are discovered through sophisticated reference checking techniques, many more are accepted at face value. In some ways the problem has been created by the revised and enforced libel and equal employment laws, which have forced employers to back off from the kind of reference checking that was done several decades ago. Fearful of litigation, they have thrown up their hands in disgust and merely hoped for the best. The highly competitive nature of today's job market is another cause of the upsurge in falsification of credentials. Candidates rationalize that an exaggerated level of education and/or experience will help them gain that first interview and allow them to play the corporate game as they envision others do. With the advent of outplacement firms, too, candidates are trained to present themselves in a fashion not representative of their true accomplishment level and performance on the job. Within reason, the slight embellishment of one's resume should not be of major concern to an employer. What is important, though, is the uncovering of critical hiring information to supplement the interviewing process. In-depth employer reference checks, along with solid interviewing techniques, are a must to maintain consistent quality hiring. Employers should be prepared to spend sufficient time asking previous supervisors the in-depth questions that will provide them with performance-related information applicable to the position at hand. If you're looking for a controller, for example, in addition to verifying the candidate's past responsibilities and tenure, ask questions that will uncover critical personality dynamics, such as analytical abilities, attention to detail, trustworthiness, energy level and other qualities critical to the particular job. To probe the candidate's analytical ability, ask previous direct supervisors to cite specific examples reinforcing or negating the candidate's abilities in that area. Ask for the particular situation, the action and the result achieved. This will not only tell you the level of skill reached, but will also verify the credibility of the reference given. There is no better, way to build your business than by hiring the best people and that takes work! If you don't have the time yourself, hire a third party who knows how to probe, how to get the vital information you need to make a good hiring decision. Your chances for success in the employment maze will improve dramatically. Editor's Note: John Guamiere heads our Executive Search/ Human Resources Division. He draws upon 15 years of experience in corporate human resource management, personnel consulting and executive search. Mr. Guarniere has been designated by the Personnel Accreditation Institute as an Accredited Personnel Diplomat in Employment, Placement and Personnel Planning. |
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Tel: (609) 918-9183 Cell: (609) 647-6727 fax: (609) 918-9182 email: RceConsulting@verizon.net Updated 2011 |