Tips for Employers

	New Employer
	New Job Seeker
	Career Advice
	Tips for employers

A guide for corporate recruiters and HR personnel. Collections of the best resources, carefully chosen for their usefulness in helping employers find, hire, and retain the best employees.

The Interview Process

Many job applicants misrepresent their true status, background and experience. This is true for both upper and lower entry employees. One survey reported by Inc. magazine indicates the following about job applicants:

	Achieve the trust of people we work wit15% of all job applicants falsify academic qualifications.
	10% falsely upgrade their academic qualifications.
	35% claim specific achievements or experiences that are untrue.
	70% indulge in puffery (upgrading the importance of achievements.
	12% have some kind of criminal record, including serious automobile convictions.

These statistics define the need of a sound recruitment process. The beginning of a powerful employer-employee relationship begins with the hiring process. The value of placing your efforts and resources into the hiring process cannot be overstated.

Interview Tips for Interviewers

   • Make notes of the questions you intend to ask.
   • Decide the essential things you need to learn and prepare questions to probe them.
   • Plan the environment - privacy, no interruptions, ensure the interviewee is looked after while they wait.
   • Put the interviewee at ease - it's stressful for them, so do not make it any worse.
   • Begin by explaining clearly and concisely the general details of the organization and the role.
   • Ask open-ended questions Make sure the interviewee does 90% of the talking.
   • High pressure rarely exposes hidden issues - calm, relaxed, gentle, clever questions do.
   • Probe the CV/resume/application form to clarify any unclear points.

If possible, and particular for any position above first-line, use some form of psychometric test, or graphology, and have the results available for the interview, so you can discuss them with the interviewee.

The Interview Process

Before the Interview
1) Determine your options - Which skills are vital as opposed to convenient.

2) If other people are going to be involved in the interview process, make sure they have taken the time to prepare for the interview. Each person should have a couple of overlap questions to provide insight on the prospective employee's responses.

3) Have company information available for candidates.

4) Allow plenty of time for the interview.

5) Have detailed information about the candidate.

During the Interview
1) Interview the person, not the skill set. Ask questions that are, broad, open-ended, job-related, objective, meaning ful, direct, clear, understood & related.

2) Be open and honest with the candidate.

3) Tell the candidate what to expect in the hiring process.

4) Tell them your expectations: career advancement, training, duties, experience expected, the direction the department is headed in.

5) Show the candidate where they would fit into the organization.

6) Don't talk money.

Closing the Interview
1) Insure that you and the candidate have concluded on common ground.

2) Ask if she/he has any other questions.

3) At the end of the interview, if you are interested in the candidate, let them know.

4) Review the next steps with a clear and honest timetable (and stick to it).

5) Be friendly and honest to the end of the interview; don't give false encouragement or go into details for rejection.

After the Interview
1) Take time to update the next person in the interview process.

2) Discuss the candidates reaction and interest.

3) Rate the applicant on a 1-5 scale as a potential employee.

Checklist Employee Contract

Employers are required to give employees written particulars of employment. These particulars should include all the legal requirements or consist of a letter of appointment with minimal information plus reference to additional material that defines the conditions of employment. Many employment contracts contain only vague references to the "policies and procedures to which the employee will be bound". The employer should provide the employee with all of the company policies and other documents that relate to the contract or are referred to in the contract.

Contract Details
• Full name of employer and employee
• Address of employer
• Place of work of employee, and, where the employee is required or permitted to work at various places, an indication of this
• Title of job or nature of the work or a brief job description
• Date of commencement of employment Pay & Benefits
• Wages/ salary details
• Rate of overtime work (if eligible for overtime pay)
• Any other cash benefits that the employee is entitled to Any payment in kind that the employee is entitled to and the value of that payment (e.g. accommodation)
• Any deductions to be made from the employee's remuneration (e.g. Pension / Medical Aid)
• Method of payment and method of calculating wages
• Additional benefits, and any conditions under which they apply, e.g. achievement of targets
• Pension scheme - whether one exists, and if so conditions

Approvals for any deductions from pay, e.g. pension scheme other than those required by law

Nature of Contracts
• Type of contract: permanent, temporary, fixed term
• Duration of a temporary contract or termination date for a fixed term contract
• Period of notice required to terminate employment, or if employment is for a specified period, the date when employment is to terminate Hours of Work, Schedules and Overtime
• Number of hours in workweek and workday.
• Procedure for scheduling.
• Alternative work schedules/flex-time.
• Definition of overtime & pay or compensatory time off
• Advance notice of overtime & right to refuse overtime
• Staffing and workload standards.
• Meal and rest periods.
• Timekeeping and attendance requirements Leaves
• Annual leave entitlement
• Role of seniority in scheduling vacations.
• Conditions relating to taking leave, e.g. present company holidays or notice requirements
• Details of any other paid leave entitlements
• Sick leave arrangements and conditions of any benefits Disciplinary Procedures
• Details of the disciplinary procedure
• Conditions under which the employer can terminate the contract e.g. gross misconduct Grievance Procedure
• Definition of a grievance.
• Stewards' right to use work time for grievance investigations.
• Employees' right to union representation.
• Explanations of each step in grievance procedure and time limits at each step

Health & Safety
Employer and employee responsibilities

Protection of Business Information
• Details of confidentiality requirements
Use and mis-use of electronic communications and Internet

About Probation Period
• Purpose & duration of the probationary period
• Benefits that will come into effect when the probationary period is completed

Performance Evaluation
Criteria & frequency for evaluations.

Any Other Condition, Like
Any collective or 3rd party agreement which affects the employee's terms and conditions

Acceptance
Acceptance clause whereby employees sign that they accept the contract of employment and conditions therein. or provision of uniforms and/or tools for affected employees

Checklists - Writing Job Description

Job descriptions are typically used to drive recruitment campaigns, set expectations for new workers, establish salary grade levels for groups of jobs, and align individual goals and activities with an organization's strategic objectives.

With job descriptions essential to so many human resource functions, it's particularly important that companies take the time to write their organizations' descriptions. A good job description follows a simple but consistent format that describes key roles played by that job, as well as "essential functions."

Guidance On Writing Job Descriptions (Checklist)

A job description should clearly and accurately set out the duties and responsibilities of the job.
It should include:

Job specifications
• JOB TITLE Accurate titles reflecting the function and level of the job.
• THE DEAPRTMENT
• POSITION Stating the job title the employee is responsible to, as well as titles of those reporting to the job holder.
• AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
• Concisely stating the overall purpose of the job, the principal role of the job holder and the expected contribution to achieving objectives
• MAIN TASKS Identifying the tasks and include the objective or purpose of each task.
• SEPARATE DESCRIPTIONS OF MAIN TASKS
• SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Equipment, tools, special skills.
• LOCATION - Of the job and travelling needed.
• SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
• Night work, overtime, weekend working

Person specification
A person specification allows you to define the skills, experience, competencies and qualifications required to carry out the activities outlined in the job description. Identify the desirable criteria in the following four categories:
• EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING
• EXPERIENCE
• WORK BASED COMPETENCIES (i.e. what does the candidate need to be able to do such as use Excel, deliver training or work in French etc.)
• BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES (Such as the ability to influence people, identify problems and work together with a team to find solutions, demonstrate personal drive, ability to work alone, to communicate effectively orally and in written reports etc.)

The language used in job descriptions should:
• Avoid jargon and unexplained acronyms and abbreviations.
• Be matched to the type of job and be readily understood by the employees concerned. Avoid ambiguity about responsibility and be clear about the post-holder's accountability for results and resources. Points to remember
• Try to give as much information as possible to allow candidates to make an informed and rational decision about their suitability for a post.
• Consider any legal requirements i.e. work and travel permissions that might prevent a candidate from working in a specific country.
• Provide relevant details of climate/security/isolation that candidates need to consider before applying for a post.

Checklist For Hiring The Best

A bad hire can wreak havoc on even the most professional organizations and highly trained staff. An organization's continued growth and success depend on making smart choices and hiring the best. Today's economy is exploding with talent, allowing one to be selective about the staff one hire. Yet, the crucial step to filling a position is finding the right talent for the organization - someone that has the skills for the job, easily blends with the culture, interacts well with the team and believes in the company's mission.

Recruiting the best employees for your organization is an ongoing challenge for every manager, supervisor and human resources professional. Hiring the best talent requires both an aggressive, relationship-based recruiting strategy to find the right people, and a highly effective evaluation methodology to select the best candidate for every position.

For any given job category, the important items that should be on one's hiring checklists are:
• What constitutes a "Good Fit" define the outcomes desired from the person you hire.
• Define the Job Specification - develop a job description that clearly describes the performance responsibilities of theperson you hire.
• Write a Job Requirement Checklist.
• Develop the largest pool of qualified candidates possible. (Search via professional associations, personal contacts, universities, search firms, and other creative sources when necessary.)
• Decide on the Recruitment Methods.
• Select the Best Method for the Job.
• Pre-screen the Resumes.
• Prepare for the Interview. Devise a careful candidate selection process that includes culture match, testing, behavioral interview questions, customer interviews and tours of the work area.
• Set questions Although it will take a time investment, you should have a strong list of questions ready before you begin interviewing a candidate.
• Second Interview Conduct at least two interviews with a candidate before hiring him or her, especially if the position is very important.
• Think about Pay and Title Equity.
• Manage the Interview.
• Background Check. Perform appropriate background checks that include employment history, education, criminal records, credit history, drug testing and more.
• Make the Hiring Decision.
• Finalize an Offer Package.
• Provide training, education and development to build a superior workforce