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January 07, 2012
How to...
BY GIANNA B. VILLAVICENCIO
Recruit With Care
Finding the most suitable person for a job can be a challenging task. Whether your firm's screening process takes months or you have an urgent opening to fill, Edwin Ebreo, president of human resources (HR) consulting firm ExeQserve, says businesses should give ample attention to their recruitment techniques.
ExeQserve president Edwin Ebreo gives a human resources talk in this undated photo.
"Hiring is everything. Think about lost sales opportunities, lost customers due to poor service [and] unnecessary costs due to wrong management decisions," Mr. Ebreo said in an email.
HR workers are assigned to accept and review resumes, contact applicants, facilitate tests and then hold interviews. "It's the hiring managers who often have no training in interviewing. It's not only about asking the right kinds of questions but what to make of the answers given by candidates," said Mr. Ebreo.
During an interview, HR staff must try to identify if the applicant has all the necessary competencies—knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits—for the job, Mr. Ebreo explained. "Cultural fit is also very important. Will that person succeed in the company given the boss's style and that of the rest of the team?"
Mr. Ebreo shared his rules of thumb for those conducting an interview. "Be on time; sell the company's employer brand, but do not oversell to a point that the potential employees are unaware of the challenges of the job; and build rapport with the candidate."
On punctuality, Mr. Ebreo said, "HR should learn to minimize [pre-interview] waiting time." He also suggested having a television set and refreshments in the company's holding area to keep candidates from getting bored when delays cannot be helped.
Some companies may keep applicants waiting long as a test to see how much they want the position up for grabs. "It's not an indicator of future performance," said Mr. Ebreo.
"I've seen [applicant mistreatment] happen in several companies, specially ones where they have to process a lot of candidates," said Mr. Ebreo. The HR practitioner warned against treating job applicants rudely; "A negative applicant experience can be shared on the web and can become part of the company's online reputation."
In addition, "companies should be making efforts [to] attract good candidates," he said. Thanks to the HR manager's friendliness, applicants who do not land the job may still recommend the opening to their peers.
If an interviewee is being impolite, "I will call the person's attention and then end the interview. I make the best effort to be nice to my interviewee, [but] do not tolerate treatment that is undeserved," said Mr. Ebreo.
Besides releasing job ads and going through screenings, headhunting is another recruitment option. "Your future best employee may not even [be] interested in your job opening. What do you do about that? You find them and convince them to join your company," said Mr. Ebreo.
ExeQserve conducts training workshops on recruitment and organizational development. The company is located at Unit 404, VGP Center, Ayala Avenue, Makati City. For more information, visit www.exeqserve.com or contact 893-3199.
New Media Group
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New Manila, Quezon City,
1112 Philippines
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Email: New Media Group
