Human resource management

Lavric Ilinca

Human resource management

Human resource management is the management of an organization's human resources, or workers. It is responsible for theattraction,selection,training,assessment, and rewarding of employees, while also overseeing organizational leadership and culture, and ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws. In circumstances where employees desire and are legally authorized to hold a collective bargaining agreement, HR will typically also serve as the company's primary liaison with the employees' representatives (usually a labor union). HR is a product of the human relations movement of the early 20th century, when researchers began documenting ways of creating business value through the strategic management of the workforce. The function was initially dominated by transactional work such as payroll and benefits administration, but due to globalization, company consolidation, technological advancement, and further research, HR now focuses on strategic initiatives like mergers and acquisitions,talent management,succession planning,industrial and labor relations, and diversity and inclusion. Whereas in startup companies HR's duties may be performed by a handful of trained professionals or even by non-HR personnel, larger companies typically house an entire functional group dedicated to the discipline, with staff specializing in various HR tasks and functional leadership engaging in strategic decision making across the business. To train practitioners for the profession, institutions of higher education, professional associations, and companies themselves have created programs of study dedicated explicitly to the duties of the function. Academic and practitioner organizations likewise seek to engage and further the field of HR, as evidenced by several fieldspecific publications.

Careers There are almost half a million HR practitioners in the United States and thousands more worldwide.The Chief HR Officer is the highest ranking HR executive in most companies and typically reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and works with the Board of Directors on CEO succession. Within companies, HR positions generally fall into one of two categories: generalist and specialist. Generalists support employees directly with their questions, grievances, and projects. They "may handle all aspects of human resources work, and thus require an extensive range of knowledge. The responsibilities of human resources generalists can vary widely, depending on their employer's needs.Specialists, conversely, work in a specific HR function. Some practitioners will spend an entire career as either a generalist or a specialist while others will obtain experiences from each and choose a path later. Being an HR manager consistently ranks as one of the best jobs, with a #4 ranking by CNN Money in 2006 and a #20 ranking by the same organization in 2009, due to its pay, personal satisfaction, job security, future growth, and benefit to society. Human resource consulting is a related career path where individuals may work as advisers to companies and complete tasks outsourced from companies. In 2007, there were 950 HR consultancies globally, constituting a USD $18.4 billion market. The top five revenue generating firms were Mercer, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, Watson Wyatt (now part of Towers Watson),Aon(now merged with Hewitt), and PwC consulting.For 2010, HR consulting was ranked the #43 best job in America by CNN Money. The HR department Departments are the entities organizations form to organize people, reporting relationships, and work in a way that best supports the accomplishment of the organization's goals. Departments are usually organized by functions such as human resources, marketing, administration, and sales. But, a department can be organized in any way that makes sense for the customer. Departments can also be organized by customer, by product, or by region of the world. The forward thinking human resource department is devoted to providing effective policies, procedures, and people-friendly guidelines and support within companies. Additionally, the human resource function serves to make sure that the company mission, vision, values or guiding principles, the company metrics, and the factors that keep the company guided toward success are optimized. The most common Human Resource jobs that are grouped in the Human Resource Department are the Human Resources Director, Human Resources Generalist, and Human Resources Assistant. Additionally, some organizations have a Vice President of Human Resources and employees who are organized around providing a specific component of Human Resource services including compensation,

training, organization development, and safety. Are you interested in what a Human Resources generalist, manager, ordirector does? Depending on the size of the organization, these HR jobs may have overlapping responsibilities. In larger organizations, the Human Resources generalist, the manager, and the director have clearly defined, separated roles inHR management with progressively more authority and responsibility in the hands of the manager, the director, and ultimately, the Vice President who may lead several departments including administration. HR directors, and occasionally HR managers, may head up several different departments that are each led by functional or specialized HR staff such as the training manager, the compensation manager, or the recruiting manager. Human Resources staff members are advocates for both the company and the people who work in the company. Consequently, a good HR professional performs a constant balancing act to meet both needs successfully. The Changing Human Resources Role The role of the HR professional is changing. In the past, HR managers were often viewed as the systematizing, policing arm of executive management. Their role was more closely aligned with personnel and administration functions that were viewed by the organization as paperwork. When you consider that the initial HR function, in many companies, comes out of the administration or finance department because hiring employees, paying employees, and dealing with benefits were the organization's first HR needs, this is not surprising. In this role, the HR professional served executive agendas well, but was frequently viewed as a road block by much of the rest of the organization. While some need for this role occasionally remains you wouldnt want every manager putting his own spin on a sexual harassment policy, as an example much of the HR role is transforming itself. New HR Role The role of the HR manager must parallel the needs of his or her changing organization. Successful organizations are becoming more adaptable, resilient, quick to change direction, and customer-centered. Within this environment, the HR professional, who is considered necessary by line managers, is a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate and a change mentor. At the same time, especially the HR Generalist, still has responsibility for employee benefits

administration, often payroll, and employee paperwork, especially in the absence of an HR Assistant. Depending on the size of the organization, the HR manager has responsibility for all of the functions that deal with the needs and activities of the organization's people including these areas of responsibility. Recruiting Hiring Training Organization Development Communication Performance Management Coaching Policy Recommendation Salary and Benefits Team Building Employee Relations Leadership With all of this in mind, in Human Resource Champions, Dave Ulrich, one of the best thinkers and writers in the HR field today, and a professor at the University of Michigan, recommends three additional roles for the HR manager. HR Role: Business and Strategic Partner In todays organizations, to guarantee their viability and ability to contribute, HR managers need to think of themselves as strategic partners. In this role, the HR person contributes to the development of and the accomplishment of the organization-wide business plan and objectives. The HR business objectives are established to support the attainment of the overall strategic business plan and objectives. The tactical HR representative is deeply knowledgeable about the design of work systems in which people succeed and contribute. This strategic partnership impacts HR services such as the design of work positions; hiring; reward, recognition and strategic pay; performance development and appraisal systems; career and succession planning; and employee development. To be successful business partners, the HR staff members have to think like business people, know finance and accounting, and be accountable and responsible for cost reductions and the measurement of all HR programs and processes. It's not enough to ask for a seat at the executive table; HR people will have to prove they have the business savvy necessary to sit there. HR Role: Employee Advocate As an employee sponsor or advocate, the HR manager plays an integral role in organizational success via his

or her knowledge about and advocacy of the employees. This advocacy includes expertise in how to create a work environment in which people will choose to be motivated, contributing, engaged, and happy. Fostering effective methods of goal setting, communication and empowerment through responsibility, builds employee ownership of the organization. The HR professional helps establish the organizational culture and climate in which people have the competency, concern and commitment to serve customers well. In this role, the HR manager provides employee development opportunities, employee assistance programs, gain sharing and profit-sharing strategies, organization development interventions, due process approaches to employee complaints and problem solving, and regularly scheduled communication opportunities. HR Role: Change Champion The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR professional to frequently champion change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make the HR professional exceptionally valued. Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change. The HR professional contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. He or she also sponsors and supports change in other departments and in work practices. To promote the overall success of his or her organization, the HR professional champions the identification of the organizational strategic plan: mission, vision, values, goals and action plans. Finally, he or she helps determine the measures that will tell the organization how well it is

Business Management Success Tips

Why Human Resources Leaders Need Degree

Human Resources leaders need degrees. If you are considering a career in Human Resources, or trying to advance your current career, a Bachelors degree, and even a Masters degree, will assist you to achieve your goals and dreams. Degrees have become more important in most fields, but nowhere has the shift occurred quite as dramatically as in HR. As organizational expectations of the potential contributions of an HR pro have increased, the need for the HR leader to possess both experience and a degree has increased, too. In fact, a degree is becoming essential. I cant say that I would never consider a candidate for a role in HR leadership who didnt have a degree never say never but, why would an organization select a candidate who has experience and no degree, over a candidate with experience and a degree? (I am making the assumption that the organization likes both candidates and their cultural fit and experience are equal.) In my experience in hiring, I have found college degrees, that have emphasized well-rounded understanding of the fundamentals, quite predictive of future success. We can all name an exception. My fathers best friend quit school after seventh grade, founded nursing homes, and is the richest person I know. But, he is an exception. Hiring Human Resources Leaders, Who Have Earned a Degree, Sends a Powerful Message A degreed HR leader will generally prove more effective and more sought after than a person without a degree. Heres why. The staff members the HR leader will supervise increasingly have degrees. An MBA and a Business degree with a concentration in HR or organization development are becoming more common. So are candidates with degrees in psychology, sociology, and other areas of liberal arts. Degreed staff will look up to an HR leader with degrees. The staff members whom the HR leader advises will increasingly have degrees. As the HR leader progresses up the organization chart, his or her peers will increasingly have degrees and MBAs. Especially as a company grows and hires more professional staff, degrees become the norm. The HR leader needs to possess the same ticket to be a sought after confidant and advisor. The degree is step one in joining the club. Especially for salaried positions, degrees plus experience rank highly among the traits, skills, and characteristics identified as needed and desired from people selected to fill most of the leadership positions in organizations. A college degree and the coursework associated with earning that degree have long been touted as producers of well-rounded knowledgeable candidates who can think and solve problems, and who have proven they can stick with a goal and complete it. Just one college website advertises its graduates: Among Skidmore College graduates, you'll find young men and women prepared to both think critically, and to apply skills practically and professionally in a variety of settings ... Skidmore's distinctive integration of the traditional liberal arts with preparation for professions, careers, and community leadership equips our students exceptionally well for excellence in today's increasingly complex world. The HR leader is usually the education and development leader for the organization. The individual who leads in this role should be able to demonstrate the value of education in their own life. The HR leader generally serves as the initiator of processes that identify and encourage high potential staff. This role includes encouraging employees to attend school to further develop their skills and capacities. Additionally, the HR leader assesses the need for and often delivers training and development sessions to others in the organization. The degree brings credibility to his or her ability to do these activities. Recognize that this is an opinion, and I am unaware of data that support this opinion, but I generally find that HR people without degrees lack knowledge and experience in organization development,

strategic business management, and management development. They lack some of the educational and developmental leadership background and skills of their more educated counterparts. At the same time, they often have deeper knowledge in transactional areas as they generally worked their way up over the years from an early payroll or administration job. Indeed, they usually have indepth knowledge of employment law and policy and procedure making, too. In summary, a degree is becoming essential for an HR professional who plans a leadership role in an organization. In fact, I believe that a Masters degree, a JD degree, or even a PhD. will eventually be the degrees of choice for HR leaders. Certification through the Society for Human Resources Management is becoming more common as well. Will you be ready to compete for the best HR jobs and opportunities? by Susan Heathfield-Human Resources expert

How to Break Into a Career in Human Resources Jobs in Human Resources From Heather Johnson, Many people are eager to start a career in Human Resources, as it is a fast-growing field with many lucrative opportunities. Career analysts expect the number of HR jobs to increase in the projected future and the median annual income is above the national average. For these reasons and more, you are probably wondering how to start an HR career of your own. You will find some useful information below that will guide you through the process. Education and Training for a Human Resources Career There are HR professionals with a wide variety of educational backgrounds. However, many HR positions require candidates with a minimum of a four-year degree. A bachelor's degree in human resources, personnel or some other related subject will offer the best training for an HR career. Such a degree will also be more highly regarded amongst hiring managers. This is not to imply that current HR professionals without degrees are unsuccessful. Many HR professionals have developed successful careers in Human Resources without degrees. Times are changing in all professional fields, however. If you're starting out or thinking about switiching to a career in Human Resources post 2000, you need to obtain a degree. If you would like to pursue a managerial position or specialized career in HR, some schools offer business degrees that are more focused on a certain area of human resources. Naturally, a graduatelevel degree in a related field will help to place you on more hiring shortlists. Whether you pursue a general HR degree or a more specialized practice within HR, you should be sure to take courses that cover topics such as management, recruitment, training and compensation. Of course, there are many other business courses that relate to the HR field, so an interdisciplinary program is good. In addition to a college degree, many professionals will have the opportunity to seek certification in certain HR disciplines. In fact, large companies will sometimes offer workshops and classes that broaden an existing professional's HR skills. By completing a professional certification course, you

can increase your earning potential. Examples of certifications include the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). If you are already working in an entry-level HR position, earning a certification could help boost your career. Likewise, it could help you transition from a different department to an HR position. Finding Work Within the Human Resources Field Finding a position within the HR industry is similar to finding any other kind of job. There are many online resources for jobseekers, such as About.com's Job Search, Monster, and CareerBuilder. In addition to those general career sites, however, there are online job board resources that are more specific to the HR field. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), for example, offers a job board that is primarily for HR professionals. Additional job boards specialize in the field of Human Resources. Some businesses will first look for candidates within the company. Keep this in mind if you are currently working for a large company and wish to enter the HR department. If your company has an internal resource for new positions, such as a private online job board or internal job postings, check regularly for your chance to get your foot in the door. More candidates for HR jobs are finding their way into HR careers via professional networking and online social networking sites these days, too. If you're still a student, or just out of college, an internship in an HR department can provide the relevant experience you need for your HR job search. Just like any other profession, finding a career in HR is easiest for those with a college degree in the field and /or professional certification. But, people with related majors in such areas as business, sociology, psychology, and social sciences are also considered, especially for more entry level jobs. There are many HR positions available and there will be more opportunities in the future. With the proper training and some diligent job seeking, you can join other HR professionals in what is a most lucrative and satisfying career.

Transition to a Career in Human Resource Management Tips About Transitioning into Human Resource Management By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide People take widely divergent paths on their journey to working in Human Resource management. They enter Human Resource management by luck and by design and they stay because they enjoy the work and the people. Common themes emerge when you listen to the stories people tell about their transition into Human Resource management. People say they: Started in an administrative role with a company and gradually took on more Human Resource management work over time. Decided they wanted to work in Human Resource management and networked with HR professionals in community organizations and the Society for Human Resource Management until an opportunity appeared. Worked in another role in their company, made their desire to move to Human Resource management clear to managers and Human Resources, and applied when an opening became available.

Worked in a component of Human Resource management, like training or recruiting, grew to like the field, and wanted to learn the whole HR role. Decided to try the field of Human Resource management and took some classes or earned the PHR to prepare to enter the field. Majored in sociology or psychology, people-oriented subjects, with no career path in mind, and saw a good fit with Human Resource management. Applied for and worked in Human Resource management internships. Advice About Transitioning into Human Resource Management Readers offered these tips to enhance your chances of moving into Human Resource management: Review your prior employment, education, and experiences. Tailor your resume and cover letters to highlight the components that qualify you for a career in Human Resource management. Don't expect your prospective employer to connect the dots; the employer won't take the time and you will shatter your hopes for an interview. An interview will allow you to further emphasize the connection between your skills and interests and the HR job for which you are applying. Network with people who post HR jobs and influence decisions about who is hired for a position in Human Resource management. Network also in online social media networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter and the many Human Resources communities that exist at locations such as job boards, SHRM, and Workforce magazine. Make your workplace aware that you are interested in an HR role and ask what you need to do to be prepared when an HR opening occurs. If they don't know, they can't help you grow your career in HR. Stories About Transitioning to Human Resource Management Pam Sheirer says: "I am currently trying to transition into a Human Resources field (environmental health and safety management). "So far, I been able to dust off some long unused experience in chemistry and some peripheral experience in safety, to be able to fill a niche, a temporary need at work. I also took as many classes, as I could find that would help me achieve my goals. I used all of that, and some excellent recommendations to apply for and be accepted to a Masters Program in Safety. I'm hoping that will help me be able to permanently transition into a safety manager's position. "You have to be open to opportunities that exist where you currently work, express a desire to help, and use each experience as a series of steps leading to your final goal." Sheila M. Krueger says: "I made the transition from an R&D/Technical position into the HR area when our expertise was needed to implement their HRIS solution. I learned a lot about the 'business' of HR during the implementation and found a way to be valuable to that department by blending my technical expertise and technical skills. After eight years in that blended role, I was able to move to another company where I use my technical skills again, but in concentrating on the compensation side of HR." Jeff Bettinger says: "I made the transition to HR. I reviewed my previous positions and looked at the HR functions within those positions. I then tailored a resume to highlight those functions. I began networking

with HR professionals in my community. Within six weeks, I had three offers. Since that time I have been promoted twice. The most important thing you can do is network. The schooling/certifications can follow. You need someone on the inside to help you get there. Many in HR have landed there after working in other parts of the company." Cathy (Hackney) O'Brien says: "I'm in my first job in a coporate HR setting. Years ago, I was a recruiter at a staffing service, which actually aided in getting this current position. For many years, I worked in Higher Education, Student Services Administration. Most of these positions included hiring and training student staff. Since moving to California, I wanted to work for Disney, but wasn't sure in what capacity. I checked their on-line job postings weekly, and finally came across a Human Resources position that would use my transferable skills from higher education and the staffing industry. I did not go back to school, and do not have a degree or certificate in HR." Rob Wells, PHR (LION), says: "My experience was similar to some of the stories others tell. I was an outside salesman for quite sometime and moved to an agency recruiting position as my product was phased out. From there I began networking in HR circles like SHRM meetings and landed a position in a corporate setting as an Human Resources Generalist." Maria Clara Whitaker says: "I transitioned into Human Resources from the academic clinical research field. Specifically, I boarded the main instrument of my dissertation, the MBTI, and headed towards the vast world of HR consulting."

How to Prepare for a Career in Human Resources

Liking people is not the only qualification for pursuing a career in Human Resources. It helps, but it is insufficient for success. Human Resources jobs and careers continue to grow in sophistication and the expectations of employers increase every year. Employee development, employee retention, and a positive, motivating work environment are critical to business success. In Human Resources, like any other career, some minimum requirements exist to enter the field. But, you have the opportunity to continue to develop these skills and experiences as you work in Human Resources and are promoted into higher level, more responsible roles. In smaller companies, one or a few HR staff members wear many hats and do HR generalist work with responsibility for all aspects of HR. In larger companies, an HR Director or Vice President might head up multiple departments led by managers who specialize in areas such as training and development, compensation and benefits, or labor relations. Because of the variety of positions in the field called Human Resources, the opportunity to find a work setting that suits your skills and strengths, your preference for company size or your desire to specialize or generalize, is great. The more of the following skills and qualifications you possess, the more likely you are to be hired and later promoted in Human Resources. Degrees to Prepare for a Career in Human Resources The Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts that career and job opportunities will be most available in Human Resources for people who keep these three key points in mind: "The educational backgrounds of these workers vary considerably, reflecting the diversity of duties and levels of responsibility. "Certification and previous experience are assets for most specialties, and are essential for more advanced positions, including managers, arbitrators, and mediators. "College graduates who have earned certification should have the best job opportunities." Many colleges and universities have educational programs that lead to degrees in Human Resources, HR specialties such as training and development, or business. Depending on the school you choose, courses leading to a career in Human Resources management will be found in departments such as business, education, instructional design or technology, organization development, human services, communication, or public administration. Coursework to Prepare for a Career in Human Resources People who want to work successfully in Human Resources should take courses in business, social sciences such as psychology and sociology, and finance. The Occupational Outlook Handbook specifically recommends: "Most prospective human resources specialists should take courses in compensation, recruitment, training and development, and performance appraisal, as well as courses in principles of management, organizational structure, and industrial psychology. Other relevant courses include business administration, public administration, psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and statistics. Courses in labor law, collective bargaining, labor economics, labor history, and industrial psychology also provide a valuable background for the prospective labor relations specialist." Graduate Programs to Prepare for a Career in Human Resources

If you are considering a career in Human Resources, you need to know that many professionals are also pursuing Masters degrees in Human Resources, Organization Development, Business Administration (MBA), and other fields. A Masters degree will eventually be required if you are in competition for the best jobs. Some HR professionals say that the Masters is the new Bachelors degree in the field. And, because of the challenge of employment law, more Human Resources professionals are obtaining law degrees or transferring into Human Resources from the legal profession. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook: "Many labor relations jobs require graduate study in industrial or labor relations. A strong background in industrial relations and law is highly desirable for contract negotiators, mediators, and arbitrators; in fact, many people in these specialties are lawyers. A background in law also is desirable for employee benefits managers and others who must interpret the growing number of laws and regulations. A masters degree in human resources, labor relations, or in business administration with a concentration in human resources management is highly recommended for those seeking general and top management positions." Qualifications to Prepare for a Career in Human Resources Some of the key skills and personal qualifications you will need to work successfully in Human Resources include: Effective interpersonal skills so you can interact successfully. Knowledge of computers and information systems. Effective spoken and written communication. Comfort with diverse people who have various educational levels, cultural heritages, religious practices, ages, work experience, and opinions. Understanding of statistics and finance. Conflict resolution skills. Able to set and accomplish goals and work as a member of a team. Demonstrate a high level of integrity, confidentiality, and fairness. Experience to Prepare for a Career in Human Resources It is difficult to break into a career in Human Resources above the entry level. Successive positions at the HR generalist and manager level, or above, require the knowledge and experience obtained in entry-level positions. Occasionally, experienced individuals who have held managerial-type positions in business, government, or the military might be considered for positions above entry level. They should consider obtaining certifications or taking coursework related to their Human Resources area of interest in preparation. If you are seeking an entry level HR position, try to obtain some experience while you are in college as an intern. Even part time work or an internship in other fields adds to your potential as a candidate. Leadership roles in clubs, volunteer experiences, club or college sports, and real world projects for a company add to your credibility as a candidate.

EMPLOY PEOPLE!
Hiring Employees: A Checklist for Success in Hiring Employees How to Recruit and Hire the Best By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide Selection and Hiring Checklist Want to recruit and hire a superior workforce? This checklist for hiring employees will help you systematize your process for hiring employees, whether it's your first employee or one of many employees you are hiring. This hiring employees checklist helps you keep track of your recruiting efforts. This hiring employees checklist communicates both the recruiting and the hiring process and progress in recruiting to the hiring manager. Your feedback and comments are welcome to improve this checklist for hiring employees. Checklist for Hiring Employees Determine the need for a new or replacement position. Think creatively about how to accomplish the work without adding staff (improve processes, eliminate work you dont need to do, divide work differently, etc.). Hold a recruiting planning meeting with the recruiter, the HR leader, the hiring manager, and, potentially, a coworker or internal customer. Develop and prioritize the key requirements needed from the position and the special qualifications, traits, characteristics, and experience you seek in a candidate. (These will assist your Human Resources department to write the classified ad; post the job online and on your Web site; and screen resultant resumes for potential candidate interviews.) With HR department assistance, develop the job description for the position. Determine the salary range for the position. Decide whether the department can afford hiring employees to fill the position. Post the position internally on the "Job Opportunities bulletin board for one week. If you anticipate difficulty finding a qualified internal candidate for the position, state in the posting that you are advertising the position externally at the same time. Send an all-company email to notify staff that a position has been posted and that you are hiring employees. All staff members encourage talented, qualified, diverse internal candidates to apply for the position. (If you are the hiring supervisor, as a courtesy, let the current supervisor know if you are talking to his or her reporting staff member.) Interested internal candidates fill out the Internal Position Application. Schedule an interview, for internal candidates, with the hiring supervisor, the manager of the hiring supervisor or a customer of the position and HR. (In all cases, tell the candidates the timelines you anticipate the interview process will take.) Hold the interviews with each interviewer clear about their role in the interview process. (Culture fit, technical qualifications, customer responsiveness and knowledge are several of the screening responsibilities you may want your interviewers to assume.) Interviewers fill out the Job Candidate Evaluation Form. If no internal candidates are selected for the position, make certain you clearly communicate

with the applicants that they were not selected. Whenever possible, provide feedback that will help the employee continue to develop their skill and qualifications. Use this feedback as an opportunity to help the employee continue to grow their career. If an internal candidate is selected for the position, make a written job offer that includes the new job description and salary. Agree on a transition timeline with the internal candidates current supervisor. If you've created another internal opening, begin again. End the search. If no qualified internal candidates apply, extend the search to external candidates, if you didn't advertise the position simultaneously. Develop your candidate pool of diverse applicants. Spread word-of-mouth information about the position availability in your industry and to each employees network of friends and associates. Network and post jobs on online social media sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Ask your employees to publicize the position through their online social media networks. Place a classified ad in newspapers with a delivery reach that will create a diverse candidate pool. Recruit online. Post the classified ad on jobs and newspaper-related websites including the company website. Post the position on professional association websites. Talk to university career centers. Contact temporary help agencies. Brainstorm other potential ways to locate a well-qualified pool of candidates for each position. Through your recruiting efforts, you've developed a pool of candidates. People are applying for your open job. Whether you have developed a candidate pool in advance of the job opening or you are searching from scratch, the development of a qualified pool of candidates is crucial. Send postcards or emails to each applicant to acknowledge receipt of the resume. (State that if the candidate appears to be a good match for the position, relative to your other applicants, you will contact them to schedule an interview. If not, you will keep their application/resume on file for a year in case other opportunities arise.)

Behavioral Interview: Use a Behavioral Interview to Select the Best How To Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

Want to know the best way to identify whether a candidate's characteristics and motivations match the behaviors needed for your job? A behavioral interview is the best tool you have to identify candidates who have the behavioral traits and characteristics you believe are essential for success in your open job. Additionally, in a behavioral interview, you ask the candidate to pinpoint specific instances in which a particular behavior was exhibited in the past. In the best behavioral interview, the candidate is unaware of the behavior the interviewer is verifying. The actual behavioral interview is preceded by behavioral trait identification and a job description. The upfront work makes the behavioral interview effective and successful. Here's what you need to know about how to prepare for and conduct a behavioral interview. How to Conduct an Effective Behavioral Interview Start your preparation for a behavioral interview by identifying what you want the employee to be able to do in the open job. Use a job specification and write a job description to describe the requirements of the position. Determine the required outputs and performance success factors for the job. Determine the characteristics and traits of the individual whom you believe will succeed in that job. If you have employees successfully performing the job currently, list the traits, characteristics, and skills that they bring to the job. Narrow the list to your key behavioral traits you believe that a candidate needs to be able to perform the job. Write a job posting that describes the behavioral characteristics in the text. Make sure the characteristics or requirements section of your job description lists the same behavioral characteristics. Make a list of questions, both behavioral and traditional, to ask each candidate during the behavioral interview. A structured list of behavioral interview questions makes candidate selection more defensible and allows you to make comparisons between the various answers and approaches of your interviewees. Review the resumes, cover letters, and other job application materials you receive, with the behavioral traits and characteristics in mind. Phone screen the candidates who have caught your attention with their qualifications, if necessary, to further narrow the candidate pool. You want to schedule the most qualified candidates for a behavioral interview. Schedule interviews with the candidates who most appear to have the behavioral characteristics, along with the skills, experience, education, and the other factors you would normally screen for in your application review. Ask your list of behavioral and traditional questions of each candidate during the behavioral interview. Narrow your candidate choices based on their responses to the behavioral and traditional interview questions. Complete the selection process using these recommended steps. Select your candidate with the right mix of knowledge, experience, and behavioral characteristics that match the needs of the job guiding your decision.

Use a Behavioral Interview to Assess Candidates

Characteristics Identified for the Behavioral Interview Behavioral characteristics identified by the interview team included: Adaptable Articulate Accountable Perseverance Listener High energy Confident High integrity Self-directed Focused Effective networker Money hungry Enthusiastic The company prepared a job description that reflected these behavioral characteristics. Then, the company posted the job in a variety of online and offline locations. Behavioral Job Posting for Sales Representative Part of the job posting stated: "Successful track record in selling and customer account management for small, medium and large customer accounts; high, demonstrated energy levels; extremely motivated to succeed; accountable for results; computer skills in Microsoft Windows products including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; "excellent written and verbal communication skills; interacts with and works well with others in various fast changing, environments/situations including strong networking and listening skills; effective problem solving skills; able to motivate others through persuasion and leadership; able to prioritize, manage time and orchestrate multiple tasks simultaneously; able to maintain selfconfidence and high self esteem in tasks such as cold calling and prospecting; "able to effectively work independently or in a team environment; able to maintain company and customer confidentiality; practices corporate and personal integrity on the highest level. "Salary and commissions commensurate with contribution." Resumes and cover letters were screened for the stated behavioral and traditional characteristics and traits listed. Interviews were set up with the most likely candidates. Behavioral Interview Questions

These are examples of behavioral interview questions that were asked of the candidates. Keep in mind that the employer is seeking evidence of the behavioral traits established at the beginning of the hiring process. The applicant may or may not have figured out the behavioral characteristics the employer is seeking. If the candidate read the job posting carefully and prepared for the behavioral interview, a savvy candidate will have a good idea about what behavioral traits the employer is seeking. Tell me about a time when you obtained a new customer through networking activities. Give me an example of a time when you obtained a customer through cold calling and prospecting. How did you approach the customer? What are your three most important work related values? Then, please provide an example of a situation in which you demonstrated each value at work. Think of a customer relationship you have maintained for multiple years. Please tell me how you have approached maintaining that relationship. Your manufacturing facility shipped the wrong order to one of your important customers. Describe how you solved this problem both internally and externally. The quantity of parts and the part numbers of items available for sale change daily. Talk to me about how you have handled similar situations in the past. If you are hired as our sales representative, you may see the need to change the organization of the department. How have you approached such situations in the past? Give me an example of a time when your integrity was tested and yet prevailed in a selling situation. Following the Behavioral Interview With answers to behavioral questions such as these, you have comparisons you can make between your candidates and you can assess their approaches to selling. You have a good idea about how the candidate has approached selling situations similar to yours in the past. The values and behavioral characteristics and traits you have identified and sought out give you a much better idea about whether the selected candidate is a good fit for your position. Use a behavioral interview to select the sales representative most likely to succeed.