A very familiar conversation has been had in nearly every hiring office: It is difficult to find good people in this current job market. Everyone is feeling the pressure of this talent shortage. Difficulty attracting quality candidates, maintaining competitive pay rates, and retention issues are a very regular struggle. To remain competitive, most businesses have diversified their talent acquisition strategies by creating new incentive programs or partnering with a staffing firm to assist in the search. Regardless of approach, it is clear that in this digital recruiting age, no stone can be left unturned.
Hiring managers have a lot of recruitment assessment tools at our fingertips: resume screening, skills assessments, even digital phone screens can be programmed before an interview takes place. These can be excellent tools for professional placements but what about the labor force? We no longer have the luxury of ruling someone out because their resume is, on the surface, less-than-ideal. Our agency gives every applicant an opportunity to interview. We frequently will meet candidates that present better in person and are able to gauge more from our interaction with them than what we would have just “on paper”. Here are some of the qualities we look for in those interactions:
Engagement
The interview stage is our first opportunity to experience a candidate’s enthusiasm and engagement with work. Engagement is quick to spot: are they maintaining eye contact? Are they giving active answers to questions? Are they asking relevant questions about the job or process? These are all signs that the employee will transfer that engagement from the interview into the workplace.
Open/honest communication
An employment offer is an extension of a long term relationship. Communication in the interview process will help determine culture fit and overall reliability. During the interview, is the person being vague or skirting around questions? Do you find them giving only answers that they think you want to hear?
Flexibility
During the length of employment situations will arise that will demand flexibility on the part of any employee. A flexible employee makes for a happy manager. This is another characteristic that is easy to assess during the interview. When recalling previous employment, do you see trends of flexibility? Do you notice them avoiding certain questions or unwilling to expand discussion? Are they open to other avenues that still employ their skillset?
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If you are feeling the squeeze of the talent shortage and would like to hear more about how our employment agency can help, our Buffalo office would love to hear from you!
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