14. Cпособы подбора персонала. Агентства по подбору. Резюме, сопроводительное письмо.

When a company needs to recruit (employ) new people, it may decide to advertise the job (position) in the appointments section of a newspaper. People who are interested can apply for the job by sending in a letter of application (covering letter) and CV (details of education and professional experience, personal details, activities, hobby, personal traits, qualities, recommendations. A company may ask candidates to complete an application form. The company’s human resources department will select the most suitable applications and prepare a short list of applicants, who are invited to attend an interview. Another way to hire is by using the services of a recruiting agency - provide with a list of suitable candidates. They promote position as a product. Useful if u want to hire a foreigner.

Letter of application: As important as CV, it’s first direct contact btw candidate and employer. U make impression. Must be well written, without mistakes. Contain 4 paragraphs:

• Confirm that u wish to apply and say where u learned about the job

• Why u interested in the position and relate ur interests to those of the company

• How that u can contribute to the job by highlighting ur most relevant skills an experience.

• Indicate ur willingness to attend an interview

Preparing to the interview: don’t be nervous, find information about the company, prepare answers to possible questions, smile, be confident, don’t panic (u can try again in other companies)

10 years ago candidate could win the job with the right look and right answers to: why do u want this job.

Now: have to describe in great detail not one career accomplishment but many-so that patterns of behavior emerge. Questions: who is the best manager u ever worked, why, what is ur best friend like—this reveal much about the candidate’s management style and personality. Now candidates are submitted to a series of paper-and-pencil tests, role-playing, simulated decision-making exercises, brainteasers, long series of interviews by psychologists or trained interviewers. Aim – to evaluate candidates on intangible qualities: is he creative or entrepreneurial, can he lead or coach, is he flexible, capable of learning, does he have passion and sense of urgency, how will he function under pressure, will the potential recruit fit the corporate culture. Also measure skills in communication, analysis, organization, attention and management style.

The reason for interrogations is clear: many hires work out badly. 35% of recently hired senior executives – judged failures. Companies are getting more careful about hiring: the cost of bringing the wrong person is huge. Searching and training cost from $5000 for a low-level manager to $250 000 for top executive. Years of Corporate downsizing, that slashed layers of management  increased the potential damage, a bad executive can do.

Employer wants to know how an executive will perform in different environment, not how he did it before.

But still many companies didn’t shift to this practice: haven’t started the extensive testing, but toughened their hiring practices, do background checks: looking for signs of drug use, violence or sexual harassment.

Usually: so little information on which to base a decision, most people hire the person they like, rather than the most competent one. Scientist say that personality traits and motivation predict performance.

Etiquette- priority number one. Good manners can make life easier.

How to select the best candidate

Remember: people don’t change. Intelligence level decline modestly, but changes little over their working life. Personality can change but not much: extroverts become slightly less extroverted. Skills can be improved and new ones introduce. BETTER to select for what u see, rather than attempt to change.