Tag: hiring

Talent Tip #47: Avoid Alka Seltzer with Writing Samples, Tests

July 15, 2013

A while back, a client of mine developed a raging case of heartburn after learning a new hire didn’t have the writing skills the client thought he did.  The employee excelled in other areas, but no Billy Shakespeare was he.

Despite having requested writing samples during the interview process, the organization realized it misjudged the person’s ability to write – a core function of the position. For a while my client downed Alka Seltzer like Pez – until he…

Talent Tip #42: Recommendation Investigations, Your Reputation, Kiss Cams, and My Dream World

February 19, 2013

I know what you’re thinking. How in the Sam Hill is she going to tie all these things together? Well, stay with me.

In the last few weeks, I’ve seen some interesting things transpire related to recommendations, referrals, and references.  It occurs to me that there are three issues we should discuss. Here goes.

1. Recommendation Investigation: Is a Referral Necessarily a Recommendation?  Hiring managers often receive applications that start with lines like this, “My friend John Doe suggested I apply for this role.”…

Talent Tip #41: Work-Life Balance Policies, Part II: A Key to Attracting and Retaining Talent

January 22, 2013

As the fog of Auld Lang Syne and bubbly lifts, you may remember that last month in this space we offered up valuable advice about work-life balance from the good folks at Illinois Policy Institute. The underlying idea was that work-life balance policies help organizations attract and retain their most valuable asset – people.

This month we’re sharing eight more policies an organization should consider if it wants to maximize staff happiness and performance.

Once again, special thanks to Kristina Rasmussen, Executive Vice President of Illinois Policy…

Talent Tip #34: “I’ll Call You”: Rejecting Candidates After the Interview

June 19, 2012

Picture this sad scenario: a sweet, impressionable girl waits by the phone for a boy to call. They went on a date the week before, and he ended their date with these prophetic words: I’ll call you.

Of course, the boy never intended to call. It’s just that saying “I’ll call you” is a cleaner finale than “You’re a nice girl, but I’m not looking to get serious. I’d rather the fleas of a thousand camels infest my armpits than…

Talent Tip #32: Friends Don’t Offer Friends Questionable Job-Seeking Advice

April 17, 2012

There’s a troubling phenomenon afoot in the job-hunting universe: friends are giving friends some really questionable advice. Trying to land a new job is hard enough, but it’s just plain rough if your friends are working against you!

Here’s a recent example of the shenanigans. A candidate I was working with refused to provide information that my client requested. The information was standard: five years of tax returns, her personal diary, the results of a Rorschach inkblot test, a urinalysis,…

Talent Tip #31: Don’t Call Us – We’ll Call You (Or Maybe Not)

March 13, 2012

Are you wondering why there’s a photo of Spike Lee right here? No worries – I’ll get to that in a second.

Last month we covered the topic of nonprofits having difficulties with hiring due to reputational issues. Now we’re going to tackle the nonprofit’s point of view when considering a candidate with a questionable reputation.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sent a promising candidate to one of my clients, only to have my client say they…