Most small business owners are becoming more and more aware of how social media outlets such as Facebook, blogs, and LinkedIn can help to grow their exposure to their target market. We have come to accept this as the new way of doing business and spend a good deal of time communicating through the social media web.
So, now you need an employee. And you decide to begin your search using social media. Hey, it's a lot cheaper than throwing down several hundred dollars on an online ad, right? Well...
The problem with using social media to recruit employees is that you, as the hiring manager, probably will learn too much about your candidates before even interviewing them. Why is this a bad thing? Because some of what you may find out - you don't need to know. Things like race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or religion are not things that can be considered when screening candidates because they bear no information about the qualifications or competencies of an individual. As employers, we must make hiring decisions based on functions of the job - not physical characteristics or other protected classes to which individuals may belong.
If you are going to use social media for recruitment or selection, follow some simple guidelines:
1. Have a purpose in mind for looking at media content. Legal purposes include finding out more about their educational background, their on-the-job experience, or their past positions or companies. If you just go out there just to "snoop", you are probably venturing out onto thin ice.
2. Be forthcoming about your use of social media. Tell candidates that you screen their online presence. Tell them what you are looking for. Ask if there are other places you can search. For instance, some people blog and would LOVE for a potential employer to have a look at it.
3. Have the ultimate decision maker stay away from investigating the social media. Someone from HR would be a better choice. This way, they can act as a filter, communicating only competency based information.
4. Be consistent. Look up all of the candidates, not just just one.
5. Don't assume that the information you have found is accurate. The Internet is an uncensored world, and anyone can post anything they want to. Not everything is credible, so try and verify what you see.
As with any recruitment or selection process, it is important to stay focused on the functions of the job, and how the candidate is either qualified or not qualified for your position.
Happy hiring!
Ericka Heid
HR Now
http://www.h-r-now.com/
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Just how often do job seekers embellish their experience, their education, or their credentials? Sadly, more often than you might think. And more often now that the labor market is so competitive.
How do you know if a candidate is lying? Easy - check it out. It is common for employers to stop checking references, because most of the time we are not able to verify anything but dates of employment and title. But I would encourage you to try again, this time with some smarter techniques.
First, ask the candidate for personal references of YOUR choosing. "Barb, who can I talk to at XYZ company that could tell me more about your involvement with the ABC project?" Then call that person. Ask for at least one reference in each critical project they have been a part of. Sometimes these people are not the "typical" references, but can often provide the most meaningful information.
It is true that the list of references on a candidates resume are going to tell you good things about that person. You, as the hiring manager, don't want to hear good things - you want to hear true things. So, ask questions of that reference that would allow you to assess specific competencies. For example, you need someone who works well within teams, so when you call their reference you'll ask, "Tell me how David worked within a team at your organization. What role did he play? How effective was he at getting things done through teamwork? How was he viewed by his fellow teammates?" This will help you avoid a generic statement like, "David is a real team player" and afford you an opportunity to think critically about David's ability to work in your team environment.
Lastly, and probably most importantly - do check the facts. For each qualified candidate, be sure that you contact at least 2 professional references, call the educational institutions to verify degrees earned, and run a simple background check for criminal convictions. The time you spend on proper due diligence now will save you the headache of a poor employee later.
Happy hiring,
Ericka Heid
www.h-r-now.com
How do you know if a candidate is lying? Easy - check it out. It is common for employers to stop checking references, because most of the time we are not able to verify anything but dates of employment and title. But I would encourage you to try again, this time with some smarter techniques.
First, ask the candidate for personal references of YOUR choosing. "Barb, who can I talk to at XYZ company that could tell me more about your involvement with the ABC project?" Then call that person. Ask for at least one reference in each critical project they have been a part of. Sometimes these people are not the "typical" references, but can often provide the most meaningful information.
It is true that the list of references on a candidates resume are going to tell you good things about that person. You, as the hiring manager, don't want to hear good things - you want to hear true things. So, ask questions of that reference that would allow you to assess specific competencies. For example, you need someone who works well within teams, so when you call their reference you'll ask, "Tell me how David worked within a team at your organization. What role did he play? How effective was he at getting things done through teamwork? How was he viewed by his fellow teammates?" This will help you avoid a generic statement like, "David is a real team player" and afford you an opportunity to think critically about David's ability to work in your team environment.
Lastly, and probably most importantly - do check the facts. For each qualified candidate, be sure that you contact at least 2 professional references, call the educational institutions to verify degrees earned, and run a simple background check for criminal convictions. The time you spend on proper due diligence now will save you the headache of a poor employee later.
Happy hiring,
Ericka Heid
www.h-r-now.com
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