The idea of redirecting recruiters toward internal movement and succession planning seems like a good one, but I’m afraid it is another dead-end recruiting street unless some basic principles are applied. Wrong-Way Thinking There is a common fallacy among a significant number of people that anyone can do anything: a good-looking applicant will make a high performing... [full article »]

Time and again I read recommendations for evaluating quality of hire. Ask the managers, ask the employees, ask an astrologer. None of these things will ever give you more than a subjective opinion about the kind of information you need to improve the quality of hire. Here’s why. Imagine advertising for superheroes. There are a dozen... [full article »]

The phone rings. Someone on the other end says he or she wants to build (or buy) a Web-enabled hiring test. Let’s say it will be for salespeople (generally the caller is a recruiter or HR manager, but sometimes he or she is a gopher). After discussing the idea for a few minutes, I make a... [full article »]

Every so often, I come across shameful hiring information included in newsletters. I always thought journalists were supposed to research their facts; however, in a recent career newsletter, there were three articles that immediately got my attention. If any readers come across articles like these, may I suggest you flame the author for reporting pure... [full article »]

Get used to it: unless your organization hires everyone who applies, you are testing. Some people (even attorneys who should know better) vigorously deny that their organizations test applicants (pssst?interviews are tests!). Whether an organization uses verbal questions or written questions, they both have the same objective: to separate qualified applicants from unqualified ones before spending... [full article »]

It’s a common assumption. A good sales manager should first be a good salesperson, right? Wrong. It is a big jump from being a skilled “doer” to being a skilled “coach of doers.” In many cases, the top sales person is an enigma. Salespeople are ego-driven and competitive and want to be recognized and rewarded. But... [full article »]

Decreasing turnover and increasing productivity can be a natty problem. Solutions usually come in one strength: weak. That is, incentive programs, public awards, and social get-togethers generally fail to make a long-term financial impression. I won’t claim that employee appreciation programs aren’t a nice touch; after all, everyone wants to feel appreciated. But such recognition does... [full article »]

I really don’t like being a resident doomsayer, but organizational hiring and promotional practices are generally so abysmal that I am compelled to make it a big issue. Take EEOC tracking, for example. Most people think all they have to do is send in routine normal reports. Not so. They should be monitoring adverse impact... [full article »]

Once a week I get called by someone, usually an administrative assistant, asking if I have a personality test. When I try to get more information, she usually tells me her boss wants the test and she just wants the price. I tell her, “Sorry. I sell solutions, not tests.” [full article »]

Sure, it’s easy to say engineering, legal, IT, or actuarial jobs require technical degrees. People in these professions need a substantial amount of education to practice their trade. But we all know from watching folks in these professions that it takes more than a sheepskin to be successful. Sometimes, it takes certain personality factors to... [full article »]

A large number of readers recently rushed in to confirm that military hires were “slam-dunk” employees. Almost every story was backed with a personal anecdote and criticism was branded downright unpatriotic. I spent a few years in the military and have the highest respect for those who put their lives on the line. I encourage every... [full article »]

Some of you might have heard or read about Google and its bio-data applicant screening process. As cited in a recent New York Times article, its basic approach is supposed to be simple: [full article »]

Assessment! What a concept! Imagine a world where job applicants are screened for their job skills?before being hired! Wow! Assessment = Judgment = Test = Interview = Application = Resume [full article »]

Almost every sales applicant experiences interviews and tests. Is this good or bad? It’s hard to tell. Although it would take dynamite to separate most hiring managers from their favorite test, few organizations have conducted studies showing whether its scores predict performance. High production takes more than just “selling the pencil.” It takes a combination of... [full article »]

Being a selection wonk, I continually look for disconnects between company policy and employment practices. Glaring examples tend to occur when I have a problem and need assistance from an employee who was supposed to be hired for his or her customer-service skills. A Promise Made [full article »]

The Wall Street Journal recently posted an audio weblog describing the hiring practices used by a well-known Internet service provider. Apparently, some people believe this provider is setting some kind of hiring example. However, after listening to the recording, I think it is a better example of a hiring process that sounds good on the surface,... [full article »]

Much of my career has been spent managing, training, and hiring salespeople. In almost every organization, it seems that well-meaning sales managers hinder the hiring process, salespeople actively resist training, and high turnover is the norm. Nowhere have I seen this trend more exaggerated than in financial services. The sales turnover numbers in this industry stagger... [full article »]

Consider the following disparate facts: In 2004, approximately 58% of traffic accidents were due to improper driving (source: InfoPlease.com); in August, approximately 36% of employees turned over (source: www.nobscot.com). You are probably asking yourself, “What do car accidents and employee turnover have in common?” The answer is, “More than you think!” [full article »]

On more than one occasion, people who should know better have criticized my articles on behavioral interviewing. The gist is they know more than anyone else and make a living promoting an “easier” technique that presumably achieves the same results. Nonsense! These claims can be filed under the “wonder platinum gasoline additive,” the “magnetic mileage improver,”... [full article »]

There’s a trainers’ game called “try harder.” It has two learning points: 1) trying is not the same as doing; and 2) telling someone to “try harder” seldom helps them get the job done. The “try harder” game is played out time after time in recruiting and is a major reason why it does not... [full article »]