A guide for Corporate Recruiters and HR Personnel. Collections of the best resources, carefully chosen for their usefulness in helping Employers find, hire and retain the best Employees.

• The Interview Process

• Checklist Employee Contract

• Checklists – Writing Job

• Checklist for Hiring the Best

• Appraisal form

• Hire Overseas Employees

• Salary Negotiation Tips

The Interview Process

Many job applicants misrepresent their true status, background and experience. This is true for both upper and lower entry employees. One survey reported by Inc. magazine indicates the following about job applicants:

• 15% of all job applicants falsify academic qualifications.

• 10% falsely upgrade their academic qualifications.

• 35% claim specific achievements or experiences that are untrue.

• 70% indulge in puffery (upgrading the importance of achievements).

• 12% have some kind of criminal records, including serious automobile convictions.

These statistics define the need of a sound recruitment process. The beginning of a powerful employer-employee relationship begins with the hiring process. The value of placing your efforts and resources into the hiring process cannot be overstated.

Interview Tips for Interviewers:

• Make notes of the question you intend to ask.

• Decide the essential things you need to learn and prepare questions to probe them.

• Plan the environment – privacy, no interruptions, ensure the interviewee is looked after while they wait.

• Put the interviewee at ease – it’s stressful for them, so do not make it any worse.

• Begin by explaining clearly and concisely the general details of the organization and the role.

• Ask open-ended questions Make sure the interviewee does 90% of the talking.

• High pressure rarely exposes hidden issues – calm, relaxed, gentle, clever questions do.

• Probe the CV/ resume / application form to clarify any unclear points.

• If possible and particular for any position above first line, use some form of psychometric test, or graphology and have the results available for the interview, so you can discuss them with the interviewee.

The Interview Process

Employers can avoid most hiring mistakes by simply spending a little more time preparing for the interview in advance. To do a wonderful job of preparing for interviewing and present one's company professionally the following points must be considered:

Before the Interview

1. Determine your options – which skills are vital as opposed to convenient.

2. If other people are going to be involved in the interview process, make sure they have taken the time to prepare for the interview. Each person should have a couple of overlap questions to provide insight on the prospective employee’s responses.

3. Have Company information available for candidates.

4. Allow plenty of time for the interview.

5. Have detailed information about the candidate.

During the Interview

1. Interview the person, not the skill set. Ask question that are, broad, open-ended, job-related, objective, meaning-full, direct, clear, understood & related.

2. Be open and honest with the candidate.

3. Tell the candidate what to expect in the hiring process.

4. Tell them your expectations: career advancement, training, duties, experience expected, the direction, the department is headed in.

5. Show the candidate where they would fit into the organization.

6. Don’t talk money.

Closing the Interview:

1. Insure that you and the candidate have concluded on common ground.

2. Ask if she / he has any other questions.

3. At the end of the interview, if you are interested in the candidate, let them know.

4. Review the next steps with a clear and honest timetable (and stick to it).

5. Be friendly and honest to the end of the interview; don’t give false encouragement or go into details for rejection.

After the Interview:

1. Take time to update the next person in the interview process.

2. Discuss the candidate’s reaction and interest.

3. Rate the applicant on a 1 – 5 scale as a potential Employee.

Visit the prospective employer's website and browse through the "About Us," "Employment," "Careers," "Our People," and "Media" or "News" sections. The State Library and other large public reference libraries will be able to provide newspaper clippings on a given company so it might be worth a visit. An annual report can also be a great source of information and can be picked up from the reception desk of the company you are interviewing with. Again, State Libraries keep the annual reports of government organizations as well as a number of publicly listed companies. If you are going through a recruitment firm, your consultant should be only too happy (and impressed) to help you do your homework.

Employers are required to give employees written particulars of employment. These particulars should include all the legal requirements or consist of a letter of appointment with minimal information plus reference to additional material that defines the conditions of employment.

Many employment contracts contain only vague references to the "policies and procedures to which the employee will be bound". The employer should provide the employee with all of the company policies and other documents that relate to the contract or are referred to in the contract.

Checklist for Employee Contract :

Does the contract/letter of your organization consists of the following details :

Contract Details:

• Full name of an Employer and Employee.

• Address of an Employer

• Place of work of Employee and where the Employee is required or permitted to work at various places, an indication of this.

• Title of job or nature of the work or a brief job description

• Date of commencement of employment.

Pay & Benefits:

• Wages / salary details

• Rate of overtime work (if eligible for overtime pay)

• Any other cash benefits that the employee is entitled to any payment in kind that the employee is entitled to and the value of that payment (e.g. accommodation)

• Any deductions to be made from the employee's remuneration (e.g. Pension / Medical Aid)

• Method of payment and method of calculating wages.

• Additional benefits and any conditions under which they apply e.g. achievement of targets

• Pension Scheme – whether one exists and if so conditions.

• Approvals for any deductions from pay, e.g. pension scheme other than those required by law.

Nature of Contracts

• Type of Contract Permanent, Temporary, Fixed term.

• Duration of a temporary contract or termination date for a fixed term contract.

• Period of notice required to terminate employment, or if employment is for a specified period, the date when employment is to terminate.

Hours of work, Schedule and Overtime

• Number of hours in work week and workday. Procedure for scheduling.

• Alternative work schedules/flex-time.

• Definition of overtime & pay or compensatory time off.

• Advance notice of overtime & right to refuse overtime.

• Staffing and workload standards.

• Meal and rest periods.

• Timekeeping and attendance requirements.

Leaves:

• Annual leave entitlement

• Role of Seniority in scheduling vacations.

• Conditions relating to taking leave e.g. present company holidays or notice requirements.

• Details of any other paid leave entitlements

• Sick leave arrangements and conditions of any benefits.

Disciplinary Procedures

• Details of the disciplinary procedure

• Conditions under which the employer can terminate the contract e.g. gross misconduct.

Grievance Procedure

• Definition of a grievance.

• Stewards’ right to use work time for grievance investigations.

• Employees’ right to union representation.

• Explanations of each step in grievance procedure and time limits at each step.

Health & Safety

• Employer and employee responsibilities

Protection of Business Information

• Details of confidentiality requirements

• Use and misuse of electronic communications and Internet.

About Probation Period:

• Purpose & duration of the probationary period

• Benefits that will come into effect when the probationary period is completed

Performance Evaluation

• Criteria & Frequency for evaluation.

Any other Condition

Any collective OR 3rd Party Agreement which affects the Employee’s terms and conditions.

Acceptance:

Acceptance Clause whereby Employees sign that they accept the contract of employment and conditions therein or provision of uniforms and / or tools for affected employees.

The language used in job descriptions should:

• Avoid jargon and unexplained acronyms and abbreviations.

• Be matched to the type of job and be readily understood by the employees concerned.

• Avoid ambiguity about responsibility and be clear about the post-holder's accountability for results and resources.

Job specifications

• JOB TITLE
  Accurate titles reflecting the function and level of the job.

• THE DEAPRTMENT

• POSITION
  starting the job title the employee is responsible to, as well as titles of those reporting to the job holder.

• AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Concisely stating the overall purpose of the job, the principal role of the job holder and the expected contribution to achieving objectives

• MAIN TASKS
  Identifying the tasks and include the objective or purpose of each task.

• SEPARATE DESCRIPTIONS OF MAIN TASKS

• SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
  Equipment, tools, special skills.

• LOCATION - Of the job and traveling needed.

• SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Night work, overtime, weekend working

• SIGNED AGREEMENT BY POSTHOLDER & DATE

Person Specification

a person specification allows you to define the skills, experience, competencies and qualifications required to carry out the activities outlined in the job description. Identify the desirable criteria in the following four categories:

• EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• EXPERIENCE

• WORK BASED COMPETENCIES
  (i.e. what does the candidate need to be able to do such as use Excel, deliver training or work in French etc.)

• BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES
  (Such as the ability to influence people, identify problems and work together with a team to find solutions, demonstrate personal drive, ability to work alone, to communicate effectively orally and in written reports etc.)

Points to Remember

• Try to give as much information as possible to allow candidates to make an informed and rational decision about their suitability for a post.

• Consider any legal requirements i.e. work and travel permissions that might prevent a candidate from working in a specific country.

• Provide relevant details of climate/security/isolation that candidates need to consider before applying for a post.

Checklist For Hiring The Best

A bad hire can wreak havoc on even the most professional organizations and highly trained staff.

An organization's continued growth and success depend on making smart choices and hiring the best. Today's economy is exploding with talent, allowing one to be selective about the staff one hire. Yet, the crucial step to filling a position is finding the right talent for the organization - someone that has the skills for the job, easily blends with the culture, interacts well with the team and believes in the company's mission.

Recruiting the best employees for your organization is an ongoing challenge for every manager, supervisor and human resources professional. Hiring the best talent requires both an aggressive, relationship-based recruiting strategy to find the right people, and a highly effective evaluation methodology to select the best candidate for every position.

For any given job category, the important items that should be on one's hiring checklists are:

• What constitutes a "Good Fit"
  define the outcomes desired from the person you hire.

• Define the Job Specification -
  develop a job description that clearly describes the performance responsibilities of the person you hire.

• Write a Job Requirement Checklist.

• Develop the largest pool of qualified candidates possible.
  (Search via professional associations, personal contacts, universities, search firms, and other creative sources when necessary.)

• Decide on the Recruitment Methods.

• Select the Best Method for the Job.

• Pre-screen the Resumes.

• Prepare for the Interview.
  Devise a careful candidate selection process that includes culture match, testing, behavioral interview questions, customer interviews and tours of the work area.

• Set questions
  Although it will take a time investment, you should have a strong list of questions ready before you begin interviewing a candidate.

• Second Interview
  Conduct at least two interviews with a candidate before hiring him or her, especially if the position is very important.

• Think about Pay and Title Equity.

• Manage the Interview.

• Background Check.
  Perform appropriate background checks that include employment history, education, criminal records, credit history, drug testing and more.

• Make the Hiring Decision.

• Finalize an Offer Package.

• Provide training, education and development to build a superior workforce.

Salary Negotiable Tips

Employee retention and education begins with a positive employee orientation. The orientation should give the new employee a complete understanding of the flow of the business, the nature of the work, benefits and the fit of his or her job within the organization.

Provide ongoing technical, developmental, managerial, safety, lean manufacturing and/or workplace organization training and education regularly. The type of training depends on the job. Some experts recommend forty or more hours of training a year per person. A systematized salary negotiation process can help an organization hire the best candidate and fill the position more quickly, minimizing productivity losses stemming from reduced staffing levels. Salary negotiation is a critical step in the hiring process. Professionals with high qualification levels and desired practice area expertise may already be evaluating other opportunities by the time your organization make an offer, so it's important to handle this stage in a timely and effective manner.

Try to keep these basic tips in mind when negotiating, for a better deal.

Set a Time Frame

Give entry-level legal professionals a few days to consider the offer, and allow up to a week for attorneys and more experienced candidates. Applicants who will need to relocate may require additional time.

Be flexible

If a promising candidate seeks a higher salary than budgets allow, explore alternatives. Flexible scheduling is one option gaining popularity among applicants that represents little cost to the organization.

The Pre-appraisal Checklist (for the Employer)

Set a calendar date and time in advance that is mutually convenient for both you and the employee, and that will allow enough time for each of you to do preparation

Make sure you have:

• The job description and performance standards

• Goals set from the last appraisal

• Work rules and procedures

• Any feedback or letters from customers/co-workers

• Current disciplinary memos

• The previous performance appraisal

• If you have asked the employee to do a self-appraisal, be sure to obtain that early enough so you have a chance to review it as part of your preparation.

Before filling out the appraisal form:

• List the main areas of responsibility

• What the employee has done well

• What the employee needs to improve in

• What you can do to help the employee do a better job

Steps to plan a successful recruitment campaign are :

• Collect and collate evidence of your recruitment activities in this country

• Decide where to recruit

• Identify your unique selling points

• Develop the infrastructure to support new staff

• Select an agency (an option to consider)

• Identify methods to attract the right candidates

• Identify the selection approaches that suit your needs

• Carry out essential checks

• Support and develop the new staff

• Evaluate the success of the campaign