2 responses to “Cranky on the Web (September 1 – 5)”

1. 

   David Hol

   Sep 6, 2014 at 8:36 am

   It is absurd! What other else they are going to ask to pay in near future ? If they do not stop they will come one day asking to pay to breath inside the airplane. Thanks to pass this information CF.

   Reply
2. 

   Cedarglen

   Sep 6, 2014 at 12:53 pm

   Great article, Brett. Drilling down a bit, I found the other article about hiring and specifically, the #2 item, The Application. Although now retired and frankly not giving a twit, I retired from a profession that required many job changes and far too many applications. Some thoughts for the employer or HR manager:

   1. Be honest, absolutely clear about what you want to see and don’t play games.
   2. Request and gather all information necessary, but please don’t be redundant or waste my time. Believe it or not, my time is just as valuable as is yours!
   3. Accept resumes, but do not rely on them. In an fair, open, competitive hiring environment, is is perfectly OK for the application to say something like, “…on a separate sheet, for each employer or major assignment, please describe your specific job duties and responsibilities, including, if appropriate, the number of employees supervised. Please limit this to xxx-number of words per major assignment…” This is the meat and will provide both the detail of the applicant’s experience as well as a sample of his/her writing ability. To be even more clear, include some statement like, resumes are welcome, but this specific description of each major assignment is required.
   4. Do not force the applicant to hand-write this information within a box on the darn form! Most folks today write via keyboard and forcing them to hand-write is a horrible practice – in most cases.
   5. Be very clear about when and how you, the prospective employer will respond to EVERY applicant. It may be as simple as a post card offering thanks and a polite, not-interested message, to a request for additional information or a direct invitation for an interview. Whatever the employer’s routine, spell it out and honor it, Every Single Time.
   6. Even if your company does not wish to hire an individual, be polite and treat all applicants with respect. (I have declined more than one otherwise attractive offer simply because the HR representative was rude and abrupt. That kind of behavior may or may not reflect the social culture with a company, but the well-qualified applicant need not take the risk.
   7. Be HONEST! Describe the position and responsibilities as fully as possible and in terms that a suitable applicant, familiar with the field will easily understand. If their are some unpleasant requirements, (travel, extended hours, on-call, rotating shift, explain them and Be Honest! If a salary range is mentioned, again, Be Honest!
   8. Honesty, loyalty to the company and the employee’s contribution to the company’s mission **begin with the tone set by employer.** Inaccurate and misleading statements will be discovered and set a false tone of expectations. Is that really how the employer wants to begin a relationship with an employee?

   In the end, obtain whatever information and details are relevant, **stay out of the applicant’s private life** and keep all exchanges focused on business and professional issues. You are seeking a new, well-qualified member of your team, not a ‘cute’ person and not your newest Best Friend.

   Reply

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