Most interview advice available on the Internet focuses mainly on the candidates. Many interviewers feel that having a short conversation with a candidate about their skills and what the job has to offer is enough. In today’s competitive job market, this is not sufficient. Candidates need to come away from an interview feeling energized and enthusiastic about the opportunity. There are several subtle things an interviewer can do to create a sense of excitement.

1. Keep the scheduled appointment. Regardless of any challenges that have occurred that day, keep the appointment. Remember that the candidate has been preparing and looking forward to this interview since it was scheduled.  Be respectful of the interviewee’s time, the same way you wish that they are respectful of yours.  Try not to keep candidates waiting past the scheduled interview time.
2. Don’t let yourself be interrupted. Candidates are expected to be 100% present during the interview. Offer them the same courtesy. Turn off your cell phone. Tell your assistant that you are not to be disturbed. Your daily commitments should not allow you to drift away from the conversation.
3. Remain Positive. Rather than telling the candidate all the horrible reasons the last person was unable to perform, focus on the positive aspects of the job. Even if past experiences have been less than perfect, focus on the potential and let the candidate convince you they will beat the odds.
4. Wait to make an offer. While it might seem like a good idea at the time, you should not offer the candidate a job at the interview. You want them to know that you took the process very seriously and after careful consideration you feel they are the best person for the job.
5. Follow up. Whether you want to hire this person or not it is very important to follow up to let them know the outcome of the interview. If they are not the right person, follow up is still important.  Ssend them away with a positive impression of the company.

Be the best representative for your company when you are interviewing candidates. Your organization will develop a great reputation and candidates will be very interested in what you have to offer. Contact CompliStaff to talk about your hiring needs.

Nearly every organization is being challenged: do more with less. And what business isn’t looking to control expenses? To succeed in today’s workplace, flexibility is key—especially in your staffing strategy. Flexible staffing is critical for operational efficiency and adaptability.

A staffing firm like CompliStaff offers many effective solutions for reducing overhead, managing operation costs such as wage taxes, severance packages, paid vacations and holidays. Used effectively, staffing services can improve organizational performance and save you more than they cost.

How can using a staffing firm reduce costs in your organization?

1. Convert fixed expenses to variable. Develop a plan to staff your business strategically. Minimize the number of permanent employees on your staff to the level needed to sustain your core volume of work. Proactively plan to bring in extra help when it’s needed.
2. Bring in expertise on an as-needed basis.  Temporary consultants can deliver the experience and skills you need without impacting fixed expenses.
3. Lower benefits costs.  Limit benefits expenses including health insurance, paid time off, and bonuses by using temporary employees.
4. Reduce training costs.  Reduce training costs and learning curves by bringing in temporary employees who are trained and have experience using the skills you need.
5. Streamline recruiting. Use a permanent placement service to eliminate the costs and time involvement associated with advertising, screening resumes, interviewing, testing and reference checking applicants.
6. Lower payroll expenses.  Decrease the costs associated with processing and administering your company’s payroll and avoid wage taxes such as FICA, Federal, and State taxes by using a staffing firm.
7. Reduce unemployment claims.  Using a temporary employee prevents the client company from being affected by an unemployment claim.  Because a temporary employee legally works for the staffing firm, all claims affect the staffing service’s unemployment rating, not yours.

Are you ready to develop a strategic staffing plan for your organization? At CompliStaff, we help clients evaluate their current workforce and develop a strategic staffing model to help lower overall employment costs and access the skilled talent they need. Contact us today to find out more!

What’s a “high-potential” employee? They’re the ones who work the hardest, show the most innovation and produce better results. They have excellent communication skills and show high levels of planning and organizing ability, capability to adapt and the ability to learn.

How do you spot these high achievers during an interview? First and foremost, don’t rely on the same old hiring techniques. Resumes don’t tell the whole story, and functional interviews usually highlight knowledge rather than results.

To find better employees more often, add these steps to your hiring process:

1. Identify the key behavioral traits of your current top performers.
2. Familiarize yourself with the common characteristics of each trait.
3. Use behavioral interview questions to determine whether candidates possess these desired traits.

High-potential candidates aren’t only desirable in management positions. You can use them in every department of your organization, on all levels. So look for:

• Strong Initiative. Not everyone in an organization can be a leader or a manager. Solid support staff is just as important a role. A quality employee will take the initiative on necessary projects. During the interview, ask questions like “When given a new project, what is the first step of your process?” This will help determine if the candidate is a leader or a follower.
• A person who is always looking at ways to innovate or improve processes. Even if your company has standard procedures, someone who excels at problem solving or creating improvements is someone who will put you ahead of the competition. Ask a problem-solving question at the interview, for example, “Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem,” and see how candidates reply.
• Someone who outperforms their peer group. If you see someone whose skill level is beyond that of candidates at a similar position or who have been chosen out of their peer group for recognition, this is the person you want to consider.  One question you might use to evaluate their performance is “Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.”
• Reliability. Does the candidate always return calls when they say they will? Are they on time or even a few minutes early for every appointment or interview? Are they prompt with responses or thank you notes?  Most likely, they will be equally conscientious on the job.
• Solid feedback from former employers or co-workers. When you conduct references, ask the former employer how this candidate stands out from the pack. Inquire about the person’s communication skills, their adaptability, and their ability to learn new things. If a company has good things to say about an employee that sound genuine and not generic, you have likely found an employee with great potential.

Looking for your next high-potential candidate? CompliStaff conducts a thorough prescreening process to determine the best candidate for your opportunity.  Contact us and let CompliStaff identify your next high-potential hire.