Big 3 Recruiting Mistakes

Even in this market some operations are having a hard time attracting talent.  If this is you I am going to share with you the Big 3 reasons why you might not be attracting the talent you are hoping for.  Now I must warn you, these might not be easy to read and your first reaction might be to dismiss them.  Don’t!  If you can be honest with yourself about your business and procedures, be...

Honesty is the most important recruitment tool!

We are all aware of what the hiring process is… position available, post position, interview hire.  However, in my experience the most important part of the process is the most overlooked.  In falls right between the position available and post position. This valuable and often forgotten step is the assessment of why the position became available and an honest “meat & bones”...

Employee Attraction & Retention – New & Not so New ideas?

Here is another twist on an old idea.  The bigger the decision, the less thought you put into it and the smaller the decision the less thought.  I read somewhere (Can’t remember just where – but it stuck with me) that the less you discuss hiring an individual the greater their chance of success and longevity in your company!  Sounds strange right?  Yes, but once you start looking at why...

Hiring Mistakes – Interviewing Best Practices Part 2

So with the holidays coming and hiring on the rise, we all might be a little rusty on our hiring techniques!  Some of the common pitfalls to watch out for are the halo effect; the “like me” syndrome and the “we need staff” so I will create a great candidate by asking leading questions.  The Halo Effect – well dressed, stylish, firm handshake, charming personality – they must be...

Hiring Mistakes – Interviewing Best Practices

I have started to see the “Help Wanted” signs hanging again and with the holidays approaching interviewing and hiring will again become front and centre.  Many of you out there are going to empower your supervisors and managers to conduct interviews and make hiring decisions and I though this might be a good time to remind you of the impact (positive and negative) you can have on your...

“Best Interview” I ever witnessed.

I was out for a beer this past Friday at my local and remembered the “Best Interview” I ever witnessed.  On this particular occasion I was sitting at a high top at the end of the bar facing the entrance.  I saw a young woman come in dressed in all black (casual sharp would be the industry term) and carrying a portfolio.  My first impression was that she was applying for a job. She...

Cover Letter, Whats a Cover Letter

Last week I found myself sitting in a boardroom with 3 high level hiring managers. 2 HR Directors of major international upscale hotels and a Corporate Hiring Manager for a very big national restaurant chain. Now between the 4 of us, we must look at 100′s of resumes per week! We got on to the topic of cover letters and I asked the questions “who here actually reads cover...

Employment may be down, but wages are up!

Here is a thought. Even though unemployment is at the highest levels in years, people who are still working are making more than ever. The “Market Correction” that we heard so much about hasn’t happened and employers are still paying the same, if not more for skilled people (especially in Alberta). An article in the Herald this morning talks about how wages in Alberta are up...

No Response, No Re-Apply

No Response, No Re-Apply Did you know that 58% of people applying on line actually get a reply to their application 40% of the time or less! And the scary part is that 36% of those people will not re-apply for positions within your company.   Think about it for just one minute. If you don’t take the time to send an email (or create a personalized form letter – NOT an Auto-response)...

The Most Effective (& Cost Effective) Way to Attract Talent

In a recent survey conducted by Questus Hospitality (even) we were surprised to learn that 34% of participants (Executive and Management Level Hospitality Employees) found their current job by working their network. The second highest was 27% who found their current role through Web Based Job Boards.   Attaining talent through referral is not only the most cost effective way to hire new...