| As a result of the dot com meltdown and the | | | | need much more than strong technical skills. They |
| decline of the NASDAQ in 2001, many | | | | must also be able to:- embrace change; |
| organizations had no alternatives but to lay off | | | | - tolerate ambiguity; |
| many talented IT professionals. Currently, the pool | | | | - learn quickly; |
| of available talent in the labour market is large. | | | | - produce high quality work within short time |
| Over the long haul, the impact of shifting | | | | frames; |
| population demographics on the labour pool will be | | | | - maintain constructive relationships with team |
| staggering. As the baby boom generation | | | | members, team leaders and clients; |
| continues to age, we can expect acute labour | | | | - juggle multiple projects, tasks and priorities |
| shortages similar to the ones we experienced in | | | | multi-task.It can be challenging to assess how well |
| the high technology sector during the dot com | | | | candidates will fit your environment. During periods |
| boom. While there is still a surplus of talent in the | | | | of job shortages and intense competition the job |
| market, it is important for organizations to take | | | | market, candidates develop strategies to present |
| proactive steps to attract the brightest and the | | | | themselves favorably during traditional interviews. |
| best and thereby fuel their organization's growth. | | | | Many candidates receive:- assistance in designing |
| The days of placing ads in the newspaper and | | | | resumes; |
| receiving a flood of resumes from qualified | | | | - image consulting regarding dress; |
| applications are drawing to a close. Companies | | | | - coaching to improve their effectiveness in |
| that want to ensure that they have a steady | | | | handling typical interview questions.This preparation |
| stream of applicants will have to think outside the | | | | can mask a candidate's deficiencies. Although |
| box to broaden their repertoire of talent | | | | interviews are the most widely used selection |
| recruitment strategies.For high technology | | | | tool, they are not the best predictor of on the |
| organizations, attracting, hiring and retaining the | | | | job performance. Strategies such as assessment |
| right talent is critical. Add the right players to your | | | | centres, job samples and rigorous reference |
| team and you have a key source of competitive | | | | checks will uncover much more reliable data. |
| advantage. Attract the wrong talent and you will | | | | Whenever possible, these strategies should be |
| have difficulty meeting your strategic goals and | | | | used in conjunction with selection |
| objectives. Your first challenge is to generate a | | | | interviews.Interviewing Do's and Don'tsTo ensure |
| large enough talent pool from which you can draw | | | | that interviews yield the best possible data on |
| when searching for top talent. The second is to | | | | which to base selection decisions here are some |
| develop an effective process for screening and | | | | tips to share with your executive and |
| selecting the best candidates.Out of the Box | | | | management teams. First let's look at some |
| Recruitment StrategiesPutting the right long and | | | | interviewing pitfalls:Avoid questions which make it |
| short term strategies in place will ensure that you | | | | easy for candidates to bluff their way through |
| attract the right talent now and into the future. | | | | interviews.For example, if you are still using such |
| Short term strategies to explore include:- talent | | | | dinosaurs as:- Tell me about yourself? |
| auditions; | | | | - What is your greatest strength? |
| - job fairs; | | | | - What is your greatest weakness? |
| - incentives and contests for employee referrals; | | | | - Why do you want to work for us?as part of |
| | | | your standard battery of interview questions, you |
| - the use of web based resources such as job | | | | will miss key information that you need to assess |
| boards and job distribution services.When we | | | | potential employees.Don't inadvertently screen |
| recently conducted our behaviour based | | | | candidates out because they don't fit your |
| interviewing workshop in Singapore, a | | | | non-job related pre-conceived notions about your |
| Vice-President who attended the session indicated | | | | ideal candidate(e.g. Caucasian, attractive, mid |
| that his company had sponsored an employee's | | | | thirties, plays golf, no foreign accents).Make sure |
| participation in a high profile sporting event. The | | | | that you don't inadvertently "telegraph" the right |
| company received so much publicity and | | | | answers to the candidates(e.g. "We are a very |
| exposure that it was more than worth their while | | | | fast-paced company. How well do you deal with |
| to allow the employee to take time off to attend | | | | pressure?") This is a very common interviewing |
| practices and compete in the event.Longer term | | | | error.Don't be fooled by a smooth interaction |
| strategies could/might include:- giving executives | | | | style during an interview.Dig deeper. You may be |
| and senior managers time off to become actively | | | | dealing with a charmer or a con artist who will, at |
| involved in the leadership of professional | | | | best, fail to produce results and, ultimately, cost |
| associations or the alumni associations of | | | | you money.Don't neglect to contact the |
| universities and secondary schools from which | | | | candidates last 3 immediate supervisors for |
| they graduated;- giving executives and senior | | | | references.Some candidates try to impress |
| managers time to broaden their network of up | | | | potential employers by supplying as references |
| and coming professionals by teaching at university | | | | the names of high profile executives with whom |
| or community college (this can be done on a | | | | they are personal friends. Sometimes, these |
| part-time basis or through sabbaticals);- summer | | | | individuals have no direct knowledge of an |
| and co-op placements for high school and college | | | | individual's work styles or habits.Don't get so |
| students;- providing scholarships for high potential | | | | caught up in the intense pressure of a turbulent |
| high school graduates from low income families in | | | | industry that you fail to do some long term |
| exchange for a certain number of years of | | | | manpower planning.Decisions made in haste |
| service;- sponsoring tutoring and upgrading | | | | because filling a particular position is left until the |
| programmes at elementary and secondary | | | | need is urgent can be costly.Don't leave the bulk |
| schools with high failure and drop out rates;- | | | | of the hiring up to inexperienced managers and |
| partnering with local juniour high and secondary | | | | then fail to give them adequate training or |
| schools to arrange field trips and site visits to | | | | tools.Their mistakes can cost you time, money |
| company locations.Some of these strategies may | | | | and even get your company involved in a human |
| seem far fetched but the talent has to come | | | | rights complaint or discrimination in hiring |
| from somewhere. If we don't help the schools to | | | | lawsuit.Here are a few ideas to help your team |
| grow it, the talent may not be there for us to | | | | improve the effectiveness of their selection |
| buy when we need it.Other long term strategies | | | | interviews:To improve your selection decisions, |
| involve positioning your organization as an | | | | use a panel of 2 - 3 interviewers instead of |
| employer of choice. A lot of it has to do with the | | | | relying on the judgment of one person.Pre-plan |
| corporate culture that you shape and the way | | | | the interviews with structured interview guides |
| you treat your employees. During the last | | | | and questions.Develop a clear picture of the type |
| recession, some employers took advantage of | | | | of corporate culture you want to foster and the |
| the fact that it was a buyer's market. They | | | | values that will support that culture.Design |
| offered new employees rock bottom wages and | | | | behaviour based questions to give candidates an |
| treated the members of their team in a harsh | | | | opportunity to provide specific examples of when |
| and demanding manner. When the economy | | | | they have demonstrated those values. ("Please |
| picked up, those organizations experienced a | | | | describe a specific situation in which you took a |
| mass exodus of talent and severe talent | | | | stand regarding a tough ethical dilemma at work |
| retention challenges. It is important to learn the | | | | even though there was a personal cost.")Develop |
| right lessons from their experience. Some long | | | | a realistic picture of the constraints of your |
| term strategies to explore include:- initiating | | | | working environment and prepare questions to |
| tele-commuting, flex hours, job sharing, and | | | | help candidates describe when they have |
| part-time work to tap into the female labour | | | | successfully performed under these |
| force on a long term basis;- investing in the | | | | constraints.("When have you successfully |
| members of your team by providing opportunities | | | | executed a project within a tight time-frame and |
| for training and development, an area that is | | | | with a limited budget? What project management |
| typically cut in turbulent markets;- increasing your | | | | tools and methodologies did you use to ensure |
| organization's public exposure by making it possible | | | | success?")To get a balanced picture of a |
| for employees to participate in high profile | | | | candidate's skills, develop some questions to give |
| activities (e.g the Olympics and other major | | | | candidates an opportunity to describe when they |
| sporting events, acting) even if means giving | | | | have not handled situations effectively.("Tell me |
| them some time off work. Like Home Depot and | | | | about a time when you became so overwhelmed |
| McDonald's, you can then feature them in some | | | | that you were unable to deal effectively with a |
| of your advertisements;- attracting media | | | | change at work that you did not support.")Make |
| coverage and publicity by shaping a unique and | | | | training available for all inexperienced managers |
| vibrant corporate culture and environment where | | | | and for experienced managers who have made |
| up and coming young professionals will want to | | | | poor hiring decisions.Ensure that all managers |
| work.Key Skills for Turbulent TimesOnce you | | | | involved in the hiring process are thoroughly |
| have ensured that your organization has access | | | | familiar with the legislation that has a bearing on |
| to a pool of talented IT professionals, the next | | | | hiring and selection. This will help you avoid |
| step is to be rigorous in your screening and | | | | negative publicity and time consuming human |
| selection processes. To be successful in the | | | | rights complaints. |
| turbulent high technology industry, employees | | | | |