Business Communications Skills for Managers

1. Business Communication Skills for
Managers
Module 15: Recruiting and Selecting New Employees

2. Why does recruiting matter?

3. Finding Qualified Job Applicants

4. Learning Outcomes: Finding Qualified Job
Applicants
15.1 Describe effective strategies for recruiting qualified job applicants
15.1.1 Create a compelling job advertisement
15.1.2 Identify methods for finding qualified potential employees
15.1.3 Describe the laws designed to prevent bias and discrimination in
hiring
15.1.4 Describe techniques to help screen a potential employee
15.1.5 Discuss the usefulness of creating additional assignments for potential
candidates to complete

5. Writing a Job Advertisement
What is a company brand?
a quality or feature of something that evokes interest, liking, or desire
In order to attract the best candidates, hiring managers need to clearly define
their employment brand. Here are a few specific recommendations to help you
do so:
• Clarify corporate culture
• understand market position
• set performance expectations
Job Analysis: must know what job entails, done with help of Industrial and
Organizational psychologists
• Task-oriented approach: how frequently task is performed, difficulty,
importance
• Job specification: knowledge, skills, abilities are identified

6. Finding Potential Employees
Job candidates search for jobs by managing points of contact, job boards,
social media, and live events
Advertising in newspapers and trade publications are effective, sites such as
Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder
Consider candidates suggested by employees,
work through “head hunters”
What are three caveats to be aware of with regards to employee referral?

7. Bias and Protections in Hiring
Equal opportunity should be a core company policy
Equal employment is the law
Unless membership in a group directly affects potential job performance,
decision based on group membership is discriminatory.
• some jobs may require the employee to perform a physical task, such as
lifting and carrying heavy objects; in such cases the physical capabilities
of applicants may be considered.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) administers laws for the
federal government

8. Practice Question 1
Which of the following statements BEST reflects the importance of diversity in
terms of business performance? Seeking a diverse pool of candidates
________.
a) reflects candidate preference and employee performance factors
b) minimizes the risk of a discriminatory hiring complaint
c) is good for company branding and public relations

9. Bias and Protections in Hiring (cont.)
Note that there are numerous city, state, and federal restrictions
You cannot ask employer marriage status, age, possible disabilities, race, or
religion
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) mission is to stop unlawful
employment discrimination and is responsible for many acts
Avoiding discrimination is best thing to do from a Human Resource and risk
prevention standpoint

10. Screening Applicants
Objective is to filter out candidates who don’t meet minimum requirements
and/or who aren’t a good fit
Four techniques:
1. Evaluation by Association: use posting location
2. Application: use pre-screening questions
3. Assessment: assess of skills and aptitude
4. Screening Interview: confirm application, resume details, assess range of
skills
5. External Verification: verify qualifications and check references

11. Portfolios, Practice Projects, Etc.
• Describe effective strategies for recruiting qualified job applicants

12. Discussion
Read What Do You Think? Using Cutoff Scores to Determine Job Selection
Freewrite your ideas for five minutes
What do you think?
When might universal cutoff scores make sense in a hiring decision?
When might they eliminate otherwise potentially strong employees?

13. Interviewing

14. Learning Outcomes: Interviewing
15.2 Discuss the key elements of a successful interview
15.2.1 Identify who should be present at an interview
15.2.2 Discuss how to come up with effective questions for an interview
15.2.3 Discuss the process of effective phone interviews
15.2.4 Discuss the process of effective face-to-face interviews

15. Who’s in an Interview?
One-on-one interviews: HR representative or manager
Series interview: HR representative, manager, representative from different
teams within job
Panel interview: several interviewers with candidate
• ask established questions, take notes, fill out evaluation form
• potential cons: sabotage, skewed results due to relationships

16. Asking Questions
Should be relevant to position and
environment, focus on job duties, skills, and
qualifications
Two Types of Interview Questions:
• Unstructured: unspecified questions, asked
about goals or previous work experience
• Structured: same questions to every
candidate, prepared in advance, standard
rating system
• accurately compare two candidates’ interviews

17. Asking Questions (cont.)
What you should ask about:
• Ask about knowledge, skills, and
abilities
• Grit
• Rigor
• Impact
• Teamwork
• Curiosity
• Ownership
• Polish
What you shouldn’t ask about:
• Age
• Race
• Gender
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Politics

18. Phone Interviewing
Second level of screening used to reduce pool of qualified candidates to
manageable number
Basic 5-step process:
1. Review job description and specifications
2. Prepare and validate a set of questions
3. Review submitted materials (application, cover letter)
4. Conduct interview: open, ask questions, close
5. Summarize interview

19. Face-to-Face Interviewing
Final step in interview process helps you get
to know candidate through personal
interview
Effective techniques:
• Planning and preparation
• Understanding job
• Connecting with applicant
• Active listening

20. Activity
Watch the Mock Interview video. Take notes of the following list of
questions from the video.
How do you answer the “Tell me about yourself?” question?
What is the advice on how to answer the question on your greatest
strengths?
What do you say about your greatest weaknesses?
What is the advice on why do you want to work here?
What do you say when you’re asked to address why the organization
should hire you?
What advice do you have that is not covered by the video?

21. Selecting a Candidate

22. Learning Outcomes: Selecting a Candidate
15.3 Identify the key steps in selecting a new employee
15.3.1 Discuss methods of selecting the best candidate
15.3.2 Describe how to complete a job offer

23. Selection
Be aware of the potential for perception errors on both sides and for
implicit/unconscious bias
• Blind spots can distort perceptions of candidates
• Be aware we may have too much faith into our ability to evaluate others
Need important reasons for choosing one candidate:
• focus on job criteria
• seek evaluation input from others
• be aware of attempts to cater interviewer interests
• be aware of making conclusions
Factor in perceptions and potential perception errors

24. The Job Offer
Job offer usually includes information about salary, benefits
Making the Offer:
must have job title, department name, start date, hours of work, status, rate of
pay, contingencies, leave benefits, eligibility, location, travel, statement
Offer should be straightforward and give the candidate time to respond

25. Practice Question 2
A job offer should reflect good will and good business practices. To avoid
future complications/litigation, the document should include all of the
following EXCEPT:
a) a statement such “Welcome to the [company] family?
b) an employee’s employment status
c) any offer contingencies

26. Quick Review
What are effective strategies for recruiting
qualified job applicants?
What are the key elements of a successful
interview?
What are the key steps in selecting a new
employee?