HR Professional - October/November 2008 - (Page 28)

TA L E N T M A NAGE M E N T B Y C H R I S T O P H E R N O VA K CALLING ALL CANDIDATES: SIX TELEPHONE SCREENING TIPS OF THE PROS O ‘‘ verwhelmed by masses of resumés? Transform a pile of interesting resumés into a handful of high-potential candidates by screening over the phone. technical skills required; change management issues; number of direct reports and their positions, number of indirect reports and their position types; leadership and mentoring style and implementation examples.” 1. Time: respect the candidate’s schedule An initial pre-arranged telephone screening call with a management candidate generally lasts between 20 to 30 minutes. Telephone interviewers must be organized. Create an outline for the discussion, stay on task and navigate the conversation to make the best use of time. 2. Searching for a purpose For mid- to senior-level roles, ask questions to determine the candidate’s personality, current role, key strengths, business acumen, integrity, verbal communication skills, professionalism, can-do attitude, key accomplishments (career wide, not just in their current role), career goals, management style, change-management experience, 4. Listening for intangibles When speaking with a candidate, listen for the following intangibles: • their ability to engage/connect well over the phone since a lot of business gets done over the phone; • their ability to organize their thoughts quickly and stay on topic when responding to questions; • depth of the candidate’s professionalism, integrity and sincerity. 5. Red flags Warning signs include poor grammar, bad manners, inability to respond verbally in an organized/ succinct manner, indecisiveness, “golden child” mentality, poor attitude, ﬂirting, bad-mouthing current or previous employer(s), name dropping and blaming failures on others. Create an outline for the discussion, stay on task and navigate the conversation. leadership and mentoring skills, motivation to stay with current employer or to make a change, current earnings and salary requirement. 3. Determining contenders from pretenders “Get quickly to speciﬁcs,” says Donna Cates-Sphar, president of CSI Executive Search LLC in Austin, Texas and a corporate recruiting veteran. “For example, a mid-management candidate should provide the timeframe and employer regarding the required experience.” Items could include position held, key responsibilities, business objectives, 28 O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 8 6. Selling features The importance of good manners, professionalism and the candidate’s ability to communicate effectively and efﬁciently can’t be overestimated. HR can use effective telephone screening as a barometer of a candidate’s relative strength, adding depth to their resumé and helping to identify the best candidates for in-person interviews. Not only does this save the organization time and money by minimizing unproductive interviews, but it also creates a more professional recruitment process. ’’ Christopher Novak is the author of Conquering Adversity, Lead Like a Pirate, and 4 Circles of Good Business. He is an international speaker and leadership coach with The Summit Team (www.ConqueringAdversity-speaker.com). HR P R OF E S S I ON A L http://www.ConqueringAdversity-speaker.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - October/November 2008

HR Professional - October/November 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Upfront Legal Compensation Human Capital Talent Management Murphy’s Law Wise Counsel On Message HR 101 Interview with Joseph McCool Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - October/November 2008

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