"CHOOSING THE RIGHT PEOPLE"

THE COMMON SENSE APPROACH

Many Managers say:  "Our people are our greatest asset", and then proceed to treat them as though they were their greatest liability!  Salaries are usually the major part of an Association's expense budget, yet unless Managers are able to manage their human resources correctly, they are probably wasting a good percentage of their available funds.  I want to help you to encourage your people to develop the best in themselves; so that you can get the best performance out of them.

The first, and most important of human resources management is Choosing the right people.

On the surface, choosing people to do a job might seem to be "simple common sense", but that is only a part of the story.  Let's see what else you should be taking into consideration.  I have broken up the process into six common sense steps.

1. Take a common sense look at your organisational structure and budget before you decide to hire a person to see if you really need them long term or if you can afford them
   ie. develop a manpower/human resource plan.
   
2. Have a clear idea of what you want the person to do
   ie. prepare a job description.
   
3. Find the person you think is right for the job
   ie. develop an effective advertising and recruitment strategy, and implement your interviewing and decision making process.
   
4. Make sure that your appointment decision is correct
   ie. carry out thorough reference checking.
   
5. Make sure that everyone understands the employment arrangements
   ie. prepare and issue a letter of appointment.
   
6. Help the new person to settle in
   ie. an induction program.

While common sense tells us that recruitment is not as complex as nuclear physics, it's very obvious that we should never undertake recruiting people without doing out homework fully.  People can be our greatest asset, or our biggest liability!

While each of these six common sense steps is important, the most crucial stage is conducting the employment interview.  Some people feel intimidate by the mere thought of conducting an interview and their uneasiness prevents them from achieving the best outcomes.  Like other skills, however, interviewing is a blend of science, art and practical experience and it can be learned.  An interview may not last more than 20 or 30 minutes, yet it is the best means available to obtain the information you need from a potential employee.  As an interviewer your job is to gather facts, solicit opinions and form impressions in order to predict the performance of the individual you are interviewing.  It is not an exaggeration when I say that recruitment interviews can affect the ultimate success of your Association because it determines the level of talent within it.

A few handy hints:

• Never go into an interview unprepared.  Brief yourself by re-reading the job description, and read the applicant's Curriculum Vitae at least twice.
  
• Write down a series of questions concerning the responsibilities that the person will have, and avoid asking theoretical questions.  Rather ask open and honest questions such as:
  
  "This job will require you to prepare Board agendas.  Could you please tell me how you do this in your present job".
  
  OR
  
  "Things don't always go according to plan.  Can you perhaps tell me about a time when a project didn't turn out as successfully as you'd hoped".
  
  This enables you to draw upon real life situations, rather than seeking textbook answers.  Always remember that past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance.
  
• At interview, create a climate for open adult communication.  An interview should never be an excuse for a torture session, where people are sometimes bullied into giving flustered answers.
  
• Ask yourself: "Is this person going to make my job easier or harder?".
  
• Do not abuse your position of authority.  You should promote goodwill to the person whether or not she/he is hired.

If you feel that you do not have enough skill to do the job confidently, attend a training course to improve your interviewing skills.

If you do not have sufficient time to handle the interview thoroughly, seek assistance from a specialist Recruitment Consultant who can advise you.  The Consultant's fee will be a comparatively small investment in comparison with the ongoing financial commitment that you make in terms of annual salary.

Philip Mayers

Associate Director

Silverman Dakin Pty Ltd