You Really Asked a Candidate That?

At our recent Sterling Bank Women's Business Initiative luncheon in Fort Worth, I had the chance to moderate our terrific HR panel for our presentation, "You Really Asked a Candidate That?".

Our experts included:
Whit Smith - President and Founder - WhitneySmith Company
Henry Robinson - Partner - Kelly Hart Hallman LLP
Wanda Dalton - Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer - Sterling Bank

They truly have heard some outrageous questions asked of candidates and statements made to them:

• I told you that you are too old.
• You don't need this job because you're pregnant.
• You are too large to stand on your feet all day.
• How do you feel about pornography in the workplace?
• So you have young children?

Their excellent advice included:

• Do not write on the candidate's application or resume.  The information would become part of a permanent file and would be discoverable in litigation.
• Use a series of meaningful, structured interview questions.
• Avoid yes/no questions.
• Use - What? How? Why? Where? Which? When? Is? Are? Can? Describe... Tell me about... Explain.
• Tailor questions to the specific job you are trying to fill.
• Avoid esoteric questions such as "if you were a color, which would you be?".
• Avoid questions about strengths, weaknesses and most embarrassing moments.
• Superstar candidates are discovered through networking, referrals and trade associations.
• Expand your network so that you do not field only one class of candidates.
• Interviewing is notoriously unreliable so seek data supporting the information gleaned.
•  Hire givers v. takers.  Primary interest in salary, benefits and vacation tend to reflect a taker. 
• Job offers can be made contingent upon a drug test, criminal background check and/or credit report.
• Meaningful reference information can often be obtained if you talk about the job you are seeking candidates for rather than specific questions about the candidate.
• Look for and explore gaps in a resume.
• Ask why the candidate left the previous job.
• If someone tells you the candidate was a great employee, ask what made him or her great.

The closing caution came from Mark Twain.  "It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble.  It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."

Human Resource Essentials

I had the opportunity to facilitate a Sterling Bank Women’s Business Initiative luncheon in Houston featuring a distinguished panel of human resources experts. Sue Burnett (Owner and President, Burnett Staffing Specialists), Wanda Dalton (Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Sterling Bank), and Cristina Solomon (Labor, Employment and Immigration Attorney, Winstead) each shared her insight into the issues that employers face today, which include recruiting, retention, and legal issues in the workplace. The panel also touched on the impacts of a maturing population that is resulting in a multi-generational office.

The following list is a synopsis of the discussions:

Listen! Ask a candidate open-ended questions and let her talk.
Involve colleagues in interviewing key hires.
Seek referrals from your existing employees and pay referral bonuses.
Do not write on a candidate’s resume during the interview process.
In a legal dispute all employee documentation is considered, not just the official personnel file.
When you make a hiring mistake, don’t compound the mistake by keeping the employee too long. Decide quickly to end the relationship.
Texas Workforce Commission website http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ provides employer resources.
Do not hire only in your own image.
Provide flexible work options.
Turnover that is too low can be perceived as a lack of a career track for motivated candidates.
No generation has all the answers.
The most candid references will not come from the HR department.
Reference checks and background checks are important tools.