http://www.talentappeal.com Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:27:45 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Try not to interview like a caveman! I recommend using a structured interview as I have found these to be the most effective interviews. Actually, these cavemen did ask one very useful question: "Why did you leave your last job (tribe!)?" http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/funny-interviews/interviewing-techniques-how-to/ Job Descriptions are worthless! OK, maybe they are useful for compliance or some HR-related issues. Just not for effective hiring. Why? Job descriptions typically contain things like: Roles Responsibilities Qualifications Education Preferred Skills As a hiring manager or executive, you don't care about any of that. What you do care about is whether the candidate will accomplish what ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/performance-benchmark/job-descriptions-are-worthless/ Do you know anyone who interviews like this? I call this the "Trick Question" interview, and there have even been books written on the subject (How Would You Move Mount Fuji?) Now, there may be some special cases where this kind of manipulative interview might be justified. But, normally it's a ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/funny-interviews/the-trick-question-interview/ The question was: I am looking for examples to guiding managers on how to perform employee performance evaluations? Something not terribly complex but not beginner stuff either. I need some scenarios that would make a good discussion exercise for "how would YOU rate this person and why? A lot of managers find ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/performance-benchmark/performance-evaluation-secrets/ The other day, someone asked "How do you spot management talent in an employee?." Here's the answer I provided: The best way to spot management talent is to: Learn about the employee's past. Look for patterns where they have shown natural leadership or management. Even for younger employees, there should be examples where ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/effective-interviews/how-do-you-spot-management-talent-in-an-employee/ Like a lot of people, you may think effective interviewing and talent evaluation is an art. Example: http://msspnexus.blogs.com/mspblog/2006/10/hiring_the_righ.html I disagree! People often describe something as magic or art when they don't know how to reliably create a result they want. In this case, I know better because I can interview and pick great employees almost ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/effective-interviews/effective-interviewing-art-or-science/ We were just looking at Performance Benchmarks and importance of having a clear purpose for the role. Now, let's look at the other key parts -- Results and Special Skills or Competencies. Performance Results I think the Results section is the most important part of a Performance Benchmark. It says what you ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/performance-benchmark/how-to-benchmark-performance-part-2-results-skills/ We've established that using Performance Benchmarks is one of the best practices you can adopt. So let's get started: I recommend a Performance Benchmark include three key sections: Purpose - Overall, why are your hiring a person for this role? Results - What results do you expect a great employee to produce? Skills & Competencies ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/performance-benchmark/how-to-benchmark-performance-part-1-purpose/ For evaluating candidates or employee performance, it all starts with a good Performance Benchmark. The Performance Benchmark sets the standard for the job in terms of specific results! If you want one tip to improve your company, this is it! I'm always amazed how rarely managers create and use Performance Benchmarks. But, ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/performance-benchmark/use-a-performance-benchmark-to-assess-candidates-and-employees/ A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to work with the creators of Topgrading, Brad and Geoff Smart. Together, we created a DVD product that explains how to use a number of different hiring and recruiting best practices that are key to Topgrading. In an interview (CNBC has ... http://www.talentappeal.com/index.php/2nd-opinion-assessment/assessment-interview-story-on-cnbc/