Tips for Hiring – from a Global Mobility Recruiter

The key to growing any business is to have quality employees in the right positions. Unfortunately, that is usually not an easy task. As a Global Mobility recruiter, it is our job to pair extraordinary talent with domestic and international companies in the global mobility/relocation industry. What follows are top five suggestions for ensuring our clients hire the best candidates for every job we help them fill.

1. The questions. The interview process is your opportunity to ask the questions that clue you in to the applicant’s goals and motivation. For example, it’s appropriate to ask:

• What was your greatest accomplishment (to date) in your global mobility / relocation career and why?
• Tell us about a failure in your career in this industry and how it changed you?
• Why did you choose a career in global mobility?
• Why are you continuing your career in this industry?
• What do you expect from a job in the global mobility industry?
• What are your top three priorities for your global mobility or relocation career and when do you expect to accomplish them?
• If you could implement one change to how service is provided in this industry, what would it be and why?
• Is there anything that would keep you from continuing your career in this industry? If so, what would it be and when would you anticipate it to occur?

These questions can determine whether candidates are serious about their careers and if they are dedicated to growing your business and staying with the company, important to know since according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.6 years is the average time employees spend with an employer.

And there is one more question: Why did you leave past jobs? If the candidate places the blame on external forces for multiple job changes, it might be wise to keep the job search going.

2. Social media. At the very least, a Google search of the candidate’s name is compulsory. In our industry, LinkedIn is a valuable research tool, to understand how the candidate networks and with whom. You should also search Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which provide a glimpse into how the applicant spends free time, in addition to the issues and hobbies that are important to them.

3. Social skills. No one would argue that a candidate must have the right skill set to perform a specific job. Equally important is an applicant’s social skills. When conducting an interview, consider if the candidate:

• Is making eye contact
• Has good communication skills
• Answers your questions.
• Asks good questions.

How they conduct themselves during an interview tells you how they will deal with your current employees and clients.

4. Personality. Any applicant’s personality should fit your company culture. If during an interview several red flags go up, trust your gut: Personalities are almost impossible to change. It usually is a good indicator of whether this employee will be able to work with your present staff.

It’s important to look for:

• Anger issues or inappropriate aggressiveness that could impact the work environment.
• A sense of entitlement that can bring about unreasonable expectations.

If the candidate will be interacting with a team, set up individual meetings with staff members. Their feedback can simplify the decision to hire or not. It is also recommended to perform several different types of interviews (i.e. phone, Skype, in-person, written questions, etc.) to obtain feedback on the candidate from various venues.

Manners and proper etiquette are important for any position within an organization. For any candidate that is being considered for a “prospect/client” or “brand” facing position, it is recommended to conduct an interview over a meal to see how the candidate performs in such a social setting that will be incorporated into the responsibilities of the position to entertain prospects/clients.

5. The last question. Ask candidates if they have any questions to ask you. Hopefully the answer is yes. It’s important for applicants to understand your company’s culture and work environment, and they should ask you about both. These questions will also provide you with information on what is important to them, and if this ties into how your company operates.

These five tips provide an overall look at prospective employees. However, it’s important to acknowledge that sometimes not all hires work out. If you have tried to solve issues that have cropped up, it is often not worth the energy to further attempt to salvage a bad hire. It’s OK to let the person go.

And then think about what went wrong in the hiring process to avoid making the mistake again.

For further guidance, contact Signature Source at 888-613-4179.