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6 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Global Mobility Personnel

It’s Signature Source’s job to find the perfect candidate for our clients’ open positions, either domestically or around the world. Over the years, we have come up with a list of mistakes hiring managers should avoid when searching for global mobility personnel.

    1. No clear job description. It sounds simplistic, but there must be a concise job description that serves as the blueprint for the candidate’s qualifications. However, beyond this outline there should also be what Signature Source calls a soft job description that includes the intangible qualities such as how the candidate will fit in with the company culture and the candidate’s style, and the environment they need in which to thrive. You want candidates to share your company’s values, who will get along with their peers and your clients, and who have the needed skills to successfully perform the job.

 

    1. No pre-interview planning. Before an interview, any candidate documentation should be carefully reviewed. From this information, a list of questions to ask the applicant can be compiled. If you are only relying on the resume to quiz the prospect, you will simply receive confirmation of material already supplied. In a future blog post, we will discuss the top 10 interview questions every candidate should be asked.

 

    1. Rash judgments. Gut instinct is important, but avoid hiring staff simply because you like – or dislike – them. Beware of over-liking a candidate, because you might overlook weaknesses, or disliking too much, because you could be manufacturing reasons for passing on the applicant.

 

    1. No hasty decisions. No matter how desperate you are to fill a spot, quickly hiring someone can fail in the long run. As with any investment, you have to consider the return on your investment. And because each hire is a reflection on your company, the reputation of any candidate – especially in small industries such as global relocation – significantly factors into any decision. You might even consider filling the spot with a temporary or interim professional, giving you those all-important weeks to hire the best candidate for the job. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), (link to shrm.org/pages/default.aspx) replacing staff can cost an employer between 90 and 200 percent of that employee’s annual salary after factoring in turnover losses.

 

    1. Stop overthinking. Team members are often invited to interview candidates they will be working with, but leave the final decision to just one or two managers. Hiring by committee could mean that personality, more than ability, might become the reason for the hire. You also need to understand what is driving the feedback from team members. Was there a prior work relationship that could be influencing a decision? Perhaps some jealousy? Your goal is always to hire the strongest candidate.

 

    1. References. A very sticky wicket here! At Signature Source we follow SHRM’s position and use background checks, credit ratings and drug tests when applicable. We use LinkedIn to check references, to validate that people listed worked at the company when the applicant was there.

 

To find your perfect candidate, contact Signature Source at 888-613-4179.

10 Tips for Interviewing Global Mobility Talent

Job interviews, key to selecting the best candidate for the job, require preparation for both the employer and candidate. At Signature Source, we have a list of the top 10 questions hiring managers use when hiring global mobility talent, all crafted to gain insight into a prospect’s personality and ability, and to determine if the applicant is a good fit for the job and the culture of the company.

Since the cost of a bad hire is steep, even an $8 an hour employee can end up costing a company $3,500 in turnover costs – it’s important to make every interview count.

    1. Tell me about yourself. Good candidates will begin with a clear positioning statement that boils down the story of their resume, touching on general goals, skills and background.

 

    1. What do you know about our company? Candidates need to do research before any interview, and should be acquainted with the products, size, income, reputation, image, goals, problems, management talent and styles, the people in the company, their skills, and the firm’s history and philosophy. This question should also elicit questions from the candidate about the company’s course and department goals.

 

    1. Why do you want to work for us? Employers listen carefully to this answer, because ultimately they want candidates to talk about how they can make a contribution to specific company goals instead of what the candidate wants.

 

    1. What would you do for us? What can you do for us that someone else can’t? Candidates should be prepared to relate past successes in solving previous employer problems, which may be similar to those of the prospective employer.

 

    1. What about our position do you find the most attractive? Least attractive? Applicants should be able to come up with at least three factors they find attractive about the position, and limit themselves to one minor unattractive factor.

 

    1. What do you look for in a job? This answer should be concise, simply touching on three main points: An opportunity to use skills, perform and be recognized.

 

    1. Please give me your definition of a … (the job for which you are being interviewed). Employers are looking for an action-driven and results-oriented answer.

 

    1. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm? Successful candidates emphasize that they will quickly become valuable employees after a little orientation and a brief period of adjustment on the learning curve.

 

    1. How long would you stay with us? A simple, concise answer is best: As long as we both feel I’m contributing, achieving and growing.

 

    1. What is your compensation requirement? This is a critical piece of the process and usually the most difficult question for candidates to manage effectively. If candidates state a number immediately, they risk having the opportunity to move on to the next phase of the interview process. Here are four suggestions:

 

      • Based upon your interview with me and my experience, where do you feel that I would fit in your compensation program?
      • What is the range for the position and how do my skills and experience align with it?
      • Could you please share with me the range for the position?
      • What are other talented professionals with my skill sets and experience earning in the organization?

For more information, contact Signature Source at 888-613-4179.

Global Mobility Staffing: Why Outsource?

To build the best global mobility staff, it makes sense to use an independent firm that specializes in identifying and supplying quality talent for their clients.

Recruiting top talent is a combination of art and science, and notoriously time consuming. Many Human Resource professionals are generalists, and their departments lack the staff and time it takes to identify qualified candidates. Nor are they experts in the ever-changing and complex world of international mobility. Many organizations would rather turn this critical function over to a company, such as Signature Source, that are leaders in recruiting talent in the global mobility industry.

Some additional reasons companies outsource to recruit top talent include:

The commitment: A professional external firm gets to know the culture in their clients’ firms, the type and style of their successful employees, and acts as an extension of internal human resource departments. Contingency search firms get paid when the placement occurs, which means they are dedicated to providing only top talent to fill every position.

Not a headhunter: It’s important to distinguish between a professional outsourcing recruiting firm and a headhunter, whose job it is to simply pass resumes. While a recruiting firm does search for candidates for specific jobs, additionally they are proactively sourcing for top talent to create a robust population of opportunities. They are consistently building a robust network of global relationships with both passive and active job seekers to meet any client need, in addition to evaluating personal attributes to ensure a comfortable cultural fit. The job doesn’t stop until clients receive the finest pool of talented candidates.

Reputations: Outsourcing gives companies the pulse of what is happening within the industry, able to supply marketplace information to their clients that is not common knowledge. In small industries such as global relocation, a recruiting company will know a candidate’s reputation and will only advance qualified candidates with stellar backgrounds.

Friends: It is often easier and faster for companies to hire friends or colleagues to fill a job. Unfortunately, if the person fails in the job, it can spell the end of the friendship if the person is fired, or it might mean the person remains employed because it’s hard to fire a friend. Outsourcing removes this obstacle, since the recruiter is independent.

The benefits: If a company makes a bad hire – or hires someone who decides to quit within a short time after the candidate’s hire date – they are back to ground zero in the hiring process, wasting time and money. With outsourcing comes a guarantee that if the hire is not a good fit, or a person quits within an established time frame, the job is filled for free or at a reduced cost. The guarantee’s length of time is usually dependent on the level of the position within the company.

For more information on how Signature Source can help you in global mobility staffing, call 888-613-4179.

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.

5 Tips For Acing A “Virtual” Interview

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 – In today’s global, tech-centric interconnected economy, in-person interviews are no longer the norm.  It is not unusual for hiring managers and HR teams to schedule important interviews on platforms such as Facetime or Skype.

Do these “virtual” interviews hold any less importance or value than in-person interviews?  Absolutely not.  An interview is your one-time opportunity to make the strongest impression of your passion, skills, knowledge, and experience to a hiring manager… regardless of where or how the meeting takes place.  How you perform on a Facetime interview will hold the same weight as your performance in-person. Read More

  • National Association Executive Recruiters
  • National Association Personnel Services
  • Foreign for Expatriate Management
  • Society for Human Resources Management
  • Worldwide ERC
  • Women Business Enterprise National Council
  • Southeast Regional Relocation Council
  • Chicago Relocation Council
  • North Texas Relocation Professionals
  • Houston Relocation Professionals
  • Tennessee Relocation Council
  • Midwest Relocation Council
  • Metro Atlanta Relocation Council