The Right Interview Questions

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You probably have a huge stack of resumes and cover letters sitting on your desk. Or maybe they are sitting in your inbox. Either way, you are dreading reading them all. Even after carefully reading them and selecting a candidate, you could end up with an employee who turns out to not be what you thought.

While things like resumes and cover letters are certainly helpful in finding candidates, it’s important to focus on the interview. You can’t replace things like first impressions, responses to questions, and dealing with the stress of an interview with the information in resumes and cover letters. However, if you aren’t asking the right questions in the interview, you could still end up hiring someone you think is a great fit, but turns out to not be what you were looking for. Here are a few questions you should be asking in an interview:

1.  Can you tell me about a challenging work situation you experienced and what the situation resulted in?

By asking this question to candidates, you are going to learn how they handle stress and how they perceive results. You should be looking for honest answers, but also answers that have positive results. Candidates should be trying to show you that they work through issues and strive for positive results.

2. Why do you want to work here?

“It seems like a fun work environment.” “I really like the way the company is structured.” “Your brand is really great.” These are typical responses that don’t really carry any meaning. If a candidate gives you an answer like these, you’ll be able to tell they haven’t done much research. Look for specific answers about your company and show that thought and time was put into preparing for the interview.

3. What would you do differently, if you were to start your career over?

The ideal candidate would say nothing and are happy that their career path has lead them to you. But, we don’t live in an ideal world, so you should be looking for answers that focus on, growth, learning, and positive actions. You want a candidate who can recognize mistakes and is willing to make the necessary corrections to get back on track.

4. Where would you like to be in 5 years, career wise?

Sure, it may be a stereotypical question, but it’s an important one to ask. Interviewers sometimes avoid it because of overuse, but it serves a great purpose. You are looking for employees that are going to be dedicated to your organization and want to work for you. By asking this particular question, you can find out the goals of the candidate and if they match those of your company.

5. What type of work environment do you function best in?

As the one interviewing, you should have a handle on the work environment this candidate will be in. Is it fast? Hectic? Slow? Quiet? Once you are able to answer this question for yourself, you can ask candidates what type of work environment they work best in to ensure the two match. Employees who don’t fit with their work environments tend to be unhappy, stressed, and seek out other opportunities.

When it’s all said and done, you need to be asking interview questions that get to the heart of the situation: does this employee fit. Your questions should be tailored to your organization, the requirements of the position, and your overall goals.

Having trouble finding, interviewing, or qualifying candidates? We can help you!

The Rules of Shaking Hands

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Shaking hands is simple, right? You just put your hand out, grab another one, squeeze, and then let go. But, what if you let go too soon? What if you hold on too long? What if you squeeze too hard? When you are preparing for your interview, there’s a good chance you aren’t practicing your hand shake. However, you should know a few common rules of shaking hands.

No matter how many times you have shaken hands, it’s important to know how to give a proper hand shake. After all, it is one of your first impressions, and those are crucial in the job seeking process.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when shaking hands during your interview:

  • Wipe your hands off. There is a good chance that you are going to be nervous before your interview and that may mean having sweaty palms. Wipe your hands off on your pants or in a restroom before your interview.
  • Initiate the shake. If the interviewer doesn’t automatically offer you their hand, you should offer yours. It shows that you take initiative and will result in a good first impression.
  • Smile. Smiling and saying something like, “it’s nice to meet you” can take your interview handshake even further. It’s important to act like you are confident and not nervous.
  • Make eye contact. You may be tempted to look at the handshake as it’s happening, but you need to establish eye contact with the person you are shaking hands with. Doing this helps reinforce that you are confident.
  • Be firm. In the past, it was common to treat handshakes between men and women differently. But, in the 21st century, it’s important to treat everyone equally, and that means the same handshake for all.
  • Avoid aggression. Gripping too hard, holding on too long, or shaking too long can make you seem overly aggressive. It’s ideal to only shake hands for two to three seconds. If you are nervous about holding on too long, take a cue from the interviewer. When you feel them let go, you need to let go.
  • End with a handshake. When your interview is over, you may be ready to claw your way out of the room. But, before you leave, you should shake hands again, refer to the interviewer by name, and thank them. By doing this, you add a personal touch.

That may be a lot to remember right before your big interview. Just keep in mind that you don’t want to be rude or too aggressive. If you forget everything you just read, then follow the interviewer and mirror their actions.

Do You Have the Right Interview Clothes?

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We live in a world where first impressions mean a whole lot, no matter how much we wish they didn’t. What you wear to your job interview is actually really important. Many HR reps, managers, and other interviewers pay really close attention to what you wear to your interview.

If you find yourself standing in your closet or in front of a mirror asking “what should I wear to my interview?”, then you should know you aren’t alone. It can be difficult to determine the right clothes for an interview. However, here are some key things to keep in mind when picking out your interview clothes:

Dress for the Job

If you are interviewing for a job as a construction worker, you probably don’t need to wear a full suit. And that works both ways. If you are interviewing for a position in an office, you shouldn’t show up wearing jeans and a t-shirt. No matter the job, make sure your clothes are clean, don’t have holes, and are appropriate.

Wearing Fragrances

On a typical day, you might splash on some aftershave or spritz some perfume on. I mean, who doesn’t like to smell nice? But before you go to an interview, you don’t want to do either of those things. You never know when someone will have an allergy or a sensitive nose, and you certainly don’t want your first impression to be someone to sneezing or getting sick because of your fragrance.

The Key Is In the Details

Are your shoes polished? Does your belt go with your suit? Is your jewelry distracting? Are you wearing matching socks? Are you wearing the right colors?  These are the types of questions to ask yourself while looking in the mirror before your interview. Everything needs to match and be a distracting. Keep in mind that you want to look professional and like you already belong as an employee.

When In Doubt

If you can’t figure out what you should wear to the interview, then feel free to call the HR department. You don’t want show up to your interview underdressed, so ask what is recommended. If you aren’t brave enough to ask, then overdress slightly because that makes a better first impression than being underdressed.

Do you have any questions about what you should wear to your upcoming interview? Leave your questions in the comments section below!

Diverse Staffing Named 2014 Best Places To Work In Indiana

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February 19, 2014 – Diverse Staffing has been named one of the 2014 Best Places to Work in Indiana, based on results from a statewide program designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Indiana. Diverse Staffing is the only staffing firm in its category to make the list that recognizes companies that excel in leadership and planning, culture and communications, job satisfaction, working environment, training and development, pay and benefits, and overall employee satisfaction.

This is the second time in three years that Diverse Staffing has earned a Best Places to Work in Indiana distinction for creating a productive environment in which employees feel valued.  The award program is a project of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, BizVoice, Inside INdiana Business, the Society of Human Resource Management-IN State Council, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Best Companies Group.

“I’m very proud that Diverse Staffing has been named one of the Best Places To Work In Indiana for a second time. This is one of the highest honors a company can aspire to, and one that recognizes our employees’ passion for excellence, our teamwork and trust, and how we help and support one another,” said George Apgar, Managing Partner of Diverse Staffing.  “At Diverse Staffing, we recognize that our people are our greatest resource, and we have built a culture based on a foundation of excellence in everything we do for our staff, temporary workforce and our clients,” Apgar, continued. “This award is a testament to the daily commitment and dedication our people share to make Diverse Staffing an exciting and innovative workplace.”

Diverse Staffing offers a proprietary staffing delivery model that integrates online, mobile, social media, call center, and community-centric services. The Diverse approach is tailored to support all business types, from small offices to multi-state Fortune 100 manufacturing facilities – enabling clients to proactively plan, execute, measure, and continuously improve each staffing initiative.

Diverse Staffing will be honored at the 2014 Best Places to Work in Indiana Awards Dinner on May 1, hosted at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis and coordinated by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The final rankings will be announced at the event.

Advice for Candidates

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As a courtesy to our candidates, Diverse Staffing has compiled some critical advice for candidates from some of the top professionals in the employment industry. Some thoughts as you consider your next career decision:

Headhunters Work for the Client

Headhunters work for the client, not for the candidate. Candidates should expect fair and honest treatment from headhunters, but not inside information on hiring organizations or about other candidates. “The headhunter is a broker, not a guide or coach.” (Moats-Kennedy, “What the Recruiter Won’t Tell You,” Healthcare Executive, Chicago).

Call Before You Need Us

The best time for individuals to contact a recruiter is when they don’t need one. Around 64% of executive level positions in the U.S. are filled through professional recruiters. The majority of corporate chiefs have dealt with headhunters at one time or another during their careers. Potential candidates (that is, every employed person) should remember this in their dealings with recruiters (Sheldon: review of Reynolds “Be Hunted,” Communication World, San Francisco).

The Bottom Line

Employees should also bear in mind the material bottom line when they go to work, and regard their current employer with a degree of instrumentality. At the end of the day, labor is just another economic factor input. A better deal may be out there (The Princeton Report, Princeton Search Group).

Know Who the Top Recruiters Are

Candidates should be aware of the top recruiters in their industry and should ensure that they have a profile that headhunters will notice. “With any new search assignment, recruiters often take a quick personal inventory and identify people who may be perfect for the job they have been hired to fill” (Ransom, “An Insider’s Look at Recruiters and Recruiting,” Physician Executive, Nov/Dec 2003.)
NOTE: Professional candidates can improve their profile proactively by making themselves available to the media, by writing articles in trade journals and through networking.

A Form of Representation

Executive recruiters provide candidates with a form of representation that can provide an advantage when seeking a new job (Neil, “Facing Up to Headhunters,” ABA Journal, Chicago, Aug. 2003). Employers may take prospective hires more seriously if they are represented by a third party. Since clients usually only engage headhunters when they need to fill a vacancy, candidates can be sure that they are being put forward for genuine openings and are not applying for jobs that have already been filled prior to being advertised.

Be Sure You’re a Contender

When seeking a position through a headhunter, candidates should ensure that they have the qualifications and experience specified. “Most search consultants would agree that unless you meet at least 80% of the job specifications, you aren’t a contender” (Tyler, “Hey, You! Look at Me!” Healthcare Financial Management, Nov. 2003).
NOTE: Clients expect recruitment firms to put forward only those candidates that closely match their specific requirements. Experienced headhunters are very adept at screening job seekers.

If this advice for candidates seems a little daunting to you, then contact Diverse Staffing at 317.803.2910 for help on finding your next job. 

The Diverse Staffing Benefits

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There are thousands of staffing firms across the country. So what is the Diverse Staffing difference? What makes us so special and valuable to your organization? Our award-winning service is unmatched. And our candidates are among the most highly qualified you will ever find. The Diverse Staffing benefits include great features and services:

World-Class Recruiting

With Diverse Staffing, you partner with experts who possess more than 100 years of combined recruiting and staffing experience – strategists with a rich background and extensive training in your specific business areas.

Critical Needs Analysis

Diverse Staffing works with you to develop a comprehensive study of your organization’s immediate and long-term staffing needs. Our important and highly-detailed discovery phase helps us to understand the exact skill requirements necessary for each vital position you need to fill. Most staffing firms can only fill such critical positions with talented “A” candidates some of the time. Our award-winning process helps us to fill your positions with the right candidate every time.

Research-Based Recruitment Methods

Many staffing agencies only rely on regional job board postings to help fill open positions. Diverse Staffing goes much further. Our award-winning, research-based recruiting methodologies include in-depth, proprietary research, valuable information obtained through referral-based communities, and data gleaned from corporate networking systems.

Drug & Background Screening

At the client’s request, Diverse Staffing offers a quick and thorough drug screening, as well as comprehensive background checks on each eligible candidate—tests performed locally for accurate, immediate results at no additional cost to you.

The Candidate/Client Introduction

The first day a new recruit joins your team, a representative from Diverse Staffing will be onsite to help establish responsibilities and priorities. We help streamline an effective communications strategy—one that strengthens your organization’s plans and processes and promotes clarity and constant improvement.

360° Total Quality Management (TQM)

We work with you to craft a real-time, complete feedback system that ensures greater opportunities for improvement and peak performance.

Employee Recognition & Retention

We offer various, user-friendly candidate management programs to help attract and retain talented recruits. As well, we inspire greater employee loyalty and motivation through special incentive programs and rewards for meeting and exceeding quality performance goals.

Customized Quarterly Reports

As part of our award-winning service, we offer at no additional charge a number of customized quarterly reports, which allow you to chart the progress of each recruit, as well as the overall status of your project.

Location

Diverse Staffing offers several regional locations to cover the regions you serve in your businesses. HR personnel are always comforted to know that a Diverse Staffing office is “right down the road,” with experts available immediately to help answer your questions and concerns.

Payroll & Billing

If you wish to “preview” talent with no risk to you and no burden to your internal accounting department, hire the candidate through us. Diverse Staffing will put that employee on our payroll and handle all project billing for the candidate. You have no long-term obligations to either Diverse Staffing or the candidate. And you can ensure that each potential employee will work out in advance of your eventual hire.

Reference Checks

Diverse Staffing guarantees due diligence in tracking each candidate’s employment history and performance.

The Diverse Staffing benefits can help you successfully carry out your plans and effectively manage your processes. Call us at 317.803.2910 to learn how we can start helping you today. 

The Anatomy of a Comprehensive Staffing Service

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When you begin searching for a staffing agency to help with your work force needs, it helps if you understand the anatomy of a comprehensive staffing firm. In order to avoid working with a firm that may not provide you the best features or even all of the features you really need, you should be sure that you are receiving comprehensive staffing services. Below, you will find a short guide to comprehensive staffing services and what you need to be on the lookout for.

Evaluating Your Needs

Clients turn to Diverse Staffing, to design a custom, research-based recruiting program built on a unique, metrics-driven staffing model. Unlike programs offered by most recruiting and staffing firms in the market, this extremely proactive Diverse Staffing recruitment system incorporates “Best Staffing Practices”. This allows us to help corporate clients like you identify, build and track a specialized, national database of the country’s most highly skilled job candidates.

Customizing Solutions

Utilizing this powerful proprietary system, Diverse Staffing then “goes the extra mile” by helping to recruit these candidates on behalf of our corporate clients. Our integrated staffing model serves corporate clients through five phases:

  1. A Research Phase – in which Diverse Staffing creates a customized, research-driven recruiting database
  2. A Recruitment Phase – in which Diverse Staffing works with the clients to identify and attract top recruits
  3. A Submittal Phase – in which Diverse Staffing submits top candidates to client for final consideration
  4. An Offer Phase – in which client and candidate come to terms on employment arrangements
  5. A Retention Phase – in which Diverse Staffing performs periodic follow-up evaluations with both client and new employee in a systematic review process.

Measuring Results

Diverse Staffing does not stop working after the “offer phase.” We want to ensure a quality work environment and streamlined communications, as well as increased opportunities for retention. That is why Diverse Staffing follows up on every assignment with both employer and employee by implementing a 360-degree Total Quality Management (TQM) feedback system. This TQM system employs a systematic, data-driven process and allows for feedback and continuous improvement, not only between the client and the employee, but also between any party and Diverse Staffing. We are all looking for opportunities for greater improvement, and this TQM feedback system is the very best in the industry.

Best Practices in Employee Evaluation

A key goal for any staffing agency is to find you and other corporate clients the best and most qualified job candidates. Not all firms offer the comprehensive services that enble them to reach that goal. Our evaluation processes deliver consistent and measurable improvements when it comes to placing qualified talent: Applicant Interview – During the interview, details about skills and experience are discussed. Testing – For certain positions, such as for office/clerical applicants, typing and data entry skills will be required. Thus we will test individuals on their software and clerical skills. We also offer certification of Forklift Operators and ensure that CDL drivers have the required licenses.

Additional employee screening should always include:

  1. Reference Checks – References from previous employers are verified.
  2. Drug Screening – Applicant drug screening can be performed at the client’s request.
  3. Criminal Background Check – Criminal background checks are performed at the client’s request.
  4. Ongoing Recruitment Programs – Through our various recruiting methods, we ensure that we always have the right candidate for you at the right time.
  5. Employee Benefits – Employees can qualify for paid holidays and vacations, 401(k) plans and group health insurance plans, available from Diverse Staffing. Direct Deposit of paychecks and a Debit Card program are also available to all Diverse Staffing employees (thus eliminating the overhead costs to our corporate clients).
  6. Satisfaction Guaranteed

Diverse Staffing even offers you this pledge: If you are not completely satisfied with one of our employees, notify us within the first four (4) hours of the assignment, and we will replace that employee with another and not charge you for the initial hours.