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If you’ve been following our recent articles about the recruitment process, you’ll know that we have explored effective shortlisting and interviewing. This article will explore the next step in the recruitment process – reference checking.

Reference checks involve contacting a candidate’s previous employers, supervisors, or other listed contacts to learn more about their employment history and gain further insight into how the candidate ACTUALLY performs in a working environment.

Here are our top 3 tips for Reference Checking:

1. Ask for RELEVANT Referees from the candidate – Don’t just go off their resume!!! As mentioned in our previous article, Acworth Recruitment recommend asking the candidate to provide you with the contact details (Name, Position, Company, Phone, Email) for three Managers/ Supervisors from their most recent positions. With the candidate providing their referee contact details, you are likely to have valid & useful referees – and you have permission to contact them (which is important under the Privacy Act). If the candidate cannot (or will not) provide their Manager’s details, then push for a valid reason and pass the responsibility back on to them to chase up their new contact details or to provide an alternate Manager.
2. Put together a templated Reference Check Document and record the information. Not only does this provide a structured list of questions or areas of interest, it can also ensure you have detailed written records if you ever have any potential issues with unsuccessful candidates or the Fair Work Ombudsmen.
3. As with Interviews – Make sure you DO NOT ask discriminatory questions. The focus of your questions should be framed around the candidate’s reliability, punctuality and work ethic, etc. but should not include asking about their family commitments or extra-curricular activities.

Employing the wrong person in a role is a very costly exercise – and potentially damaging to the business. Whilst conducting Reference Checking is not fool proof, it has the potential to value-add and can help to clarify particular skills, traits & attributes that apply to the workplace and the role – and can help hiring managers feel confident in their recruitment decisions.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

With our online application tracking software and pre-recorded video interviewing, Acworth Recruitment work closely with our clients and provide detailed information about our candidates. We can conduct reference checking on behalf of our clients and provide the extra information to help with decision making.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

To ensure that hiring managers are carrying out effective interviews, they should use a tailored interview guide.

Taking the time to carefully consider what specific skills, capabilities, experience and approaches are needed from the new employee – as well as forming questions targeting those key criteria – will ensure that decision makers have the best opportunity to identify a genuinely great new employee who can successfully carry out the requirements of the role and fit in with the work culture & team.

10 important factors for a Quality Interview Guide:

1. ALWAYS start by providing an Introduction & Overview of the Business & Role – This will allow the candidate to relax a little and to gain a better understanding of the work environment. Be honest and positive, but don’t waffle for too long – this should be about 5-10 minutes & must provide a general background.
2. Be sure to review their resume and clarify important information such as:
   • Required Qualification, Certifications & Licences
   • Dates of employment – How long they were there (people often only include the year in their resume and not the “start” and “end” months)
   • Why they left their recent roles
3. Your initial two question for the candidate should be general and allow them to talk about themselves – Again, this will allow them to shake off the nervousness. You are likely to get more information that is genuine and accurate if the candidate is feeling comfortable.
4. NEVER ask CLOSED QUESTIONS – Yes or No answers serve limited purpose.
5. Ask 8 to 10 Questions – No more than that as interviews are draining for both the Interviewer and the Candidates.
6. Questions should VARY between BEHAVIOURAL, SCENARIO BASED and TARGETED GENERAL Questions – This will allow you to gather details from the candidate about their related experience and capabilities:
   • Behavioural Interview Questions utilise the STAR (Situation, Task, Action & Result) technique and premise the concept that “someone’s recent behaviour or actions are a likely indicator of their future action”. It takes practice for the interviewer to encourage candidates to focus on SPECIFIC EXAMPLES to answer the questions and to draw down further to focus on important areas. You need the candidate to be able to elaborate on what THEY ACTUALLY DID…. the process they followed…. and how they handled the situation. You will then be able to decide if they have the actual experience and approach to enable them to carry out the functions of your role.
   • Scenario Based Questions require you to detail a likely situation they would have within the role – and ask them to detail what they would do in that situation. The disadvantage of this style of questioning, is that what candidates think they will do in situation compared to what they actually do, can be very different.
   • Targeted General Questions allow you to find out details about specific general areas such as their experience with particular software, motivations and approaches.
7. Provide the Candidate with an Opportunity to ask Questions.
8. Discuss the Salary and Work Hours for the role – Don’t be afraid to ask the candidate about their current or most recent salary and to confirm that you are both on the same page. There is no point selecting a candidate and offering the role based on a salary that does not meet their needs or expectations.
9. Confirm Referees and their Contact Details – Best practice is to speak with two referees – in our experience there is ALWAYS a referee who cannot be reached, so asking for three managers/supervisors from the candidates’ most recent positions will save time).
10. Outline the Process from here – Let them know when you will be finalising your decision (this should be within 1-3 days maximum).

Remember, this is a GUIDE to steer and lead you through the interview and NOT a “must follow”. A candidate may cover details that answer more than one question in a response or you may have a candidate that is clearly lacking the abilities for your role, and may choose not to ask all the questions. It takes practice for you as a Manager to carry out interviews that bridge the gap between conducting an Interrogation and having a Chat, which is where the Interview Guide can assist.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Saving you time in the shortlisting process so that you can focus on the top few candidates to interview.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

As mentioned in our previous article, an interview is an opportunity for hiring managers to meet with the potential new employee and to make determinations on their suitability for the role – and vice versa.

To make these determinations, information needs to be gathered and exchanged between both the interviewing manager and the potential new employee – and this needs to be repeated at each interview. If effective shortlisting occurs prior to interview, then fewer interviews will be required and the recruitment process is streamlined.

To ensure that decision makers are able to make an informed choice on their potential new employee, it is important to have an interview process in place.

An effective interview process will ensure that decision makers:

1. Are gathering and exchanging information that is relevant and pertinent to the role they want to fill.
2. Have sufficient details at the end of the interview to assess the potential employee/s’ specific capabilities and fit for the role.
3. Are able to review particular details for each candidate again once all interviews have been completed – which may help when making a final decision between two candidates who tick different boxes.

To ensure that hiring managers are carrying out effective interviews, they should use a tailored interview guide. Having a process and interview guide does NOT mean that the interview has to be rigid and impersonal, but it is important for both parties to leave the interview with a realistic impression of each other, the work environment, and the role.

Taking the time to carefully consider what specific skills, capabilities, experience and approaches are needed from the new employee – as well as forming questions targeting those key criteria – will ensure that decision makers have the best opportunity to identify a genuinely great new employee who can successfully carry out the requirements of the role and fit in with the work culture & team.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Saving you time in the shortlisting process so that you can focus on the top few candidates to interview.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

Over the past few weeks, we have explored the importance of a recruitment process, and how to ensure you are shortlisting effectively as part of that process. Once you have developed this SHORT list of candidates, it is time to arrange face-to-face interviews (whether in person or via live video interviewing).

The interview is an opportunity for hiring managers to meet with the potential new employee and to make determinations on their suitability for the role – and vice versa – That is, the potential new employee needs to determine if the role and the company will be a fit for them as well.

As EXTERNAL Professional Recruiters, Acworth Recruitment’s role is to provide support in the outsourced shortlisting process. For the hiring manager or decision makers within the business, the final decision for who you want to employ MUST lie with you.

So what should you be considering to ensure that the interview process is effective?

1. Be prepared for the Interview and be on-time – Review the candidate’s application again prior to bringing them into the room and have the details with you.
2. Be professional in how YOU present yourself and communicate – This is your first opportunity to gain the respect of your potential new employee.
3. Provide an overview of the company and the role – Be honest and positive, but don’t waffle for too long….this should be about 5-10 minutes & must provide a general background.
4. Have a prepared Interview Guide – This will include questions specific to the role which allow you to gather details from the candidate about their related experience and capabilities.
5. Be aware of the candidate – Give them the chance to ask questions as well.
6. Conduct Skills Testing where possible – This should be brief and directly relevant to the role as it is the best indicator for core capability. Examples where skills testing can be applicable are using accounting software, resolving a common IT issue, data entry, and also physical testing for lifting or picking & packing.

Hiring managers need to enter into the interview process with the PURPOSE and OUTCOME in mind. You want to employ a great new employee who is capable and fits within the existing team, so the process needs to support that.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Saving you time in the shortlisting process so that you can focus on the top few candidates to interview.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

Using video interviewing as part of their recruitment processes, managers are able to collate a streamlined shortlist based on more than resumes for multiple candidates– all without taking hours for telephone screening or to meet with them in person.

The following are ways in which video interviews assist directly with shortlisting and assessing candidate’s general suitability to a role:

1. Video Interviewing allows candidates to showcase their knowledge and personality
2. They provide insight into a candidate’s communication style – especially their ability to respond to generalised and basic questions.
3. Video interviews can also show a candidates’ ability to present themselves in a semi-formal situation.
4. A candidate’s willingness to interact with new and different technology during the recruitment process may indicate their willingness to adapt to change within a new workplace.

Video Interviewing in recruitment is becoming more and more common. Around 60% of companies already use them as part of their general recruitment process. To ensure that you are able to access the widest pool of quality candidates while still being able to shortlist effectively, you may want to consider adapting your recruitment process.

For more information on Video Interviewing and how it can streamline your recruitment, follow the hyperlinks.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews to provide detailed information on candidates– Saving you from sifting through dozens of candidate resumes to develop your shortlist.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

Shortlisting is the process of identifying the candidates who best meet both the required and desired criteria for the role AND who the recruitment decision makers should interview. While reviewing resumes is part of the process, it should not be the sole focus of shortlisting.

With as many as 30% of applicant resumes containing fabricated information, it is important to look deeper when reviewing resumes. While in some cases this false information may be an exaggeration of the scope of candidates’ experiences, it can also be out-right lies as well. It can be difficult to tell by glancing at a resume if the information is correct, which is why hiring managers should consider the whole picture and ask further questions.

If hiring managers are only considering the role titles and certifications of a candidate but not their stability and the industries in which they have worked, they may be mis-identifying candidates as either more or less qualified for the role than they actually are.

Asking additional questions prior to face-to-face interview is important for information gathering and can be done through an online written application (possibly using an ATS), telephone screening, and/ or pre-recorded video interviewing.

Asking questions about a candidate’s employment history assists with gaining a good understanding of how the candidate may suit the role requirements. Hiring managers should consider asking questions around the scope of previous roles and why the candidate is no longer in those positions – along with any unexplained employment gaps. Based on candidate’s responses, further questions may be asked at this time.

In addition to employment history, there are other areas of interest that a resume is unlikely to cover – Long term goals; commuting distance; salary expectations; notice periods; planned leave and so on. This information can be important in developing a shortlist. For example – if a position covers a set time and needs to begin within a particular time frame, then it’s very important to know about a candidate’s notice period and planned leave. Similarly, if a role has a set salary range or hourly rate and a candidate is seeking above this range, then they are unlikely to be suitable for the role.

Once hiring managers gain additional insight into their potential candidates, they are able to develop an informed shortlist where decision makers already know that the candidates have solid potential for the role.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews to provide detailed information on candidates– Saving you from sifting through dozens of candidate resumes to develop your shortlist.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

Shortlisting is the process of identifying the candidates who best meet both the required and desired criteria for the role AND who the recruitment decision makers should interview. If the shortlisting process is not effective, there can be negative results in both the short and long term.

Firstly, ineffective shortlisting leads to mis-identifying candidates of potential. It can lead to an increased number of unqualified candidates being interviewed, as well as not identifying candidates who could have been a strong fit.

Second, it increases the time required to recruit. This can be through holding more interviews than are necessary or by being required to advertise again to gain a different pool of candidates.

Third, ineffective shortlisting can lead to missing out on strong candidates who are offered other roles before hiring managers are able to contact them. This does not mean that the shortlisting process should be rushed, but it does mean that if hiring someone is a priority, then effective shortlisting is necessary to ensure strong candidates are contacted quickly, rather than waiting for several days or even weeks after being identified.

Finally, ineffective shortlisting can result in hiring people who are not the right fit for the role. This can be an expensive mistake, as it involves not only the time and cost of recruiting someone, but also training them and later replacing that person and training their replacement – and that’s not counting the lost potential of a qualified candidate being hired in the first place.

With this in mind, it is evident that ensuring that your shortlisting process is effective in the first place is important for the success of your business.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

Since April 2013, Acworth Recruitment has worked flexibly alongside our clients while utilising an innovative web-based candidate portal to help our clients find, interview, and hire the best staff – while remaining cost-effective and saving our clients time through effective shortlisting. Our recruitment process involves working closely with our clients to identify their needs and screen candidates on their behalf to develop a detailed shortlist of candidates with solid potential.

In late April 2020, a long term client came to us to advise that a long term employee was moving on, and they needed a replacement. We liaised with that client to determine the scope of the role – including necessary skills, experience and qualifications, along with salary and other considerations. Once we had this information, we pulled together an advertisement and, with our client’s approval of the contents, posted it on SEEK.

Within the first 3 days of screening, we received 15 applications via SEEK with 8 of some potential. As part of our shortlisting process, we directed those 8 candidates to upload their resume and answer role-specific questions through our online application platform (a form of ATS). By the Friday we had received 6 completed online applications and reviewed candidates’ detailed responses. We conducted a telephone screening with 1 candidate, progressed him to an automated pre-recorded Video Interview, and wrote a report of our impressions based on the conversation. We shared the full details of all 6 candidates with our client.

The progressed candidate completed the Video Interview over the weekend and, upon review, our client decided to meet with the candidate the following day. Our client liked the candidate and called him to clarify a few things the day after the interview – but was advised that the candidate had just been offered and accepted another role.

Based on this, we continued screening. Over the next 5 working days we received 10 applications via SEEK with just 3 of any potential. Of those, two completed the Online Application questions and we conducted telephone screenings and progressed them to video interview. Of those two, our client decided to meet with one candidate for interview. Our client was very impressed with this candidate and asked that we conduct reference checks. Once we had spoken with two references and reported on these to our client, a job offer was made and accepted.

If our client had recruited for this position in their own time, they would have received 26 resumes with limited information and would have spent many hours contacting and meeting with candidates who may not have been of potential. With the Acworth Recruitment shortlisting processes providing detailed information, and the video interview providing a glimpse of the personality and communication style, our client interviewed just two strong candidates and offered the role to one of them. We filled this role in under 10 working days, with our client taking just 3 or 4 hours of their own – saving them at least 7 hours.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises a quality recruitment process with a focus on effective shortlisting – saving our clients from spending hours reviewing candidates who don’t fit the role requirements.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

As mentioned in previous articles, implementing an effective recruitment process is important, and one of the steps in that process is screening and shortlisting candidates.

Shortlisting is the process of identifying the candidates who best meet both the required and desired criteria for the role AND who the recruitment decision makers should interview. Shortlisting is often the most challenging and time-consuming step in the recruitment process. In fact, 52% of talent acquisition specialists said the most difficult part of recruitment was identifying the right candidates from the applicant pool.

So, how do you shortlist effectively?

Determine your shortlisting criteria. This criteria is the essential skills or experience required to perform the role, and should be outlined in the job description. It can include work experience, skills & traits, education, and competencies. You should also determine the essential ‘must-haves’ and the desirable ‘nice-to-haves’. An essential criteria may be whether the candidate is legally able to work in the country, while a desirable criteria may be a professional certification.

Screen resumes to shortlist candidates. According to industry stats, 75% of applicants are unqualified and 88% are not strong enough to move forward to an interview. With this in mind, it is obvious why shortlisting is so time consuming. If a position receives 100 applicants, then the hiring manager will need to review 100 resumes AND keep track of their shortlisted candidates. This is where applicant tracking systems (ATS) may come in handy.

Ask additional questions – don’t just rely on resumes. For many small business owners doing their own recruitment, a resume may appear to provide all the necessary information such as employment history and professional certifications. However, there are a number of other factors to consider that a resume may not cover. These factors may include expected salary, commuting distance, notice periods, long term goals, and more – all of which are important to consider when shortlisting effectively. You may be able to ask candidates relevant questions as part of the initial application process, or by progressing candidates to answer questions through an ATS. Additional options also include telephone screening and pre-recorded video interviewing.

Determine the preliminary shortlist for interview. Once you have reviewed candidates and removed those who do not fit your criteria, you need to determine which candidates you would like to interview. Your ultimate goal should be to reduce your long list of candidates down to those who could actually fulfil the role requirements AND fit within the organisation’s culture. Once you have determined your shortlist, you should arrange interviews to meet with candidates (either in-person or via live video interviewing).

We know that for many business owners who are doing their recruitment themselves, shortlisting can be the most confusing step with the least time and attention given towards it during the recruitment process. However, if decision makers are not effectively reviewing and shortlisting candidates, then it increases the chances of missing things or spending time interviewing candidates who were not the right fit for the role in the first place.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises a professional shortlisting process to efficiently identify quality candidates based our clients’ needs. We use an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews to provide detailed information on applicants to streamline the shortlisting process for our clients.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au.

Find out more Here

Unlike Pre-Recorded video interviewing, Live video interview is more like a traditional interview, with both the employer and candidate interacting in “real time”. There are a number of live video options available, but some of the most common ones are Skype and Zoom. There are also specific recruitment-based online conference-room options available which generally have the option to record the interview for later review.

There are many benefits to using live video interviewing for recruitment. These include most of the benefits of a face-to-face interview while also ensuring there are no location restrictions. Depending on the technology used to hold the live video interview, there is the potential to record it for later review. This means that hiring managers are able to involve a greater number of stakeholders in the shortlisting process. In general, video interviewing in recruitment leads to better candidate engagement, meaning less candidate no-shows than traditional face-to-face interviews.

Even with all these benefits, there are naturally some areas where live video interviews are limited. As with all technology, there can be occasional hiccups which can be managed. In addition, interaction can be a little impacted by the nature of the video process. The surroundings of all interview participants may impact on the audio and visual, along with focus of those involved in the interview. Finally, for the live video interview to be effective, all parties must be able to access the technology effectively at the same time.

Acworth Recruitment have always worked with clients who have different needs when it comes to interviews. Often with candidates interstate or decision makers being in different locations, the best option has been to utilise video interviewing or video conferencing software. We have seen businesses use ZOOM, Skype and Go2Meetings. For the purposes of holding an interview where there is usually only 2-3 people involved, the free user options are all adequate and certainly do the job.

Whilst live video interviewing adds significant value to the recruitment process, it is only one part of a quality hiring process. Other online tools such as an applicant tracking system (ATS) and skills testing should be considered within your recruitment strategy.

Why Not Outsource YOUR recruitment and save the Headache, Time and Money?

Acworth Recruitment utilises an integrated online candidate platform that also incorporates Automated Video Interviews – Saving you from sitting through hours of Recruitment Video Interview provider demonstrations, painful implementation and setup, and hefty monthly subscription fees.

Acworth Recruitment is a genuine outsource recruitment option with a cost-effective hourly charge model. You can outsource as much or as little as you want. No job is too big or too small – $50 to $5,000.

For an obligation free discussion feel free to give Kim Acworth a call on 0411 278 281 or email at finders@acworthrecruitment.com.au

Find out more Here