Time Wasters in the Hiring Process and how to Avoid Them

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When your application moves to the next step in the hiring process, preparing for your interview is vital. The interview process is as important for the interviewer as it is for the interviewee. Although researching the company, noting your skills, and organizing your on-the-job experiences prior to the interview date are all important, there are a several other ways to stand out during your interview. Be Authentic! Leave the generic responses behind. Be thoughtful and take the time to consider your responses so each reflects your perspective. Remember, you are unique—you are the only you in the world and that means you have something unique to offer. Be Excited! Express your enthusiasm for the position—and for the opportunity you have to interview for it. What excites you most? Is it the work tasks outlined in the job posting? Is it what you already know about the company? Share that energy with the hiring manager. Be Personable! Humor is universal. When it makes sense to infuse an answer with a little humor, do so. A good chuckle can be memorable for you and the hiring manager. Be Realistic! Professional goals and plans are important—but so is flexibility. Conveying your willingness to adapt to change, go with the flow as needed, or being open to a sharp right turn in the middle of a project are required in the job market today. Be sure you can demonstrate that you can be flexible. Be Prepared! Provide specific examples. If someone asks you about your organizational skills, you should never respond with, “I have great organizational skills!” Instead, offer an example or share a story about how your great skills led to a positive outcome. Be In Control! The interview should flow smoothly from beginning to end. When responding to questions, you are either in control, or you let the answer wander and lose your train of thought. Stay focused and be in the moment. Be Humble! It is important that you are humble, but also open about your experiences. If you have examples showing how the work you did in the past saved money or time, be sure to articulate those during the interview. Be confident in your abilities and let the hiring manager know just how capable you are. Be Inquisitive! An interview should involve a two-way communication process. You are interviewing the interviewer to gain clarity on the role, the company, and the overall fit. You should take the time to ask questions that engage the interviewer. If you are in a panel interview, try to engage everyone, not just the hiring manager. Be Thankful! Express your thanks at the interview close—and know that what follows is just as important as what transpires during your interview. A handwritten note, short email, or a LinkedIn invite and message are just a few ways you can express your appreciation for the opportunity to interview for the position. In any follow up correspondence, be timely so that your note of thanks is top of mind post interview. Get the skinny on preparing for or writing interview questions, virtual versus in-person interview tips, and more on our Referral Staffing Solutions blog.

The hiring process is time-consuming. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could delegate the process to a team of experts? A staffing agency will help you save time, money, and reduce stress—all while finding candidates who will fit the work and organization. What Can We Do For You? There are tremendous benefits when you leverage the services and expertise of a staffing company. From quick access, to top candidates and marketing your position and company, to accurately and effectively assessing candidate success for the position - a staffing agency like Referral Staffing Solutions can manage it all. Quick Access: We can start right out of the gate and mine our existing candidate pool. We know people who are talented, responsible, and looking for new work opportunities. Don’t waste time starting from scratch; instead, work with a staffing agency to gain immediate access to prospects. You’ll save time on the front end and gain access to high-quality candidates that our team already vetted. Post Positioning: A staffing agency works with both employers and candidates—something that provides a unique perspective to better support the marketing efforts of your job posting. Clearly defining and communicating your company culture and brand can be tricky. At Referral Staffing Solutions, we use our expertise to market your available position and your company as a whole—which in our experience is the most appealing and enticing way to attract in-demand talent. Timely Evaluation: As we mentioned before, the hiring process can be time-consuming—especially if you are doing so in addition to your regular day-to-day responsibilities. If hiring isn’t something you normally do, you can plan to add double—or even triple—the time spent to do the extra work. Knowing the skills to look for in candidates and how to effectively evaluate them takes work. At Referral Staffing Solutions, we have the expertise to assess candidates for success—and we have the know-how to spot the hidden potential or red flags you may overlook in the process. ROI: When you work with a staffing agency like Referral Staffing Solutions, you are introduced to top talent, rather than searching for it. If you try the hiring process on your own and you make a bad hire, you’re out of luck and must start over. But if you aren’t happy with the candidates a staffing agency brings to the table, we rectify the situation and go above and beyond to earn your satisfaction. Our candidate’s success in your organization is what we value most. Get the skinny on preparing for or writing interview questions, virtual versus in-person interview tips, and more on our Referral Staffing Solutions blog .

If you have an interview scheduled, give yourself a pat on the back! Setting the meeting is the first hurdle in any job search. Now that you have a day and time on the calendar, a little preparation is in order. A successful interview is one where the conversation flows smoothly and both the interviewer and interviewee are engaged, honest, and prepared. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your first-round interview. Due Diligence Some people apply for a job without ever looking at the company website. Hard to believe, right? If your resume is selected from a pool of applicants—with or without time spent getting to know company—it is in your best interest to take the time prior to your interview. Spend an hour or two looking at the website and social media. Learn about the company history, purpose, and values. In short, have a solid idea of who, what, where, and why when it comes to the company or organization you are interviewing with. Take Away: Research the company or organization. Take notes about your key findings. Create a list of related questions like, “How do departments typically collaborate?” or “How has the organization transformed over the last decade?” Outline Your Experiences If you wrote your resume for the job posting, you likely developed a second document with a list of your experiences and skills in relation to it. Our blog, Write Your Best Resume, breaks down this tip. Know that during the interview you will be asked to share specific examples and scenarios of your work experience and skills. It can be difficult to come up with answers on the fly, and really, you shouldn’t have to do that. Think through the job description in relation to your experience—and make note of how you handled that type of work in the past. If there are aspects of the job that would be new to you, be open and upfront about your lack of experience while showcasing your excitement, willingness, and ability to learn. Take Away: Write your resume for the job posting and create a resume support document for easy reference during your first-round interview. Be Authentic An interview is nerve wracking, but it is always best practice to be yourself, rather than trying to present a false façade. Honesty and integrity win over obsessive boasting and elaboration every time. Know that your first impression matters, as well as your closing statement of thanks. Throughout the interview it is important to keep your responses concise and focused—and to respond truthfully to all questions. Take Away: Say this with us, “I am prepared, willing, capable, skilled, confident, and excited for this interview.” Now go get ‘em! In the end, when you are well prepared, able to share relevant work examples, and you treat the interview with respect—the interviewer(s) and yourself—the first-round interview will be a success. Whether or not a second-round interview comes your way will depend on your first-round interview responses and how the interviewee felt you met the overall fit for the position and organizational culture. Remember, if anytime during the interview process you feel less than excited about what you are learning or how the interview is going, listen to your gut. If the interview doesn’t feel quite right, then the job or company may not be for you. It is certainly acceptable to thank the interviewer for their time and explain that with a better understanding of the job and organization, it does not feel like the right fit for you. Lastly, the interview process should always end with a note of thanks from the interviewee to the interviewer. Use the note—an email or a mailed letter—to remind the interviewer about your conversation. Consider asking a follow up question or highlighting a key moment from the interview. Get the skinny on preparing for or writing interview questions, virtual versus in-person interview tips, and more on our Referral Staffing Solutions blog.

A resume is the initial bridge between you and the job you think you want. In most cases, your resume will open (or close) the door to an interview. Your resume should set the stage for a robust conversation about your work history, skills, and achievements. Plus, it should reflect your industry and the job posting for which you are applying—all while providing a clear snapshot of who you are as a worker. Here are 5 basic tips for writing your best resume: Cater your resume for the job you are applying for. When writing your resume, incorporate keywords you find in the job description whenever applicable to your experience and skill set. Brand your resume in a unique way. Express your personality and style using clear fonts and graphics, as well as the overall layout. List your most recent work experience first. Note your role, the organization, and your start and end dates. Add a line or two showcasing some of your related accomplishments. Proofread your resume before hitting the submit or send button! Take the time to read over your resume and look for areas where you could condense information or edit. Ask a friend, relative, or trusted colleague to look over your resume as a second set of eyes—they often spot the typos you glance over. Create a second document to help support conversations about your resume. Include bullet points highlighting key experiences, how you handled specific situations, examples of specific projects, and notes about the job posting related to your personal and professional goals. This resume-support document will come in handy when you land your interview! Get the skinny on preparing for or writing interview questions, virtual versus in-person interview tips, and more on our Referral Staffing Solutions blog.