Ready for Recovery: Hiring in 2010

Killer Interview Questions

I have been recruiting for 20 years in the area of accounting and finance. One thing I can tell you for sure is that the hiring process is never easy. It’s hard. Interviewing well is probably one of the most critical skills in my profession as well as one of the factors that most deeply affects my clients.

Think, for a minute, about how absurd an interview can be. You have to sit down with a virtual stranger and be able to assess how a person will work and behave after spending only a brief time with them. Afterward, you must listen to what their references say about them and perceive what their references are not saying. Maybe you bring them back for a second interview, or have team members interview them as well. . .whatever you do, if you hire them, you will be spending about 2000 hours or more with them a year. You will trust the person you hire to perform well and bring results.

Jack Welch says, “…hiring great people is brutally hard. New managers are lucky to get it right half the time. And even executives with decades of experience will tell you that they make the right calls 75% of the time at best.” With that in mind, I decided to call some of the top financial managers in the DFW area to ask them what interview questions they considered to be the most critical. Their answers were telling. Although some of the interview questions they ask deal with the requisite skills provided for the position they are filling, the questions most of them considered vital had to do with a person’s attitude, character and work ethic. That being said, these questions could work in a variety of professions, and their answers could just bring the additional clarity you have been looking for in an interview.

1. Are you a leader or a follower?
-Rob Graham, Corporate Controller, Permian Tank and Manufacturing, Inc.

Whether the person is a leader or a follower, they should be a good team member. The manner in which they answer this question could be an indicator of how they will fit in with your department, your team and in the specific role they are applying for.

2. In five words or less, describe yourself.
-Rob Graham, Permian Tank and Manufacturing, Inc.

You can glean a lot from the way people describe themselves. Most interviews contain a sort of “tell me about yourself” question, but this question forces the applicant to be precise. Management style, personality type, leadership ability, work ethic, and even personal priorities can be discovered through this kind of question.

3. What do you do when you are not working?
-Jason Kulas, CFO, Santander Consumer USA

This is one of my favorite questions. When a candidate begins to talk about their hobbies and their interests, I get a better idea of who they are and what their priorities are. If someone has a hard time coming up with outside activities, it can be an indicator that their life is out of balance, or that they are not able to be transparent.

4. How do you build capacity in those you lead?
-Joe Christian, Director of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Atmos Energy

Managers are a dime a dozen, but true leaders are worth their weight in gold. Organizations are more commonly looking for those individuals who can not only lead others, but build skills in others. For management positions, asking this question can help you determine if the candidate values mentoring and building capacity, which will raise the level of expertise in your organization.

5. Tell me how you successfully bridged the gap between your traditional finance/accounting skill set and company operations? How have you contributed to the company strategy or mission statement?
-Rick Nunnally, CFO, Cheldan Homes

Larry Winget, in his book, It’s Called Work for a Reason!, says that employees are not paid to work hard. Employees are paid for results. It’s important to know that the candidate sitting across from you in an interview has the ability to actually make a difference in your organization. In today’s market, employees need to be contributors in whatever role they are in and be responsible for value-added results. No one has the patience or the money for cubicle-fillers anymore. Candidates must be able to articulate how the organizational performance will be positively impacted as well as sell their expertise.

6. Tell me about one of your most significant accomplishments.
-Rick Nunnally, CFO, Cheldan Homes

This is a great question. With this question, not only will the candidate reveal a major accomplishment, but the interviewer will able to assess what the candidate perceives as significant.

7. Our company has a successful [accounting] team in place. How do you see yourself leading/interacting with an established group?
-Mark Gaddis, President, Dallas Door and Supply, Inc.

New employees sometimes struggle with integrating into a well-functioning team. New managers or team leaders sometimes struggle with established teams the most. It is imperative that the person you are hiring be a good match for your existing team. Relationships and teamwork are crucial in any organization. Be sure to enable your team with a new employee that will be able to join in on existing success as well as bring innovative ideas to the table.

8. Describe a conflict you were involved in at work and how it was resolved. How did the work continue after that?
-Mark Gaddis, President, Dallas Door and Supply, Inc.

Every employee experiences some level of conflict at some point in their career. As the candidate explains the conflict to you, you can assess their conflict-resolution skills, as well as how well they recover and move through sensitive situations.

In this economy it is more important than ever to make the right call when you are hiring. In the long run, retaining quality employees means finding the right individuals in the first place. Employee turnover takes resources away from your core business, costing up to 1.5% of the position’s annual salary. Take the time and make the effort to ask the right questions now, and you will be building a team that can affect your bottom line in this economy and the recovery to come.

Keep the Good Ones

On-boarding as a path to retention
Interviewed by Arthur G Sharp of Smart Business
As originally seen in Smart Business Dallas

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The first 90 days on a job are the most critical for a new employee. Employers need to understand that this period is the most significant for a new hire. One path to employee retention is to implement an effective on-boarding program. Employers need a strategy to integrate new hires into a corporation’s procedures, culture and vision.

Smart Business spoke with Leslie Peterson to learn more about the value of on-boarding both temporary and direct-hire employees.

How does an employer benefit from a strong on-boarding program?

Companies that have structured on-boarding processes in place spend fewer dollars on recruiting and hiring due to a lower turnover rate. Perhaps the best benefit of on-boarding is employee retention, partnered with loyalty and increased productivity. According to Westwood- Dynamics’ website, employees who go through such a program stay with a company for at least three years longer than employees who are not offered an on-boarding process. The relative cost of on-boarding is low compared to the cost of turnovers. The expense of one employee turnover can be up to 1.5 times the salary of the position.

How do employers create a successful on-boarding program?

There are a variety of ways to set up a solid on-boarding program. Employers can start by evaluating their current plan, creating a checklist, and providing a mentor. The primary goal is to set up the new hire for success through information and training. The on-boarding program needs to be consistent and ongoing with follow-up throughout the employee’s first year. Periodically checking in with new hires and assessing their development will assure them of commitment to their success.

When does the on-boarding process begin?

Ideally, on-boarding begins before the job is even accepted. The employer should ask new employees to explain their concerns about the job before they start. When new employees are permitted to relate their fears early, employers can be proactive about potential tough periods in their process. By mainstreaming the new-hire process, employers can retain top talent and help their bottom line grow.

Post acceptance, the hiring manager should go over some key items with new hires, providing specifics as to where to park, dress code, items to bring for paperwork, when to arrive, whom to ask for and what to expect on the first day. That process will ease the new employee’s jitters, save time and serve as a starting point to plug him or her into the company.

What can employers do on an employee’s first day to ease his or her transition?

The first day of a work with a new employer is difficult. Often my candidates have told me that they feel out of place or uncomfortable asking for basic information that is second nature to seasoned employees. They need to be given a tour of the office, introduced to the team, shown restroom locations and told what time lunch is typically taken. These are simple suggestions, but having a basic working knowledge of the office can ease tension on that first day. In addition, established employees can check in with them periodically to engage new hires and make them feel welcome.

What steps should be taken after the first day?

The most crucial step is to check in with new employees to see how they are handling training and adjusting to the team. Thirty days into a new position, a new hire can begin to wonder if he or she made the right decision. Why? Relationships. Employers should check in with the new hire at the 30-day mark to see how the training process is preparing the employee and to see if he or she has developed at least one relationship with a fellow employee. Pairing new employees with a mentor connects them with the team, gives them a forum to ask questions, and helps them to learn the company culture.

What is important to new hires during the first 30 to 60 days in a new position?

Challenges and successes begin to surface between 30 and 60 days after a hire. Sometimes, new hires still wonder if they really know what is expected of them, if they have had an opportunity to exercise their strengths, if they received recognition recently and whether co-workers care about them as individuals. If the answers to these questions are no, then the employer and the new hires should discuss why that is and to whom the employees can talk to in order to resolve these problems. Ultimately, investing in people with the right values and tools of support will deliver the organization’s goals, and everyone will reap the rewards.

LESLIE PETERSON, CPC, CTS is accounting and finance manager for delta Dallas. Reach her at lpeterson@deltadallas.com or (972) 788-2300 for more information.

© 2007 Smart Business Network Inc.

Delta Dallas Events Series 2009 Your Questions and Comments:

For those who were part of our first event of the Event Series 2009: Getting In The Game,  we would like to hear your comments and questions. We have asked our guest speaker, Don Dalrymple, President/Founder of AscendWorks if he would be willing to answer any questions pertinent to his speech and he has graciously accepted. So feel free to use the space below to post your comment or question.

Thursday, March 5, 2009 at Lawry’s

Getting in the Game could easily be called, “Whose going to do your job when you get laid off?” It is a compelling and thought provoking message by Don Dalrymple, President and Senior Business Advisor of AscendWorks (http://ascendworks.com)

If you are a business owner, a manager, an entrepreneur, or in the workforce you cannot afford not to hear this message. Those who have heard it say it is the most compelling message they have heard in years!

Delta Dallas has made it easy to attend. The first 10 who register will get in for free. That is you get a world-class lunch at Lawry’s The Prime Rib and hear Don Dalrymple, sought out speaker, entrepreneur, and business advisor.

To register click here. Don’t wait seating is limited!