The quest to hire exceptional individuals can be akin to stepping into scenes from Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street. It can be a thrilling yet chilling endeavor, where the stakes are high. And no one wants to introduce any “Jasons” or “Freddys” that could potentially trigger a mass exodus of existing employees. Thankfully, you don’t need to hide in the dark, afraid of who will walk through the door; you just need the right lights to shine and uncover candidates' innate behaviors, soft skills, and past adventures. Like hidden treasures waiting to be discovered, they can reveal a candidate's uniqueness, strengths, and challenges.
By delving deep into the realms of personality and implementing a formal hiring process, you can embark on a journey of determining a candidate's fit to the position. This exploration allows you to make more informed decisions, ensuring the individual is placed in a role that matches their inherent talents. Like adept sorcerers, perceptive leaders can harness the magic of multiple data points when adding a new team member. Yet, the first step lies in encouraging candidates to apply.
Your job ad serves as a portal, offering a glimpse into the possibilities that await prospective candidates. It should wield language that paints a vivid picture of your amazing benefits (beyond health insurance and PTO), company culture, and growth opportunities. Also, be transparent about your expectations, whether it's wickedly long hours or hair-raising travel requirements. Your eye-catching ad will be a beacon, and you will see candidates emerge from the shadows who will align with your organization's ethos and fill your inbox with resumes.
Akin to incantations, behavioral interviews can reveal not only the truthfulness of a candidate's resume but also how they have handled situations in the past. By delving into specific examples and asking probing questions, behavioral interviews draw upon the candidate's experiences, actions, and outcomes, unraveling the essence of their skills and capabilities. These interviews go beyond surface-level responses, diving deep into the candidate's motivations, behaviors, and reactions. Through the exploration of real-life scenarios, you gain a clearer understanding of how the candidate may navigate similar situations in the future. Just like a spell can unveil hidden truths, behavioral interviews unearth valuable insights about a candidate's character, values, and their ability to thrive.
The innate tendencies of a candidate's personality may not be fully revealed during interviews, but adding a personality assessment provides another data point to use. The Omnia Assessment is a tool that elevates your hiring process and is forged from the fires of validation. Using a personality assessment before hiring provides unparalleled insight, much like the Mirror of Erised from the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Just as the mirror reveals the deepest desires and truest selves of those who look into it, a personality assessment unveils candidates' hidden potential, aspirations, and authentic personalities. It enhances your ability to identify top talent, build cohesive teams, and foster a thriving workplace culture.
While technical competencies are essential, it is the ethereal presence of soft skills that shape the success of individuals. Communication, adaptability, and teamwork bring a supernatural energy that transcends mere qualifications. Soft skills are like magical ingredients that weave a spell, creating a harmonious work environment and propelling your organization towards success. When they are prioritized during the hiring process, you attract candidates who possess these abilities. As a result, teams are equipped with individuals who can effectively tackle complex challenges with grace and collaborate seamlessly. This infusion of soft skills ensures a workforce that is not only technically proficient but also capable of hitting your KPIs. But to get there you need to have a formalized hiring method.
Gather your colleagues and envision the ideal person you want to join the team. Define competencies, experience, and personality traits that will ignite the flames of success. Consult with your Omnia customer success manager to build a scoring model that matches the essence of your needs.
Cast your net wide, beyond mere job boards and into the spectral spaces of social media and professional networks. Let the magic of your company's culture and values shine through, beckoning the most enchanting souls.
When evaluating resumes, conducting phone screenings, and utilizing assessments, you can gain valuable insights into your candidates' suitability. This comprehensive screening process ensures that you identify the most promising candidate who meets your needs and preferences.
Gather around the cauldron of hiring decisions. Peer into the depths of Omnia's assessment results, listen to the echoes of interview feedback, and seek the wisdom of candidate references. Extend an offer to the candidate who has the most "yes" boxes checked and possesses the greatest potential for growth.
Welcome the chosen one into your midst. Utilize the personality data you have gathered to help your employee acclimate seamlessly into their new environment. Provide ongoing support, offer constructive feedback, and create opportunities for their professional development. Nurture their growth and watch as they transform into your most fierce ally.
The streetlights are coming on, so it's time to wrap it up. Yes, finding the right candidate can be treacherous, resembling a suspenseful Halloween movie. However, amidst the uncertainties, there are powerful tools and methods that can transform fear into a sense of control and excitement. Starting with your job ad to attract, your interview to verify, your assessment to gain insight, and your hiring method to stay on track, you are well-equipped to handle anything that comes your way.
So, step into the adventure armed with your tools, curiosity, and discerning eye to uncover the true potential of candidates and guide them from the dark woods into the light of your organization.
“Ghosting” is somewhat of a misnomer to me. After all, in movies and TV shows, ghosts tend to move into places where they aren’t wanted and stick around longer than any of the characters anticipate. But in the non-ethereal world, the act of ghosting is just the opposite. It leaves the ghosted party thinking, “What happened?” and “Why have they disappeared?” Maybe The Invisible Man Phenomenon would be a more accurate description, though a lot less catchy.
While the term initially rose to prominence in the dating realm, ghosting has become an eerie, unwelcome practice in the business world too. In this blog, we’ll discuss what job ghosting is, how it impacts both employers and candidates, and how to prevent it.
When done by a candidate, job ghosting is when the applicant, who was actively participating in the hiring process, suddenly ceases communication with the potential employer. Job candidate ghosting can look like unreturned calls when the hiring manager tries to follow up with the candidate, a missed interview with no call or email from the applicant to explain why, or even not showing up for the first day of work after the candidate accepted the offer.
Job candidate ghosting comes with obvious problems for employers looking to hire. This can include the time wasted interviewing the “ghost” candidate, potential lost opportunities as other applicants move on to pursue other open positions, and the increased length of time that current staff must take on additional work until the position is filled and the new person is trained and brought up to speed.
There are many reasons why a job candidate might cut off contact with hiring personnel. A major reason is often because the applicant is no longer interested in the position. Perhaps the individual discovers the job isn’t what they thought it would be or the salary or benefits are not what they expected. Rather than convey that sentiment, the candidate may simply avoid communications with the company. Also, a person might have extenuating personal circumstances that cause them to bow out of the hiring process.
Given that the interview process in the United States takes an average of 23.8 days, candidates who are considering several positions may decide to ghost the jobs and employers they are less interested in to focus their time and energy on the positions and organizations that are most appealing to them.
A big contributing factor in candidate ghosting is the sometimes impersonal nature of modern communication methods. It’s quite easy to avoid replying to an email or to let a phone call go to voicemail (and never listen to the message or return the call).
“But wait a minute!” all the job candidates shout. “It’s not just us! How many times have we submitted applications and tried to follow up with calls or emails only to be met with radio silence from companies?” And my response to them is, “You make a good point.” Job ghosting isn’t done only by candidates; employers can ghost their applicants too, and it can be just as bad for business.
A key reason why employers ghost candidates is similar to why candidates ghost employers: they are no longer interested. After an initial phone interview, the employer may decide to move forward with some candidates and stop communicating with the others. A hiring manager could cease contact with applicants once the manager has made an offer to their top candidate and the offer has been accepted. Some companies may feel the need to mitigate the risk of litigation that they fear might come from an outright rejection, so they go incommunicado instead.
HR reps and hiring managers, who are also trying to keep up with other job responsibilities, might feel that they just don’t have the time to communicate with candidates at every stage of the hiring process. And the fear of being ghosted themselves can cause an employer to stop contact with candidates; not telling applicants that they didn’t get the job can be viewed as a safety net in case the company’s new hire is a no show on day one. Rather than closing a door on candidates that they may have to reopen, they leave the door open indefinitely by not communicating anything.
In both scenarios, the ghosted party can feel frustration, uncertainty, and perhaps a little resentment—not the impression a candidate or company wants to leave on others. But in the real world, the hiring process can be lengthy (for both applicants and organizations) and resources are often stretched thin. “Non-essential” communication can sometimes be viewed as the first thing to go in the process of hiring or being hired. But it doesn’t have to be, and fortunately, the following ideas can be used by companies to help ward off both forms of ghosting.
1. To stop employer ghosting within a company, business leadership must set and emphasize the standard that communication with job candidates is essential, not simply a courtesy. Incorporate communication checks within every stage of the hiring process, including documenting the interactions to ensure they are not overlooked.
Encourage HR associates and hiring managers to treat job candidates like customers in order to give them a positive experience with your organization, even if they are not hired. People who have a favorable association with your company will tell others about it, which can help attract high-potential candidates in the future. However, someone who has a negative experience with your organization may also tell others about it, including via social media, which could cause your next potential superstar to steer clear of applying for a job at your company.
2. Be very clear about the job’s requirements, salary and benefits, remote work policies (or lack thereof), and other relevant information that candidates need when deciding on what job to take. Don’t try to entice applicants by making the position seem like something it really isn’t. When candidates feel misled by the job ad or what’s been implied in the interview, it sets up a prime scenario for ghosting.
3. Use automation to your advantage. If you cannot reply to all of your first-round candidates individually, use an applicant tracking system or candidate relationship management software to manage communications. This can include setting up automated emails to detail the next steps of the hiring process and to request that candidates take assessments or sending automated rejection emails.
Also, use automated scheduling or self-scheduling to streamline the hiring process and shorten the hiring timeframe. These tools can minimize the back-and-forth emails or calls between employers and candidates when trying to set up interviews and start dates. Also, a shortened wait time minimizes the chance that candidates may lose interest and move on to other positions—possibly without telling you.
Additionally, automation can ease the workload of hiring personnel, allowing them increased time for more individualized communications as candidates move through the process and lessening the chance of employer ghosting.
4. Especially if there is a lag between receiving the candidate’s acceptance of your offer and their start date at your organization, check in with the new hire to maintain communication. Offer to answer any questions the individual may have, and ensure the new hire has the contact information for their manager and any other teammates who can offer assistance.
With Halloween fast approaching, let’s leave the ghosting to the trick-or-treaters. And if you need help hiring the right person the first time, contact Omnia today to make employee selection less scary!
You’re ready to stand out in the community and create strong member relationships, but what’s the best way to get there? First, you have to be ready to provide members with what they want, like incentives, digital engagement, and financial education. Along with meeting member needs in a modern way, you need to stay focused on the usual day-to-day needs of the organization. That starts with hiring the best people. The success of any credit union, or really any business, starts with its people. Your employees represent your core values. They turn vision into reality. They make it all happen. That’s why a strong selection process and a solid pre-employment assessment strategy that uses data-backed decision tools like behavioral assessments and cognitive ability tests will set your credit union up for success on all levels.
Myth: We have to just accept high turnover
A common misconception often accepted as fact is that frequent employee turnover is normal, so when the hiring gets tough, it almost doesn’t matter who is hired since the employee won’t stay long anyway. It’s tempting, when that open position is staring everyone in the face and making things harder on the rest of the team, to just quickly find anybody to fill it and hope they’ll stay long enough to alleviate even a little bit of the pressure. Unfortunately, this mindset often creates bigger problems, like inefficiency and expense, making the normal business problems your credit union faces even more challenging.
When working with the unknown, like job candidates you’ve never met before interview day, it’s best to collect as much information as possible to help you make solid hiring decisions. Using data-backed hiring tools is your first defense against making a wrong hire. Instinct and personal judgment can play a small part but should never be the only tools used to select people; too many things can easily cloud our judgment, and some candidates are very good at hiding their faults until it is too late.
When you are ready to start looking for your next great credit union employee, consider these 7 easy tips:
It’s easy to think a formal hiring system is unnecessary. After all, too many bureaucratic layers create unnecessary problems, while everyday business needs can get in the way of following the system perfectly. As a result, rigid selection practices can feel impractical or inefficient. And there is certainly some truth to that; strict processes can be as problematic as no process.
A formal, structured process is crucial, but you need one that works for your culture and is not weighed down by bureaucratic layers that unnecessarily burden the process. Find a balance between haphazard and inflexible. Extremes never work; find a balance that works for your credit union. Having a plan will go a long way toward avoiding long-term problems, like excess training time, performance problems, and unnecessary turnover.
The goal should always be to hire the best. You want talented, capable, dedicated employees. Never settle if you can help it. Of course, this is the real world and sometimes the candidate pool is shallow, but if you start with the mindset of wanting the best and you do the steps to uncover all you can, then you’ll have more hits than misses.
Listing out your needs and the reasons behind those needs will help you set priorities and see your expectations, strengths, and weaknesses in a brighter light. Think about the specifics of your work environment and credit union culture.
Is your credit union fast-paced and hectic with constant little fires to put out? If so, you should avoid hiring people who tell you they hate being rushed or interrupted or that they get overwhelmed easily. While patience and diligence are admirable qualities, they could be liabilities in a turbulent environment. Of course, certain roles might need those traits regardless of the overall culture, so consider all the factors, like the culture of the individual department, the manager’s leadership style, and the basic demands of the job itself. One-size-fits-all is another myth.
It's also a good idea to stay up to date on the latest hiring trends to stay competitive within your community’s job market.
The job post is the crucial first impression you make on a candidate. It’s also a great tool for instantly eliminating people who are not the right fit for the job or your credit union.
Start with being crystal clear about the job. Highlight exactly what the job is, what it entails day to day, and what personality traits are best suited to it. It’s amazing how many candidates are hired and later state they felt misled about the role. Honesty is your best employee retention tool during the selection process. It’s perfectly okay to scare people off from the job in your post. The whole process is about funneling down to the best candidates. The right candidates will want to put their hat in the ring, and the wrong candidates will turn away. If you aren’t honest though, you’ll hire the wrong candidates, and they will quickly feel resentful of the perceived betrayal and leave or perhaps stay but do the bare minimum, known today as quiet quitting. Scaring off the wrong type will help your retention efforts in the long run.
Your job post needs to clearly show who you are as an employer and company. Emphasize your identity and brand. Be daring. Today, employees want to work for an organization that matches their personalities. If your credit union is playful, lighthearted, and full of laughs, make sure your post reflects that. Use humor. But if your credit union is buttoned up, formal, and serious, then be serious and formal in your post. Staying true to who you are will help you attract like-minded people, and people who are compatible with your identity are more likely to stay.
After posting the job, the resumes should start rolling in. Now you can discard the ones that clearly do not meet your needs and whittle down your candidates. Keep in mind that, as you dig deeper into each person’s background, you may uncover more than just a few unpleasant surprises. Research shows that up to 40 percent of resumes include some false or inflated facts!
A pre-employment personality assessment will give you an even closer look at a candidate’s potential. Do their traits coincide with the traits needed for the job? How will they interact with their peers and supervisor? To hold on to strong, productive employees, make sure the people you hire are a match for the demands of the position. Omnia helps to set the “job personality” which shows the traits of an ideal candidate; this way you can see how a candidate’s traits align with the best traits for the job.
The best part is that a behavioral assessment is not a test; there is no such thing as pass or fail. The Omnia behavioral assessment uses the candidate’s responses to a simple word association checklist. It’s a quick yet powerful tool that provides extensive insight into a person’s strengths, motivators, weaknesses, and fit to the role.
To minimize the risk of a bad hire, make sure the potential new hire has the skills they claim to have, especially the ones needed to do the most basic aspects of the job. Use hard skill proficiency tests that are job appropriate (this is important) and designed to demonstrate abilities. It might be a bookkeeping test, a Microsoft Excel or Word test, a cognitive ability evaluation, or a banking terminology quiz. Don’t assume that the person interviewing for your IT position knows how to turn the computer on. Sometimes, people say they know how to do something just to get their foot in the door.
A background check protects everyone: you, your employees, and your credit union. Crime and violence are, sadly, not uncommon in the workplace. Make sure there are no issues from your candidate’s past that make you leery. Negligent hiring can be alleged if an employer fails to exercise reasonable caution when hiring a new employee. Employers could be held liable for illegal or violent action taken by employees who were not subjected to reasonable pre-employment screening.
Self-awareness is a powerful leadership tool. Consider your own management style and encourage all other managers to do the same. To effectively motivate and inspire your employees, it helps if you have a great grasp on what makes you tick.
Do you prefer it when employees consistently ask for your guidance, or are you more in tune with those who regularly make their own decisions? Do you closely oversee every detail big and small, or do you expect your team to fill the gaps for themselves?
While it might sound nice to surround yourself with people who are completely in sync with your own work approach, that’s not always realistic or even wise. Different roles require different traits. The power is in knowing how to adjust your style to meet the individual needs of your employees. It’s one of the strongest employee retention tools you can use.
It might seem completely daunting, and maybe sometimes it will be, to hire and lead a productive, cohesive, and dedicated team, but it is possible. Know what you want, stay true to your non-negotiables, and seek out employees who align with those needs. Don’t settle. Employ people who have the potential to exceed your expectations.
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Enhance Workplace Effectiveness through Behavioral Assessments
You’re ready to conquer the market, but there’s a lot facing the industry right now. You have to be ready to overcome some big challenges, like the sophistication of insurance technology, cyber risk, consumer trust, the economy, advertising costs, climate change, and unskilled workers. And that’s on top of the everyday business needs, such as knowing your product lines and agency benefits thoroughly, setting and achieving sales goals, and understanding what your customers want so you can keep them loyal to your agency. Oh, and hiring the right people who can do all of the above. After all, agency success starts and ends with people. That’s why we suggest starting with a strong selection process and a solid pre-employment assessment strategy that incorporates tools like behavioral assessments, sales assessments, and cognitive ability tests.
Even the best agency owners can find themselves unprepared to tackle the important and also arduous business of hiring. Those who manage small agencies may have been lucky enough to know and trust the people they hire, like relatives, friends, or individuals from their own circles. It’s always easier working with known quantities.
However, as agencies grow and change, they are sure to run out of family, acquaintances, and even employee referrals when filling both vacated and growth positions. When this happens, agency owners and managers will be dependent on a more terrifying and riskier place for their staffing needs: the outside world! When working with the unknown, it’s best to collect as much information as possible and use data-backed hiring tools as your insurance against making a wrong hire. Sure, gut feelings can play a small part but should never be the only tool used to select people; too many things can cloud our judgement, and some candidates are superstars at hiding their faults until it is too late.
A common myth often accepted as an absolute fact is that frequent employee turnover is normal, so it almost doesn’t matter who is hired since the employee won’t stay long anyway. That’s why, in large agencies, it might feel like the goal is just to quickly find anybody to fill an open position and hope they’ll stay longer than a year. Unfortunately, this illusion only fans the flames of inefficiency and expense, making the already frustrating everyday problems agencies face even more infuriating.
When you are ready to start looking for your next superstar employee, consider these 6 easy tips:
Agency managers might think a formal hiring system is unnecessary. Too many bureaucratic layers yield complex problems, while the typical emergencies within an agency can get in the way of following the system perfectly. As a result, stringent hiring practices can seem impractical or too time consuming. And there is certainly some truth to that; stringency can be as problematic as no system at all.
A formal, structured process is necessary, but you need one that works for your culture and is not encumbered by bureaucratic layers that unnecessarily complicate the process. Find a balance between unstructured and chaotic and overly bureaucratic. Extremes never work; looking for the middle ground will go a long way toward avoiding problems down the road.
Hiring talented, trustworthy, capable, long-term, and well-suited employees should always be the goal whether you manage one person or a hundred people. Never settle if you can help it. List your needs and some reasons for those needs. This will help you set priorities and see your expectations, strengths, and weaknesses in a real-world way. Think about the specifics of your agency culture and work environment.
Is your agency high-octane and fast-moving? If so, you have good reason to avoid hiring people who tell you they get overwhelmed easily or hate being rushed. While such patience and diligence are admirable qualities, they could be liabilities in a hectic, highly charged environment. Of course, certain roles might need that methodical approach, so it’s important to think about all factors, like the agency culture, the department’s culture, and the demands of the job itself. One-size-fits-all never fits everybody.
Also, make sure you stay up to date on the latest hiring trends to stay competitive in the job market. You want to be an employer of choice in your area.
Your job posting is the first impression you make on a potential employee. It’s also the best way to quickly weed out people who are not the right fit for the job or your agency.
Start with being clear about the job, exactly what it is, what it entails, and what type of person is best suited to it. All too often we hear how candidates felt misled about the role. Your biggest employee retention tool during the selection process is honesty. Don’t be afraid to scare people off. The right candidates will want to apply, and the wrong candidates will turn away. But if you aren’t honest, you may hire the wrong candidates, and they will quickly feel resentful of the “deception” and leave or perhaps stay but do the bare minimum. Scaring off the wrong type is best for your retention efforts in the long run.
That’s why you should also make sure your post shows who you are as an employer and company. Highlight your identity and brand and be bold. More and more, employees want to work for a company that aligns with their personalities. If your agency is playful and lively with a “work hard, play hard” mentality, make sure your post reflects that. Don’t be afraid to use humor. But if your agency is direct, formal, and serious with a “work hard, then work harder” mindset, then be serious and formal in your post. Staying true to who you are will help you attract like-minded people, and like-minded people are more likely to stay.
Once you’ve posted your job and started collecting resumes, weed out the obvious ones that do not align with your needs. Whittle down your candidates to a number that seems reasonable to you, but keep in mind that, as you dig deeper into each person’s background, you may uncover more than just a few unpleasant surprises. Research shows that 30 to 40 percent of applications and resumes include some false or inflated facts!
A pre-employment personality assessment will help you look even closer at a candidate’s potential with the job and even the team. If you’re looking to retain strong, productive employees, make sure the people you hire are a match for the job. Omnia helps to set the “job personality” so you can see how a candidate’s traits match up to the best traits for the position.
The best part is that a behavioral assessment is not a pass-or-fail test. The Omnia behavioral assessment uses the candidate’s responses to a simple online checklist. It’s a quick yet powerfully accurate tool that provides extensive insight into a person’s strengths, motivators, weaknesses, and fit to the job’s demands.
Within an agency environment, sales hiring is a major concern. A personality assessment is also a sales hiring assessment. Why? Because our assessment’s assertiveness trait is strongly correlated to sales performance. Naturally assertive people are stronger prospectors, presenters, and closers.
Minimize the risk of a bad hire, but make sure any potential new hire really does have the skills needed to do the job even at the most basic level. This can be done by administering proficiency tests that are job appropriate and designed to demonstrate abilities. It might be a bookkeeping test, a Microsoft Excel or Word test, a cognitive ability evaluation, or an insurance terminology quiz. Don’t assume that the person interviewing for your accounting position knows the difference between debits and credits. Sometimes, people say they know how to do something just to get their foot in the door.
A background check protects your agency and your employees. Crime and violence are, sadly, not uncommon in the workplace. Make sure there are no issues from a candidate’s past that make you uncomfortable. “Negligent hiring” is a term commonly used in today’s business world and can be alleged if an employer fails to exercise reasonable caution when choosing an employee. Employers could be held financially and legally liable for illegal or violent action taken by employees not subjected to reasonable pre-employment screening.
Think about your own management style and encourage your managers to do the same. To motivate and inspire others, it helps to understand yourself. Self-awareness is a powerful leadership tool.
Are you good with employees who consistently ask for your guidance or with the ones who regularly make their own decisions? Do you closely oversee every detail, or do you expect your team to take the ball and run with it?
While it might sound nice to simply surround yourself with people who mesh with your own work approach, that’s not always realistic or even wise since different roles require different traits. Knowing how to adjust your style to meet the individual needs of your employees is one of the strongest employee retention tools you can use.
It might feel daunting, and sometimes it will be, to hire and lead a productive, cohesive, and dedicated team, but it is possible. First, you need to know what you want and seek out employees who can live up to that. Don’t settle for second best. Display your excellence as a decision-maker and take your leadership skills to new levels by employing people who have the potential to exceed your expectations.
June marks a significant moment for high school and college students across the country as they celebrate their academic achievements and receive their diplomas amidst cheers and applause from family and friends. While this is a time of excitement and pride, we all know it is only the first step in a long and winding career journey, one that may have its share of bumps and unexpected turns.
Although it may seem like a gamble for employers to hire new graduates due to their lack of experience and skills compared to seasoned professionals, the truth is that hiring a new graduate can provide multiple benefits to an organization. Yes, it is likely to require some additional time and coaching on your part, but the fresh perspectives, eagerness to learn, and adaptability of new graduates can make a positive impact on your company's success. By investing in the development of new graduates, employers can not only cultivate a talented and diverse workforce but also promote a culture of innovation and growth.
The road ahead may seem daunting to managers tasked with training and developing new grads, but it's important for employers to remember that these graduates have been armed with the tools and resources to succeed — they are simply lacking that first opportunity and the knowledge that comes from experience. As new grads venture out into the world, they'll encounter challenges and opportunities, and they’ll experience setbacks, but if you can show them the value of hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to learn, they are certain to achieve their goals and contribute in a lasting and meaningful way to your organization.
New grads have spent years studying and preparing for the workforce and are eager to put their knowledge and new skills to use. They are also open to new ideas and ways of doing things. At this point, they are learning how to navigate real-world situations that they didn’t see in the classroom or lecture hall. As a result, they are not set in their ways, making them flexible and adaptable employees. Managed correctly, this is a win-win situation. The new grad is learning how to apply their skills while the company gets to explore new ideas and take advantage of that “new to the workforce” energy.
They are often more in touch with the latest trends and technologies in their field and can bring a new level of creativity and innovation to the workplace. This can be especially valuable in industries that are constantly evolving and require a forward-thinking mindset.
They are often excited to start their careers and are willing to put in extra effort to prove themselves. This level of dedication can be contagious and can help to boost morale and productivity in the workplace.
New grads typically have lower salary expectations than more experienced professionals and may be more willing to accept entry-level positions or internships that more experienced candidates may overlook, which can broaden the pool of potential candidates for certain positions. This provides a more affordable option for organizations that are looking to expand their workforce.
New graduates come from a variety of backgrounds and have different perspectives and experiences. This can help to bring new ideas and perspectives to the workplace and create a more inclusive culture that values diversity.
The benefits of looking at new grads as part of your recruiting strategy are undeniable, but you need a plan for making it work and providing your new hires with the time and attention they need to thrive in your company.
When hiring new graduates, look beyond their academic qualifications and focus on their values, work ethic, soft skills, and personality type. Consider whether they will be a good fit for your company culture and team.Using a behavioral assessment is a great way to determine if a new grad candidate (or any candidate) has the traits that will align best with the daily functions of the job. If you are looking for a bookkeeper, you don’t want someone who tends to focus on the big picture versus the details or someone who wants to be in a fast-paced, dynamic role with opportunities to interact with people and build relationships. You want to know the person is analytical and likes to work on solitary tasks that require detail focus and tolerance for routine, systematic tasks because that is what their days, weeks, and months will look like. Hiring for personality fit is the best first step towards retention and engagement, but you still need to actively manage and develop your employees. The great news is that a personality report will give you insight into the best ways to manage each unique individual on your team.
New graduates may not have a lot of work experience, so it's important to provide clear expectations and guidelines for their roles and responsibilities. Give them specific objectives and deadlines, and provide regular feedback on their performance. Most people want to know what’s expected, so this isn’t groundbreaking advice, but someone new to the workforce may need some extra support versus a seasoned professional.
New graduates may benefit from mentorship and coaching, so assign a mentor or coach to help them navigate their new role and the workplace culture. Encourage them to ask questions, and provide opportunities for them to learn and develop new skills. A mentor could be a peer, while coaching might come from their manager.
Regular feedback is important for new graduates to understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Provide constructive feedback, and encourage them to learn from their mistakes. Using personality data for self-awareness is another way to maximize the value of behavioral science. Omnia’s development reports are written to the employee, not about them, so it is a helpful, non-threatening tool that an employee can use throughout their career.
Setting achievable goals for new graduates can help them gain confidence and feel valued in their new role. Work with them to set goals that align with their skills and interests.
New graduates are often looking for growth opportunities, so provide them with opportunities to learn and develop new skills. Encourage them to attend training sessions and conferences, and provide opportunities for them to take on new challenges. Align growth opportunities to their strengths and interests. Not everyone wants to be in management, but most people do want to grow, earn more, and take on new levels of responsibility.
By following these tips, managers can help new graduates transition into the workforce and become valuable members of the team.
Keep in mind, hiring a new graduate can provide a multitude of benefits to an organization. From their eagerness to learn and adapt to their fresh ideas and perspectives, new graduates can bring a new level of creativity, innovation, and motivation to the workplace. By investing in new graduates, employers can not only help to build a stronger workforce but also contribute to the growth and development of the next generation of professionals.
So, to all the graduates out there, congratulations on your achievements. Remember to embrace the journey ahead, stay positive, and never lose sight of your dreams. Your future is bright and full of endless possibilities, so go out there and make it happen!
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Ready, Set, Grow! 5 Steps for Cultivating Talent in Your Organization
Unlock Your Hidden Advantage: Discover How Your Personality Traits Can Boost Job Search Success
In order to conquer your market, a lot has to happen — things like setting sales goals, advertising, understanding your customers, keeping them loyal, and knowing your makes and models inside and out, just to name a few. But it all starts with people. Your dealership team puts theory into action. That’s why your success starts with a reliable selection process and a solid pre-employment assessment strategy using tools like behavioral assessments, sales assessments, and cognitive ability tests.
Even the most brilliant auto dealership leaders may be unprepared to tackle the important (but certainly arduous) business of hiring. Those who manage small offices may have been lucky enough to know and trust the people they hire, like relatives, friends, or individuals from inside their own circle of influence. It’s always easier working with known quantities.
However, as dealerships grow, leaders are sure to run out of family members, acquaintances, and employee referrals when looking to fill open positions. When the inevitable occurs, small dealership managers will be dependent on a strange, often intimidating unknown for their staffing source: the outside world! When working with the unknown, it’s best to take precautions before hiring and use as many tools as possible to gather information. Gut feelings can play a small part but should never be the only tool used to select people; too many things can cloud our judgement, and some candidates are very good at hiding their faults.
In larger dealerships, HR’s primary objective may be to find somebody – anybody – to quickly fill an open position. A common myth often accepted as an absolute fact is that frequent employee turnover is normal and unavoidable, so it almost doesn’t matter who is hired since the employee won’t stay long anyway. Unfortunately, such a misguided theory fans the flames of inefficiency and expense, compounding the already frustrating everyday problems major dealerships face.
Managers of larger dealerships might think a more formalized hiring system is unnecessary. Too many corporate layers yield complex problems, while the usual time-driven emergencies within a dealership can get in the way of following the system perfectly. As a result, stringent hiring practices can seem impractical or too time consuming. And there is certainly some truth to that; stringency can be as problematic as no system at all.
A formal process is necessary, but you need one that works for your culture and is not encumbered by bureaucratic layers that unnecessarily complicate the process. It’s important to find a workable balance between unstructured and chaotic and overly bureaucratic. Extremes never work; looking for the middle ground will go a long way toward avoiding problems.
Leading a team of trustworthy, capable, long-term, and well-suited A-players should always be the goal regardless of how many employees any manager oversees. Never settle if you can help it. List your needs and some reasons for those needs. This will help you set priorities and see your expectations, strengths, and weaknesses in a more real, practical way. Think about the specifics of your work environment and company culture.
Is your dealership fast paced, even hectic? If so, you have good reason to avoid hiring people who tell you they hate being rushed and do not work well under pressure. That might even be disguised as words like “patient” and “systematic.” While such persistence and diligence are admirable qualities, they could be liabilities in a busy, highly charged atmosphere. Of course, certain roles might need that methodical approach, so it’s important to think about all factors, like the dealership culture, the department’s culture, and the demands of the job itself.
Also, make sure you stay up to date on the latest hiring trends to stay competitive in the job market.
When you are ready to start looking for your next superstar employee, consider these 5 tips:
It’s absolutely possible to hire and lead a productive, cohesive, and dedicated team, but first you need to know what you want and seek out employees who can live up to that. Never settle. Demonstrate your excellence as a decision-maker and take your management skills to new levels by employing people who exceed your expectations.
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