Hiring Basics 101: An HR Managers’ Guide

Who says the people of the Human Resources department in your organization is responsible for recruitment? Specifically, it is the job of the hiring manager. The other people on the team help out with other organizational processes concerned with employees, employment and compensation. If you are tasked to take up this position, then selecting the best people for the right jobs rests on your shoulders.

 

When it comes to finding the best talent, your skills combined with know-how that complies with these pointers are necessitated:

 

• Want to get the right candidates? Provide the exact job description. By exact, all the details pertaining to the position’s main responsibilities should be included. Taking the time to do this eliminates the risk of attracting the wrong applicants, let alone hiring the wrong candidate. Make it thorough yet simple that it can be easily understood by both recruiters and applicants. Be particular with position descriptions. Review it thoroughly before posting.

 

 

• Beforehand, determine the exact criteria and guidelines to be used for assessing candidates. Expect that even in the most competitive labor market, you will receive beyond the expected number of resumes needed or expected of any particular position you post on the company website. If you have the right criteria and guidelines, you gain the following advantages:

 

• Easy spotting of the best candidates during the initial online screening and
• Save on time spent screening resumes online

 

Note: Because you are the hiring manager, you can assign people to do the screening. However, the main responsibility of ensuring that they do their jobs right is solely yours.

 

• Make sure that you have already prepared the questions to ask in the interview. With this, you must also determine the answers you expect, which are directly related to the criteria set for the position. It will also be helpful to jot down the other important details you have to take note of that will help indicate if the candidate is worthy or not. Take time to go over your questions. Keep in mind that only through asking the right questions will you get a direct indication of a candidate’s qualifications.

 

• The most important commodity in majority of companies is having a pool of talented people. They are considered as the most crucial element for succeeding in the industry. But many hiring managers make the mistake of writing out job descriptions based the required skills and not talent. Remember: a skill is learned competence. With interest and proper training, any one can acquire a particular skill. But talent is innate and much harder to come by. There are far more skilled people than there are talented ones. A naturally talented candidate can accomplish more and become more efficient when trained to learn new skills compared to a mediocre or non-talented one.

Finding Leaders in Managers

Not all managers are leaders, and not all leaders are managers. But leaders have what it takes to be effective managers. As for managers, it depends on the qualities they possess and how they put these into practice to lead their teams/organizations to success. Unfortunately, people tend to confuse them. The denotative connotative implications of these two words have blurred for so long now. Thus, as is the typical case, it takes actual experience to help determine if a manager has true leadership potentials. The same thing holds true for people possessed with good leadership capabilities. 

 

Basic Differences Identified

 

What differentiates management from leadership is that the former is a career whereas the latter is a vocation.

 

Leadership is not bound by any specific physical or mental requirements. Good leaders are not defined by their level of attractiveness, intelligence, articulateness, or any outstanding qualities. Their convictions shape them. But more importantly, they have got the brevity to uphold and implement these convictions. This implies that they have the capacity to make things happen according to what they believe is right and true.

 

Their convictions are not confined to their thoughts or aspirations alone. It is their reality, and they can make it others reality as well through influence and guidance. Leaders can become managers, and vice versa. But the transformation from manager to leader proves more challenging. A leader possessed with good mental faculties can easily acquire the skills needed to make him or her an effective manager. But a manager despite having immense skills cannot lead if he does not have the conviction and courage to set the example for his or her people to follow.

 

What It Takes to Be a Leader

 

Regardless of what specific groups of people you manage—employees, associates, teammates, and many more; how much your people trust you determine your capacity to be a leader. But how do you gain people’s trust? When people know that you will do what you can for the good of the majority, as you turn yourself into the role model they will follow, then you have won their trust.

 

Leaders cannot exercise their function if no one will follow them. But for people to follow, they have to trust him or her first. This is the first and most vital component that comprises the core of every leader.

 

A manager who is an effective leader ensures that his organization is exceeding all previous achievements in terms of quality, productivity, innovation, and revenue. He or she always finds a way to develop things for the greater good without deviating from his or her core values. He or she functions efficiently and produces income for the company as he/she leads his/her people from the front to achieve goals.                                              

Defend Your Work Team from Bluetooth Attacks

The use of mobile devices has now permeated the work system as employers and employees alike use these gadgets for work conversations and exchange of information. Of the many features available, Bluetooth ranks among those considered as most indispensable. But beneficial as it is, it comes with a risk: hackers.

 

The Power of Bluetooth

 

Who does not recognize Bluetooth nowadays? Technically, it functions as one of the most significant features in wireless technology responsible for providing power to hands-free parts. Its use is indicated in the following situations: 1.) As a shining/blinking electric blue light from a headset or earphones, 2.) When people talk to themselves or seemingly invisible companions while walking down the street or on the bus/train, and 3.) When they want to talk on the phone while driving without getting caught by police/traffic personnel.

 

Regardless of these uses, security of users remains at risk due to perfidious issues underlying Bluetooth attacks and mobile gadgets. Although majority of these dilemmas identified several years ago have already been resolved, some persists up to this day. Furthermore, hackers evolve in time with advancements. Thus, you have to remain vigilant of new problems that have yet to be discovered.

 

Zoning in on the Threats

 

To clue you in on how you and your employees’ security could be in danger whenever you use Bluetooth, below are three situations and tips on how to address them:

 

1. There are no such things (and no software) that can be considered perfect—and the software in Bluetooth gadgets is one of them. This is especially true for those who use the newer Bluetooth 4.0 variant. Based on the demonstration conducted by Finnish security researchers; Tommi Mäkilä, Jukka Taimisto and Miia Vuontisjärvi, hackers/attackers will not have difficulty learning about new weaknesses in Bluetooth.

 

Potential Dangers: Overcharging of premium rates or international calls, having your important information stolen by, or getting malware

 

Your Best Defense: If you and your people are not using Bluetooth, keep it turned off.

 

2. We have Harald Bluetooth Gromsson—hence the feature’s moniker Bluetooth, to thank for this wonderful invention. Working in the same fashion as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth employs an encryption that should prevent criminals from getting your data during calls via eavesdropping. With this, people are to assume that it will no longer be a problem. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of older Bluetooth devices. In fact, the low-energy variant 4.0 (LE), which is the latest specification, is plagued with a similar issue.

 

Potential Dangers: Having your data stolen

Your Best Defense: You and your employees should avoid suing the following Bluetooth specifications: 1.x, 2.0 or 4.0-LE

 

 

3. Hackers/attackers have leveled up and stayed abreast with the advancements of modern technology. Besides stealing your data, they are capable of crashing your gadgets. Either this or they can do things to block your incoming calls or sap your battery.

 

Potential Dangers: Failed communication due to blocked calls and service denials and battery-related malfunction

 

Your Best Defense: Just like with the first situation, you and your employees can easily keep this from happening by simply switching off your Bluetooth whenever it is not in use.

Why Coffee Is a Powerful Management Tool

The powerful effects of coffee go beyond energy boosts and its other identified health benefits. Accordingly, managers have been using it as one of the tools in properly handling their people. Yes, you read it right, “a cup of coffee can help you better manage your team as it promotes stronger camaraderie.”

 

Perks of Coffee Chats

 

It is not really the coffee itself that is referred to here. But rather, it is the act of taking one or several or sometimes, all of your subordinates out for coffee. There is nothing like a relaxing coffee break to put people at ease. It sets the perfect stage for casually and conveniently discussing issues or concerns at work or work-relationships. The conversation you have with your employees over a cup of coffee also serves as an effective way to motivate them.

 

Given the mood in a coffee shop with it soothing ambience (not to mention the fact that you are both outside the confines of the office), people tend to be more open to casual, uninhibited tete-a-tete. Over coffee, your chat can run to various topics. With your subtle guidance, the conversation can include work matters. You can glean valuable information about yourself, other employees, the organization, and at times even your competitors.

 

Listening Well Matters Most

 

When you invite someone in your team for coffee, always keep your objective in mind: you are there to glean information from the other person. Although this sounds devious, there is no denying that it is the main goal. You are inviting an employee to chat to learn something from him or her.

 

You may be doing it to help him or her get through the nerve-wracking report sans interruptions and intrusions. Or you may be doing it, so he/she can freely voice out his/her ideas concerning a particular new product, or a way to improve the existing one your company has.

 

During the conversation, pay attention to his/her temperament at the moment. Take note of the signals that indicate how he/she feels regarding a certain topic. You will also know how stressed  he/she is. When you do, steer the conversation to get him/her to tell you why this is so. Through all these, you need to keep your ears, mind, and heart open. Listen closely and minimize interrupting or do not do it at all, if possible.

 

Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, or Smoothie but “Never Booze”

 

Who says it always has to be coffee? If you are in UK, a tea break replaces the traditional American coffee break. Or you may even have your chat over a steaming frothy cup of hot chocolate. If you and your employee are health buffs, you may even want to go for a fresh smoothie. Any of these will do except for alcoholic drinks.

 

Beer politics never work advantageously, especially if you are in the position of authority. Booze of all kinds is taken more for socialization rather than casual but serious conversation. Besides, it does not reflect well on your image and reputation as the manager. Drinking does far more than relax the mind as it can encourage rowdy behavior and uncontrolled emotions when taken excessively—and you will never know how your employees will react to alcohol until they get intoxicated, so better not risk it for his/her/their sake and yours.