An important part of this part of the process is to let the people who are applying for the job know what exactly it is you’re looking for. Don’t let applicants away with a “standard CV” and a “standard covering letter” that they’ve penned and put to every job that has an interesting title they’ve spotted on “Trade Me” or “Seek”. Make them write a specific application for your job.
It helps if these selection criteria are spelled out in a document like a job description (the job description will then form part of the Individual Employment Agreement). We have found that having a formal application form is particularly useful. For example an application form will often say that the application must be truthful and no relevant information has been left out nor that any of the information given is misleading. Recent case law has spelt out that an employer can dismiss someone where they have omitted to tell the employer something that is relevant to their decision to employ or they’ve lied and they have been warned of the consequences for doing that. If criminal history is relevant then it can be added to the application form and any offer of employment will be subject to a satisfactory criminal check with the Police. When reviewing the applications do not give people the benefit of the doubt if they have failed to fill in a section or they have gaps in their work/ study history. For all you know they may have been a guest of Her Majesty for the six months that was left unexplained. If there is a gap ask them specifically why. The next step is to properly assess the job applicants. A simple thing, but often not done, is to check references. Employers can bring highly technical systems into play such as assessment centres and psychological testing. The interview is important. Ask the same open ended questions (the who, why, what, how questions) of each candidate. Focus on their experiences and require them to give specific examples of what they’ve actually done in previous positions. Validated experience (or lack of) is the best way of deciding whether a person is just right for the job or that they would be good with some specific, targeted training. For applicants it can be a very good attribute to admit that you are lacking experience but you are willing to learn. It may seem that paying for professional help to select a new employee is an unwarranted cost. Before making that decision calculate how much you spend on every new employee to train them and how much time and energy you have to put into an employee who is not the right “fit” for your business.
