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Stay on top of those tricky HR questions.

Picking the wrong bloke, Again!

You sit down and have coffee with your friend, and you realise that you have ‘picked the wrong bloke’, again. No, I’m not talking about dating (although not that dissimilar), I’m talking about you making another botch up of hiring someone who has not worked out.   You wonder to yourself why does this always happens to you, but you never take the time to heed some of the following advice.

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Ask the Right Questions

Has he applied for other jobs? What are his skills and experience?  Why does he want to leave his current job? How can he add value to your business?   Why should you hire him? Get him to describe the best manager he has ever worked for?  Get him to describe the most difficult work situation he has ever had? What is the ultimate job that he is looking for?    These are just a few questions to consider. After all you are trying to find out about the person. What about, do you currently have a job?

One day, I watched a person in a business interview someone in the hallway.    It was for a labour position, and the bloke was unemployed. The interviewer simply said the following:

  • You looking for work?  Answer: Yes

  • Do you have a car? Answer: Yes

  • When can you start? Answer: Whenever

  • You happy to work long hours? Answer: Yes


Well if that’s not the most un-captivating set of useless questions, I don’t know what is.   

If you can’t be bothered to give a human being your time and genuine conversation, then don’t bother but don’t complain if keep hiring the wrong candidates.   If you ask someone questions that only insights a one-word response, then you really are not investing in your employees or potential employees.

People are worth it, and they can make or break your business regardless of if they are a senior executive or part of a production line.    Take the time to think about some effective questions so you attract and retain the right employees.      

Social Media Reference Checking

I always check out candidates as a recruiter on social media.   It’s my free and easy reference checking process. At times I do a screen shot and save it as part of my analysis of the candidate.     It’s amazing how you find out about the true person on places like Facebook.

It’s gold!

You can certainly see the type of values and beliefs a person has and if they resinate with your company values.     

My best example was of a young man who wanted a labouring job, I checked him out.   I was greeted by the rude finger on his profile page with the language to match. I guess he thought that was funny.   Then through various social posts he gloated as to the ‘sickies’ he had chucked with his last employer and how good it was to really be at Wyangla Dam water skiing.   He was presented to me as a reliable candidate through an employment agency for long term unemployed.

Awesome! Screen shot!   

I believe that finding people who fit your company culture is really what helps you to keep your turnover to a minimum and more importantly grow your positive workplace environment.     It takes but a minute to google search someone and follow their digital footprint and it can help prevent you from making poor hiring choices.   

Don’t Rush

If in doubt don’t.   

I’ve heard business leaders say to me, we are in such a rush to get someone on board, let’s just give him a go.    No. Don’t do it. That is not a good enough reason to bring someone into your business. The theme in all my points above is the same.  Take the time and make the effort to really seek out great candidates for your precious business. We are all busy but if you truly believe in your business, and what you are delivering to the market, then you should have a greater belief in who you are hiring to produce your goods or represent your services.    

This week I worked with a General Manager who spent the entire week meeting candidates for various positions that are open in his company.    Some of the grunt work, (not all), was taken out with myself conducting preliminary interviews and sending my top three candidates on to him. Suffice to say this business has minimal turnover.  I accredit this to the effort and importance placed around people in the business. In stark contrast I worked with another General Manager who said to me there is no point to me reviewing candidates through a job site, he said, “They are all just crap, I don’t like the look of any of them”.   Suffice to say, this business has a turnover rate upward of 50%.      

Skype and Zoom are excellent initial recruitment tools to get a first impression of a candidate but at the end of the day we all need to know if your candidate is serious enough to wear more than footy socks and tracky pants under the Zoom and Skype table at interview.   If you don’t want to make another recruitment blunder, then the short advice is to take some time and invest in the candidates who are seeking employment with your business.

If you believe in what you do and it’s important to you then people are worth it!

Employees are your best business asset!

Call us now on 0411 254 865 or email for an appointment at ahendy@hendyhr.com.au 

Leanne O'Sullivan