How to screen jobseekers
Okay, the ad is pulling resumes. Now you need to decide what
to do with them.
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Don't let HR departments handle high-skilled jobseekers - They are
incompetent for hiring high-skilled workers. They would rather leave a
job undone than fill it with someone who is "overqualified". Have the resumes
go directly to the manager who has the greatest stake in the job getting
done.
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Learn skill synonyms - Don't reject a resume because it doesn't
contain a keyword, when it contains language that covers the same skills
in other terms. A person with a long history is likely to condense his
skills into more general terms to keep the resume short.
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Don't measure experience in years using a tool skill - Experience
is useful for knowledge of a business, but tool skills can be learned quickly
by talented people. Don't ask for five years using a tool that has only
existed for six months.
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Don't expect all workers to be equally productive - High tech workers
such as computer programmers can differ in productivity by a factor of
50. It is worth whatever it takes to get a superworker.
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Don't reject workers for being "overqualified" - It is a myth that
"overqualified" workers won't stick around as long. The fact is that "nonoverqualified"
workers aren't likely to stick around much longer. Focus on getting the
job done.
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Don't reject workers on personality or cosmetic factors - Personality
might be important in a sales job, but is probably irrelevant to technical
work. Workers don't have to like each other, or be comfortable with each
other. They just have to get the work done.
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Consider contractors - Some work is inherently contract work, such
as a project with a completion point, and is best done by contractors.
Most computer software development should be done by contractors.