Comprehensive, Personalized Candidate Screening Is the Key to Successful Hiring

With the cost of new hire training and company integration becoming increasingly expensive, finding the perfect candidate means more than excluding bad choices. Firms that hire individuals who match their corporate ethics, culture and business approach find those candidates have a better chance of “hitting the ground running” and have greater success and longevity in their jobs.

To accomplish these goals, many HR departments are turning to third-party screening firms. However, not all have the depth of expertise and experience this approach requires, especially when it comes to getting past the wall of silence interviewers often find when reference checking.

This presentation will detail tips for selecting a third-party screening firm that can successfully probe beneath the surface for detail-level information and can then analyze that data effectively and objectively.

Speaker Will Barada’s discussion will include:

1. Evaluating the questionnaires used by the firm, including detailing the boilerplate or checkbox approaches versus customizable; importance of not compromising objectivity or integrity.
(Session takeaway: Customized questionnaires are much more effective but also more difficult to produce safely.)
2. Determining the company’s level of expertise and success rate with reference interviews, including:
a. Obtaining interviews with less-obvious references that can provide meaningful information on the candidates.
b. Using specially trained professionals (and not employees at the hiring firm) that put references at ease and encourage them to provide detailed, relevant information.
(Session takeaway: References are more likely to talk to a third-party firm, but it takes a skilled interviewer to get them to really open up.)
3. Examining how extracted data will be analyzed and provided in reports and determining whether it provides sufficient information for the company’s needs.
a. Will all data (customized questionnaires and detailed interviews) be cross-analyzed?
b. Will reports draw a complete picture of the total person—including ethics, level of motivation, personal and professional goals?
(Session takeaway: Complete, objective reports don’t just exclude bad choices. They will ensure you identify the right ones.)

HR Professionals who are involved in the staffing process will benefit from this presentation.

In his presenation you will learn about: 1. Evaluating questionnaires used by the firm. 2. Determining how successfully reference interviews are conducted, including whether the screening firm seeks out additional references more willing to open up. 3. Exploring whether they use specially trained professionals that put references at ease and encourage them to provide detailed, relevant information. 4. Examining how extracted data will be analyzed and provided in reports and determining whether it provides sufficient information for the company’s needs.

Barada’s core presentation is based on 25 years of experience and this pitch was written based on the company’s internal knowledge base. However, scholarly citations can be incorporated into the final draft as supporting evidence.

		Will Barada Barada Associates Inc View Profile