Understanding how employers hire will help in planning a successful job search. Many job seekers express frustration with the hiring process. They feel a loss of control. The sense is that the employer holds all the cards and they aren't showing their hand. Knowledge is power, and understanding the hiring process is empowering. It will help direct your efforts and will eliminate some frustration.

The Hiring Process

Hiring practices vary from industry to industry, employer to employer, hiring manager to hiring manager. Managers at the same employer may use a different approach. No two hiring processes are alike. However, there are a few common strategies and tools used in hiring. Recruitment, screening and selection are three basic components of a hiring process.

Recruitment

Employers need an applicant pool from which they fill job openings. Employers who do extensive hiring may be continuously recruiting applicants, even when there isn't an immediate need. They simply want to maintain the pool of applicants. Employers who hire occasionally, or for very specialized positions, will usually recruit as needed. Some employers will recruit simply to test the market. They may be planning some future expansion and want to know if they could fill their labor needs. Therefore, when employers are actively recruiting, they may not have an actual job opening.

There are many ways employers recruit applicants. Here are the most common--

• Advertising-- Employers may advertise in newspapers, local community papers, trade publications, radio or television, on the Internet or on telephone job hotlines.
• Internal Posting-- Some employers will first post their jobs internally so interested employees may apply.
• Referral-- Referral from a trusted employee, colleague or peer is the source preferred by most employers. Many employers actively solicit these referrals as part of their recruitment efforts.
• Placement Service Providers-- Employers may use private and public placement agencies to recruit candidates.
• Personnel Staffing Services-- Many employers are turning to temporary and contract agencies for employee recruitment.
• Job Fairs-- Job fairs are an excellent source for entry-level employees. Employers who recruit at job fairs are usually building a pool of candidates and may not have an immediate opening.
• Internet-- See the following chapter on Internet Job Search.
• Other Recruitment Resources-- Schools, placement offices, union halls and word of mouth.

Screening

Once employers have an applicant pool, they narrow it down to the best qualified. This is no simple task. Employers are usually working with limited information. An application and/or a resume may be all they have. They may also have references and a record of past employment, but they usually will check these only after an initial screening. The reality is that for any one job, employers may have hundreds of applicants. Therefore, their first task is to eliminate as many as possible, as fast as possible. During the initial screening, employers generally spend no more than a few seconds on each application.

Employers will spend more time reviewing the small number of candidates left after an initial screening. They will look more closely at qualifications and may contact references and/or past employers. Some may call the applicant to conduct a telephone screening interview, or they may schedule an in-person screening interview. Employers are frequently turning to technology to help manage the hiring process. Growing technologies include resume scanning systems, databases and the Internet. The goal of screening is to narrow the pool of qualified applicants to those to be interviewed.

Selection

While every step in the process plays a part in the hiring decision, employers most often make the final selection based on the interview. At the interview, employers are seeking to verify qualifications and to evaluate how the person will fit into the organization. When someone is called for an interview, they can be reasonably confident employers believe they're qualified for the job. Employers are interested in the person or they wouldn't be investing their time in an interview. The question is, "Are you the best qualified person for the job?"

"Best qualified" doesn't just mean skills, experience and education. Employers are also looking for motivation, a passion for excellence and a dedication to continuous learning and quality. They're also looking at how much a new employee will cost them. Hiring is a major "purchase" that costs thousands of dollars per year. Employers want to make sure they get the best value for their money. After all, most job seekers don't come with a money-back guarantee.

The Hiring Structure

Usually, larger employers and those that do extensive hiring will have a formal hiring structure. Smaller employers and those who hire less frequently will be less formal. Also, larger employers may have several people involved in the process, while smaller employers may have one person handle the hiring. There are also industry-specific hiring practices. Medicine, education and government are industries that have unique hiring processes. Union contracts will also influence the process.

Not everyone in the hiring process has the authority to hire. Usually one person, most often the manager of the department where the person will work, makes the final decision. If possible, it's worth finding out who will make the final decision. However, treat everyone as though they're the hiring authority. You never know who has influence on the hiring decision. At the very least, you may be working with that person if you're hired.

Cindy is looking to fill a position in her department. Through a successful recruiting effort, she has 120 resumes. Cindy has one position and plans to interview no more than 10 candidates. There is no way she can thoroughly review all 120 resumes. In planning her strategy, she decides to screen the resumes for basic requirements and appearance. She quickly pages through the resumes and eliminates those that do not meet the basic requirements and those that are poorly presented or have errors. In less than an hour, Cindy has narrowed the pool of candidates down to the 10 she plans to interview.

The human resources department isn't usually the hiring authority. It manages the hiring process. Exceptions may be when hiring for an entry-level position, when the employer has many positions open, or when the position is in the human resources department. The human resources department will usually recruit, screen and schedule interviews. Although the department usually doesn't hire, it often has a lot of influence on the hiring decision.

Advertised Jobs

Many employers advertise their job openings. The newspapers, trade journals, television, radio, bulletin boards, grocery stores, self-service laundries, libraries, store windows and the Internet are all sources of advertised jobs. The most common of these are newspaper advertisements. One limitation of advertised jobs is their overuse by many job seekers. Here are more limitations of advertised jobs--

• Because they're seen by more job seekers, the competition is much greater.
• They represent only a small percentage of available jobs. Most employers prefer to use other sources for recruiting candidates.
• Many are fake openings. There is no real job, or the opening has already been filled. Employers may advertise to test the market, while some are required to advertise because of Equal Employment Opportunity requirements or federal contracting.
• Some are undesirable jobs. They may pay low wages or the employer may have trouble keeping employees.

Despite this, there are many good jobs to be found through advertisements. Employers needing specialized skills and those who are mass recruiting (seeking to fill many positions) will often advertise. Also, advertisements are excellent windows into the job market; they're one measure of growth industries. Here are some tips for advertised jobs--

• Actively look for advertised jobs, but don't make them your primary focus.
• Pick your sources for advertised jobs-- newspapers, trade journals, the Internet, etc., then follow them faithfully. Review new listings when they're released.
• Respond to new openings immediately.
• Keep track of listings that run continuously or are old. Review past advertisements to see which jobs have been listed before.
• Don't ignore blind ads (ads where you apply to a box number and don't know the employer's name). Many good jobs are listed as blind ads.
• Look at all the jobs listed, not just those that fit your goal. You may find an employer you want to pursue even though a job in your occupation isn't listed.
• Research the employer and the job before you apply.
• Direct your application to a person by name. Avoid "To whom it may concern" or "Personnel Manager."
• When you apply, attempt to meet the hiring authority. Don't just send your resume or application and wait.
• After you apply, follow-up with the employer. Check with the employer often-- ask for an interview-- show your initiative.

Today's Job Market

The hiring process is more structured than it was in the past. Employers are generally more selective. Many factors have influenced the process. Large numbers of candidates, employment legislation, new technologies, employer liability and organizational restructuring are a few of these influences. No longer do employers hire with the intent of lifetime employment. The assurance of retirement with a single employer is quickly becoming outdated. The average person will have many jobs and will change careers several times during her/his lifetime. Job search is no longer a single or rare event in life-- it has become an ongoing career process. A successful job search campaign will consider these changes and will use all available resources.