Better Success and Continued Change of Plan

Today was very productive.  Interviews were really good.  Six people were invited although only four showed up.

It always boggles me when people don't show up for interviews, but then again, I'm not interviewing for a top paying company.  It is a very entry-level company.

Analyzing for a moment and the change of the employment environment, it is much harder this year to hire than it was last year.  Last year, I couldn't keep up with hires.  I needed the backup, but I feel I did a great job.  I hired 10-20 people a week during the company's slow time.  This year, hiring started late, which I don't think is a good thing.  People get tired of waiting for calls.

This year, I am really working all points, even calling people back who didn't show up for interviews, which is something I don't usually do.  Numbers are important for the company, but so are skillful  people. 

I was excited about two of the hires.  They already had experience with our kind of work so I think they will do well if they can keep up.

I do enjoy giving presentations and I've been able to cut the time spent on presenting presentations. 

I've worked on better questions for interviews, which seem to do really better than what I have been taught.  I have been researching for a couple of months and have found some great ideas that have really helped me to ask questions that are needed to hire people.  It takes out some of the problems with new hire's schedules that conflict.  I'll post some of the links of information on another day that I am not scheduling.

One of the questions I hate is to be asked, "How long is this going to take?"  Normally, people ask that because they have a ride waiting while at the interview.  But I still hate being asked that question in any form in this type of job.  You can't ask that because it all depends back on you and your team.  If you slack, you lose time.  It's not my responsibility. 

I seem to have a really good trainee.  I gave her the assignment to report to our boss and his boss about what we did yesterday.  She got a great pat on the back from the boss' boss.  I'm quite proud but I think that some of that pride is not all mine.  She's done this before and has some great ideas.

I hope that by Christmas, she can take over, so I can continue doing my job search.  I had to take over my hiring job within two weeks.  I have a lot more to teach my trainee than my trainer had to teach me.