Hiring Q&A with Lara and Katyra

Lara and Katyra are two professionals with lots of experience and insight into the toils of recruiting, hiring, team management, and much more. Lara Smith is the Director of Organizational Development Services at Purpose Possible. She oversees hiring and recruitment for the Purpose Possible team and our clients. Katyra Remmenga works with Same Page HR as a People Person and provides HR support for our firm, some of our clients, and other organizations. This duo teamed up to answer questions, provide recommendations, and share insights into their experiences.

Question 1 - How do you find quality candidates?

Katyra says: Look beyond the typical search.

Broaden your search by posting on multiple platforms. Sites like Workable.com will automatically post to all of the free job boards which significantly increases the number of candidates for a position. Also consider sharing the position with relevant groups on social media, professional networks, friends, or colleagues. Job seekers can be just as challenged and overwhelmed by positions as you are in searching. Sharing a position with industry specific networks can connect you with candidates that may not see your position on other platforms.

Lara says: Think outside the box with requirements.

Education, titles, and years of experience are often the first things hiring managers consider with an applicant. Everyone does not have the same access to resources, education, and opportunities, but this does not mean they aren't qualified to fill the role.

For education, consider what you want them to have gotten from their education instead of the degree, education level, or the school they attended. Are you looking for applicable skills or teamwork? Could they have received those same skills in another way?

Every organization uses different titling structures so look at what applicants do in their role and not just the title. Also consider what you are seeking in years of experience and not just the number of years. Covid and non-covid years may mean different types of experience depending on the company and the role. Consider the full picture of what’s needed before requiring education levels, tiles, or years of experience.

Also, 50% of applicants are looking exclusively for fully remote positions. A full time in-office requirement can drastically limit applicants.

Question 2 - What are ways to stay organized during the hiring process?

Katyra says: Automate the process as much as possible.

Automating the hiring process can save you time and energy. Most hiring platforms have a way to send automatic responses, invite candidates to interview, decline applicants, and much more. Many payroll systems also have automated processes for hiring – you may need to check with the provider about additional features. Workable.com, the system that posts to multiple sites, also has steps that can be automated. The goal is to move quickly through the hiring steps and be consistent with every applicant.

Lara says: Create an internal process before publishing the position.

Have a clear process laid out before the position is shared. Decide who else on your team will be a part of the process, let them know the plan, and hold time for meetings and interviews in advance. Create a checklist, folder, and/or spreadsheet to easily see where candidates are in the hiring process.

Purpose Possible uses Google Suite – we create folders for candidates, save recorded interviews, and link files in one central location.

Question 3 - How do you maintain consistency and fairness in the interview process?

Katyra says: There are a few things you can do:

1 - Have a clear understanding of what you need in a role ahead of time. This will eliminate guesswork when looking at qualifications.

2- Ask each candidate the same questions and don’t deviate! This saves time but it also ensures that every candidate is reviewed and considered equally.

3- Create a scorecard to rate each candidate's application and interview. The scorecard can be completed for each candidate by everyone in the interview and include any notes or questions to follow up on or discuss internally.

4- Be clear with the candidate about timeline and urgency to fill the role. If you need to hire quickly because of a vacancy or plan to hire in the future, let every candidate know that and when they can expect to hear back from you (whether that’s for next steps or declining).

5- Make sure your team knows what not to ask in an interview. Questions about age, family, ethnicity, and religion are illegal! Gusto.com has a great blog with a list of questions you shouldn’t ask and a few that you should.

Question 4 - What questions can be asked to determine applicant qualities like leadership, self sufficiency, and proactiveness?

Lara says: Ask about real experiences and interactions. Avoid hypotheticals.

Hypothetical questions are interesting but how we think we will react and how we actually react in situations tend to be very different. Asking about real experiences can give you a sense of how a person truly performs. If you're interested in someone’s ability to manage, think about what that entails. If you wonder if they need supervision, ask questions about taking the initiative or leading. Here are a few example questions:

Can you talk about a time when you saw a problem no one else did? How did you handle it?
Can you talk about a time when your work depended on other’s meeting deadlines and they weren’t?

Here are some additional notes from Lara and Katyra to help with the hiring process:

Salary transparency is important in today’s hiring landscape. This transparency also extends to sharing benefits, working location, and expected hours of work.
Prioritize the needs of the position in the job description. Let candidates know what the role entails, what skills are needed, availability necessary, and any other details that may impact the decision to apply.
If you aren’t getting applicants or quality applicants, review the job description, position title, and requirements. Compare your position to others in the market and seek feedback from colleagues.
Hebba Youssef has a great newsletter and social media presence with a lot of resources and tips for HR professionals and hiring managers.
Ashle Herd is a trainer and coach offering employers and employees tools to learn, grow, and work better.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently published an interesting article “Desperately Seeking Fundraisers.” This article discusses the wants and needs of fundraisers, the challenges they face which make the role stressful, and ways to improve the position for staff satisfaction and retention.

If you have any other questions or need support please let us know! Purpose Possible offers recruitment services and interim development for a range of organizations. Same Page HR offers full-service HR administration for small businesses without a dedicated HR department. Reach out to us if we can help with your hiring or organization needs.