The ECI Blog

Let’s add another positive point for the opportunities that arise when the economy is in a downturn.  For those of you company owners/managers who have job openings, and this will happen as a result of normal turnover, people moving around to position themselves more favorably in a new role, and for a variety of other reasons, the downturn in the economy can be a real opportunity to enhance the quality of your staff.

I recently read that the “real” number for unemployment is somewhere around 12.5% ,if you include all the people who have given up on finding a job, those who don’t enroll to collect unemployment, and those whose unemployment has run out, or those who work part-time and who cannot apply for unemployment.  As an employer, there really are some very good people out there looking for work.  This is a time when a good selection process can really help you find someone who will in fact do well for you for the long-term.  You have the time to look into the background of the candidate, you have the time to conduct several interviews, because you aren’t worried that someone else may snatch the candidate up, and you have time to have several people interview the candidate.  By taking your time, you can spread your net far enough to attract people who might not have looked at your open position a year ago because your company was too big, too small, too far away, or didn’t really fit their bill of expectations at that moment.  These days, people will often consider most any job if it means it is a viable position where the pay is steady and the expectation is that the job will last for awhile.

Follow the best practices of hiring when advertising your open position.  Use a job search engine, such as CareerBuilder, Monster or for hourly positions, Snag-A-Job.  Most services cost around $250 for 90 days, but given that a newspaper ad will cost you about the same, this is a better way to get a lot of interest in the job. 

Second, be sure to describe the job and the background you will be requiring of each qualified candidate.   Do they need prior experience? A degree, knowledge or certifications?  Be sure to describe what the environment is like as well.  Add your logo and your website so that people can visit and find out more about your company.

Third, review every applicant you receive and call each person whose information meets your requirements.  Schedule your interviews and talk with each candidate.  It is a good idea to have more than one person interview your candidates.  Then, compare impressions to select the best person.

Today, you will find that there are many people who are over-qualified for the job applying for the position.  Be up front with your applicants and let them know what the going rate is for the work.  If the candidate believes they should be paid more, it is your decision to negotiate higher, but I advise against that.  In my mind, you should be able to find someone who will be willing to do the job at the fair rate.  While this perspective might sound a bit harsh to some folks, there are a lot of very able people out there who will be willing to take the job and be paid fairly to do the work required.  For employers, you just need to find them and offer them the chance!