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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5 Hiring someone with the right skills but who doesn't fi t in with a company's corporate culture can quickly lead to big problems not only for the new hire but, more importantly, for the company. One element of fi t, he says, involves taking a closer look at the key people the new employee must interact with, includ- ing their behavioral styles, motivations and attitudes. Doing so will help the hiring decision-makers refi ne the specifi c qualities they need in a job candidate. Once the preliminary groundwork is done, Boulay says his company can help craft a detailed job description, defi ne performance requirements and benchmarks and even assist in or totally handle the interviewing and the screening process. "Every company is diff erent," he says. "Some things are similar, but it's what makes you diff erent as a company, your beliefs and values, that help us fi nd the right candidate to hire or the right person to promote." e company's business plan is one of those diff erences: "If you are planning to double business, or break into new markets, that may emphasize some qualities you want to see in the right candidate to help you reach those goals." At this point, the company is ready to advertise the job opening. What works best, Boulay says, is what he calls a "behavioral ad" — one that uses words "that will attract the right person and make the wrong person cringe a little bit." He also encourages companies to consider an often-overlooked source of potential applicants: Recruitment from within. e preliminary vetting of prospects, he says, typically follows the traditional approaches of ana- lyzing cover letters and assessing resumes for the obvious essentials: Correct grammar and spelling; clear and concise statements about the applicant's interest in the job and their skills; evidence the applicant knows something about the company and is eager to contribute to its success. In today's hiring world, this is most often done on computers, which also allows for the use of fi ltering software that can quickly screen candidates according to pre-selected key words related to the vacancy. From assessment to reference check Boulay readily admits there are hundreds of soft- ware tools available to help companies do their own assessments of job applicants. He also notes that the larger the fi rm, the more likely it is to have on-staff someone with the kind of training and experience he has to conduct science-based assessments. "I don't have any companies larger than 500 employees among my clients," he says. "For the most part, it tends to be smaller companies who use us." Strategic Talent Management uses multiple screening tools to assess top candidates' motivation and capacity for performing well (both being inter- nal traits that are not always easily observable) as well as skills and behaviors that may determine how well they fi t the company's needs. But Boulay is quick to point out that those assessments are rarely "pass-fail." " ink of any position you know really well and you'll probably come up with a common behavior or skill associated with success in that job," he says. "But we all know people of opposite behavioral styles who can be equally successful in that job. A quiet, reserved salesperson simply approaches the job diff erently." Assessing 93 factors, he says, gives greater com- plexity to each candidate's employment screening and helps to overcome those common biases. "We do a 10-point scale on each of those 93 factors," Boulay says. "It's more expensive, but it's a more thorough assessment." Pre-screening interviews conducted by phone provide the opportunity to weed out applicants who lack strong verbal and communication skills or who give answers that suggest they're not a good match for the company. eir primary purpose, Boulay says, is to identify a red fl ag that would make a face- to-face interview a waste of time for both parties. In interviewing a small group of fi nal candi- dates who've completed the screening assessments, Boulay off ers these tips: Be as skeptical as you can be. Put a challenge out there and see how the person responds. Keep in mind you will tend to be attracted to people who share your behavior style, and that behavior is a poor predictor of success on the job. On the other hand, behavior questions are useful in identifying how an applicant will perform when faced with specifi c situations or workplace challenges. Keep in mind it's better to have fi ve or six good question or scenarios than 10 or more vague questions. Also pay attention to body language, eye contact and the applicant's interest and inter- personal skills during the interview. e only way to compare applicants is to have pre-determined questions and a ranking system on an interview sheet with room for notes. Interview as if your bottom line depends on it. It does. Second interviews, he adds, off er the opportunity to affi rm the rightness of the top candidate, typi- cally by giving others the opportunity to meet that person and ask additional questions. Finally, Boulay says, before hiring, always check references, starting with verifi cation of factual information and then proceeding to questions about the applicant's behavior, attitude, capacity, commu- nication skills and job performance. Once the hire is made, Boulay encourages his clients to use the candidate's assessment report as a kind of "owner's manual" that will help both the employer and employee achieve their mutual goals. Hiring the right person is critical, he says, given that hiring errors typically cost seven to nine weeks of pay for an entry-level person, a year's salary for a professional and several years' salary for senior executives and senior salespeople. Asked if every job opening warrants the full array of assessment tools his company off ers, Boulay replies: "I tell them what my dentist once told me, 'Floss only the teeth you want to keep.'" James McCarthy, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at jmccarthy @ mainebiz.biz and @ JamesMainebiz Sales start before before before before before before before before your salesperson calls. your salesperson calls. Sales start before your salesperson calls. Contact Publisher Donna Brassard at 207.761.8379 x327 or donnab@mainebiz.biz Now, what was it you wanted to sell me? who you are, your company, your company's record, your company's product, your company's reputation, your company's customers, or what your company stands for. I don't know… Warm up your cold calls with local B2B media advertising. Opportunities abound for experienced accountants at Albin, Randall & Bennett! Our clients are big, but our culture is friendly. 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