YOUR DREAM CANDIDATE MAY BE THE TEMP
RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU
A “working interview” may be the key to your next successful
hire. Two in five chief financial officers (CFOs) polled in a recent
Accountemps survey said having a candidate work on a temporary
basis initially provides the greatest insight into whether he
or she will be a good fit with the company culture. CFOs also
cited asking open-ended interview questions and checking references
as effective ways to gauge someone's potential fit with the
work environment.
“How well a new employee will blend with a company's existing
culture is difficult to assess in an interview alone,” said
Dianne Hunnam-Jones, Canadian president of Accountemps.
“Allowing time to evaluate fit before hiring for a full-time position
can prevent quick turnover and costly hiring mistakes down
the line. Having applicants come in on a temporary basis allows
organizations the opportunity to assess a potential employee's
collaborative work style and overall fit before making the decision
to bring them on permanently.”
Accountemps offers five tips for companies that are considering
testing out potential new hires through temporary work:
1. Partner with a staffing firm. Let your recruiter know
immediately if an assignment has the potential to become a
permanent position, and clearly outline the responsibilities
of the job and key aspects of your workplace culture.
2. Let them know what success looks like. You can't make a
fair assessment of a temporary professional's performance
if he or she doesn't understand what is expected. Give
adequate direction, including project details and deadlines
as well as company norms, like employee communication
preferences.
3. Give challenging assignments. Provide interim employees
with projects of varying degrees of difficulty. Pair them
with key members of your team and seek staff feedback on
how the temporary workers performed and collaborated
with others.
4. Bring them into the fold. Invite temporary professionals
to the same meetings, team lunches and events everyone
else attends. Make sure they receive emails and other
communication about company news.
5. Keep in touch. Regularly check in with temporary
employees to answer questions, seek feedback and gauge
how things are going with the assignment.
HOW COMMON IS WORKPLACE BULLYING?
Office bullying may be more common than many managers realize.
According to recent research from staffing firm OfficeTeam,
more than two in five workers surveyed admitted they've had an
office bully, yet the majority (63 per cent) of HR managers interviewed
said they think workplace bullying never happens at their
company. Another quarter think it rarely occurs.
When employees were asked how they responded to a bully,
27 per cent stated they told their manager. Another 25 per cent
confronted the bully and 18 per cent did nothing.
news
“Workplace bullying often flies under the radar because
employees tolerate or fail to report it,” said Robert Hosking, executive
director of OfficeTeam. “Managers and staff alike should
be supported in addressing bullying issues. This includes not giving
anyone a pass for negative behaviour, no matter how valued
that person may be.”
OfficeTeam offers five tips to help employees who are victims
of workplace bullying:
1. Take a stand. Avoid being an easy target. Bullies often
back off if you show confidence and stick up for yourself.
2. Talk it out. Have a one-on-one discussion with the bully,
providing examples of behaviours that made you feel
uncomfortable. It's possible the person is unaware of how
his or her actions are negatively affecting others.
3. Keep your cool. As tempting as it is to go tit-for-tat, don't
stoop to the bully's level. Stay calm and professional.
4. Document poor conduct. Maintain a record of instances
of workplace bullying, detailing what was said or done by
the individual.
5. Seek support. If the issue is serious or you aren't able
to resolve it on your own, alert your manager or HR
department for assistance. ■
WHICH APPLICANT FITS
YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS?
JOB POSTING SERVICE
Access over 8,500 qualified financial industry
candidates at CFA Society Toronto’s job board.
For more information email jobs@cfatoronto.ca
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ JANUARY 2016 ❚ 13
