Insights from interviewing candidates

-
Being the sai kang Ops Manager, my new add-on duty currently is to hire for a HR generalist position for the company I am working at (before I get a new add-on duty of  the human resource manager too). Here are some interesting takeaways from the interviews I have conducted -


1) Those who don't know how to give 'model answers' for the standard questions asked, I know they have little or no experience in interviewing and recruiting people, as well as being interviewed.

"What do you know about our company xxx?" *stumped* 
"Thank you, exit is over there."



2) "What makes you leave your current position?"

Ah, I have to watch out for complainers. Those who talk a lot of 'bad' stuff about their current work. You know? I know.

Most standard answer - "I want a change of environment / industry." (The nicer way of saying I don't like my current workplace.)

Ok... so what kind of environment are you looking for? What makes you want to join our industry? Many of them don't have a clear answer.



3) "What makes you state your expected pay as such, which is... $xxx more than your last drawn?"

One epic answer was -
"From what I observed in the candidates that applied (this person works in a recruitment agency), typically they will put down a 20% pay increment for expected." (WL, this I really don't know wor. Shhh... am I being short-changed? Cos I always put less than 10% rise in my expected! =.=)

My reply in my heart was -
You are most welcomed to price yourself out of the market.



 4) I have not seen a single applicant who graduates from either NTU, NUS or SMU specializing in HR. Rare breeds?



5) The candidates can write in perfect England when they send in their resume and cover letters,
BUT somehow the writing standard dropped drastically when tasked to write a simple paragraph of answer.

-
Sometimes I just switched off in the midst of the interviews...

I might not be much of a seasoned interviewer as I have been asking mostly standard questions. Any 'old ginger' around who can share some tips on effective recruitment and interviewing?

I am so guilty of not blogging any financial stuff these days, no time for more financial learning. Hopefully back to that soon!

***

Comments

  1. B15/04/2017, 19:03

    Hahaha give chance, they'll get better :)

    Sometimes I used a riddle to test them how fast they think on their feet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rainbow16/04/2017, 17:09

      Hi B,

      I will give chance to those who can show to some extent (no need full marks) that they know what they are applying into.

      Ooh, general riddle or riddle that relates to the work of the position?

      Delete
  2. Singapore Man of Leisure16/04/2017, 10:48

    Rainbow girl,

    HR generalist is code for Man Friday or Girl Friday positions... You har!

    Now that you know what's like on the opposite side of the table, focus on what you gonna say if in the future when you intend to parlay your "wrap mountain; wrap ocean" track record into a more powderful post in a MNC...

    "What makes you think your experience at a puny SME can apply at an organisation that 1000 times bigger?"

    Think of an kick-ass "I'm worth it" Maybelline reply so that the person on the opposite side of the table will go, "Wow! This girl sure is sassy! I like her style!"

    And if you have hair, toss you hair back girl!





    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rainbow16/04/2017, 17:03

      Hi SMOL,

      Lol, Maybelline's tagline was "Maybe she's born with it". But I like the current one better - "Make it happen".

      I realised that in a small organisation, a position may seem like very big because, like you said, must 'wrap mountains, wrap oceans' and really know the in-out of the whole organisation, report directly to director... However, when in an MNC I feel like my position is very small - I can be a manager but there are so many other managers and we each mind our own plate.

      What is Girl Friday, Man Friday?? Sorry har I catch-no-ball.

      Delete
    2. Singapore Man of Leisure17/04/2017, 08:38

      Rainbow girl,

      1. Opps! It should be Loreal's "Because I'm worth it". That's excellent copywriting!

      "Why you spend so much?"

      "Because I'm worth it."

      How to argue with that??? LOL!



      2. I guess you've never read Robinson Crusoe? This is classic generational gap. My time in the 80s still got advertise Girl Friday positions...

      What is Girl or Guy Friday? It's personal assistant. Any tasks we don't feel like doing, we dump it on them ;)

      Delete
    3. Createwealth888817/04/2017, 08:42

      Why Fridays?

      Those days without Interenet and Mobile; bosses dump whatever they no bother to their Fridays and then went to enjoy their weekends and Girl or Guy Friday would take care of them till next Friday. LOL!

      Delete
    4. Rainbow17/04/2017, 08:57

      Hi SMOL,

      That means I am also sama sama to Girl Friday la. I am Girl Friday to my boss, and my assistant is Girl Friday to me. Lol.

      Delete
    5. Singapore Man of Leisure17/04/2017, 13:02

      Rainbow girl,

      You more equal than Girl Friday. You have direct access to the boss.

      Who knows work, work, work... Rub shoulders, rub shoulders... Business trips and late nights slogging together...

      One day become 老版娘？

      Now that's for the win!


      Don't you dare wear flats. Must wear heels!

      Makes your S line more pronounced ;)



      Delete
    6. Rainbow17/04/2017, 19:54

      No chance to be 老板娘, definitely not 小三。
      No business trips nor late nights. Wear slippers more like it. I mean in office.

      Delete
  3. Createwealth888817/04/2017, 08:48

    My favourite two questions ..

    Tell me one thing you don't like about your boss and one thing you like about your boss

    Tell me one thing you don't like about your current/last job and one thing you like about your current/last job

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rainbow18/04/2017, 19:31

      Hi Uncle8888,
      Simple but straight to the point.
      Many times attitude is more important than aptitude! :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reflections for year 2024

-
Image
2024 has been a relatively peaceful year. So peaceful that I have read countless novels and other books, met my sports buddies almost every weekend and picked up horticulture. Physical and mental health As we say, health is wealth. I have stuck fairly consistently with my exercise regime and tried to include more fruits and vegetables in my meals (although I eat out more and cook less these days). My weight, BP and cholesterol levels are doing ok. For those 40 years and above, remember to get your  subsidized health screenings from the government . Working less and meeting up with friends more contributed to an improved mental health. I see that the government has stepped up on initiatives in the community but work place initiatives from employers still seemed lackluster, especially for those who can't WFH and need to commit 44 hours or more a week at frontline work. I have also started a Gratitude journey to celebrate all my little life milestones. Financials Investment wise ...
Read more

The gold rush again

-
Image
I recently saw this video on CNA Money Mind channel https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/money-mind-2024-2025/going-gold-4299741 and thought I would summarize some learning points for those interested in gold investment. Photo by Zlaťáky.cz on Unsplash Gold is viewed as a safe haven asset in time of uncertainty, crisis or geopolitical risks. Demand for gold is influenced by Central bank purchases. The purchase premium of gold decreases in % with relationship to the gold bar's weight. Eg, a heavier gold bar has lower purchase premium over a lighter one. There's no GST for investment grade gold bars. Gold-backed ETF is backed by physical gold. Lower yield environment will benefit gold prices as the opportunity cost of holding gold lowers. Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/673513/monthly-prices-for-gold-worldwide/ As seen from the chart, the last mega price spike was in year 2019 to 2020. This year we saw another mega spike. In order to circumvent any US withholding t...
Read more

Shit happens and I lost my low-hanging fruits

-
My SAYE account has just hit its 25th month anniversary which is also the "month of maturity". Anticipating to get the 3.5% bonus interest for all these months of saving, I was shocked to see only $17+ cash gift credited as opposed to a few hundred dollars. I was about to send a message to query the bank what caused this interest plummet versus what I got in the 13th month when I came across a debit transaction in my account history (GASP!). To my oblivion and horror, I have accidentally selected my SAYE account to transfer $50 to a joint account to foot some bill in one of the months last year. Here's the terms and conditions for those who are not familiar with the SAYE account of POSB. "To receive the additional 3.5% p.a. Cash Gift Interest, ensure that you do not make any withdrawal from your POSB SAYE account." "If a withdrawal is made in the month, this will result in the previously accumulated additional 3.5% p.a. interest to be forfeited." Damn....
Read more

Reflections for year 2023

-
Image
2023 is a year which I have relented to the inevitable dealing with adversities. Sending my mother in and out of hospital had become a norm. Being a healthcare professional, I thought I could handle it single-handedly well enough, not until the point when my mother ceased to be fit enough to attend dementia day care that I came to the conclusion that I needed a helper. However, things took a steep downhill turn before I could hired one (counted myself lucky that I did not commit to a hire). My mother passed away in June, it was a relief for me and probably a relief for her as well. However, life is not meant to be smooth-riding. My mother did not leave behind a will, thus I have to apply for the Letters of Administration with the Court and as my sibling has mental disability, this led to some complexities which have yet to be resolved. Instead of hiring a lawyer, I decided to apply the LOA and MCA orders by myself through the Service Bureau. I am paying my time and convenience for it ...
Read more

Be anti-fragile

-
Image
Life's not easy, life goes on. Rather than gripe (we know the saying "人生不如意事十之八九"), it is important for us to focus on risk management in our daily lives and how to become anti-fragile. Buying insurance, setting stop-losses, cut losses and bad connections out of our lives, look before stepping and don't seek cheap thrills. That's risk management at its very least. Taleb's concept of anti-fragile is one level above risk management and robustness.  It is about how chaos can make one better and stronger. Don't fear volatility, uncertainty and disruptions. Instead view them as opportunities.  Quoting the video, we should learn to  "transforms fear into prudence, pain into information, mistakes into initiation and desires into undertaking" . Toughen your mindset If you have tough desire, then be prepared for a tough process working towards it. Another point highlighted in the video for our mind training is - we can imagine worse case scenario, imagine...
Read more

Disclaimer:

The contents of this blog are author's personal opinions and do not constitute advice to hold, buy or sell any securities, commodities or assets mentioned. I do not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of any information provided, and shall not be liable for any losses incurred from reading my posts or using the materials herein. This blog may contain affiliate links to external sites.