Student Relationships and “The Right Candidate"
We have a few representatives coming to our school to host interviews for upcoming grads, graduates and alumni. I am nervous as to how this will pan out because I haven't had the opportunity to meet with each individual. (I am new to the Career along with the students) As with any job posting/opportunity you want to make sure your sending them who they are looking for and not just another one in the bunch. You want the employers to want to come back to you in the future. I do different workshops to get to know the students. I also have asked the teachers for there input on the students/grads and if they would be suitable for the job. So the concern is how do I know if I am sending the right candidate for the job? Do you have any other ideas/tools I can use for this concern?
Hi Deana
You've done a great job of identifying all the issues. So you will easily be able to put solutions in place. Just take each challenge and think of several ways to address it. Perhaps the grad has to complete certain workshops, job interview role plays, do their homework about the company, and demonstrate in other ways that they are prepared for a successful interview and to be a success on the job. Perhaps you need to develop a check list of what to ask the employer before and after the interview and also after the grad has been on the job for a while. Gathering and analyzing information is a way to come up with solutions. So let us know!!! Thanks, Susan
I would make sure to get some information from the employers who are coming as to what jobs they are hiring for and maybe a brief job description for each position. This will give you a heads up, and maybe you can involve your program directors and instructors to suggest who might be the "ideal" candidate.
Thanks, Lani. We think it's important to get the employers to provide details about the ideal candidate they have in mind. What are the skills, knowledge, experience, aptitudes and attitudes, etc. desired? Then use the information as an excercise where students consider how they will convey how their qualifications meet the job requirements. Maybe the ideal candidate will emerge from this exercise. Best wishes, Susan
Hi Deana
I believe you are trying to answer one of the more challenging of questions for placement departments. Doing a check list and analyzing the data for results is always warranted. What has helped me in the past is to do a personal interview of the hiring authority to define personality, ascertain the company culture and active employee personalities & what characteristics the company has found successful with their employees. Beyond the normal experience/skills requirements, hiring authorities seem to hire from their gut and that's the human factor! Thanks, Michele
Well said, Michele. The more you know about the job the better you can assist grads to represent themselves effectively. The more you know about the job and the company the more likely you will retain the relationship with the company for other needs like mock interviews, mentoring, presentations, workshop leaders, and more. Thanks, Susan
Hello Susan-
Can you give us a few examples of your post interview check list for Employers? I have an employer that has done MANY rounds of interviews with no decision. He wants a blend of this person or that person.
Any suggestions on how we can get him to make a decision?
Additionally, what do you suggest if his offer to the RIGHT person is too low for the candidate to accept? It would seem he has a champagne taste on a beer budget!
Any ideas on how to give Employers a reality check when it comes to wages when their budget MAY be fixed? Thanks for any ideas, Michele
Good questions, Michele. These would be best posed to a staffing agency who deals with this all the time. Turns out that school placement departments do need to take on a staffing agency role. First you are dealing with an indecisive employer. You might want to work with him to refine his job description. Maybe it will help to see what he is really looking for -make things more specific and black and white. The other question is what to do if the employer is offering a salary that is too low for the candidate. You can gather information that shows what the salary range is and how far he is off. Or you can decide that maybe that particular employer is not educable. Not everyone gets it and you have to know when to leave the negotiating table. Good questions, Susan
