Provisional Blog

When looking to hire, many employers in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho focus on the skill and experience level of a candidate. While these are important to success, so is attitude – and maybe even more so.

In fact, according to a study conducted by Leadership IQ, 46% of newly-hired employees fail within 18 months. The reasons? The study reported that “26% of new hires fail because they can’t accept feedback, 23% because they’re unable to understand and manage emotions, 17% because they lack the necessary motivation to excel, and 15% because they have the wrong temperament for the job.” Here’s the kicker: only 11% failed because they lacked the necessary technical skills.

The lesson? To avoid the risk of a bad hire, it’s critical that you focus on attitude during the hiring process. Here are some tips that can help:

• Evaluate your company’s culture and determine the kinds of personalities that are the best fit for it.
• Take a look at the job description and determine the necessary personality traits (e.g. self-starter, independent, etc.) needed to hit the ground running in the position.
• Also, take a look at your star performers in similar positions. What are their attitudes like and what traits make them so successful?
• In addition, if you had an employee with the right fit attitude, but not a lot of experience, how much time would you be willing to give them to gain the necessary knowledge and skills? How would you go about helping them do so?

Once you’ve determined the “type” of person needed to fill the position, develop a list of interview questions that will help you evaluate each candidate’s attitude.

• For instance, ask in what kind of work environment they are most productive and happy. If a candidate is happier in a quiet, more formal culture, then a loud and casual work environment may not be the best fit for them.
• Also, ask how they cope with unexpected obstacles. You’re looking for candidates with a positive attitude, persistence, and strong problem solving skills. Answers that indicate otherwise could be a red flag.
• Another important question to ask is how they’ve handled personality conflicts at work, whether it was with a boss or co-worker. The best answers are those that demonstrate a commitment to the team and the company, and the ability to work towards the completion of goals, despite personality conflicts.

Obviously, the exact questions you ask are going to depend on the type of position you’re trying to fill and the kind of attitude necessary to thrive within your culture. But hopefully the tips above offer a good starting point in helping you to evaluate attitude. And if you’d like some additional help with your hiring process, please contact Provisional. As a leading staffing services firm in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, we can help you recruit, screen, and hire candidates with the right skills – and the right attitudes – for your company.

It’s important that you carefully prepare for each and every job interview you have. Good preparation includes creating a list of questions that you want to ask the job interviewer. That said, there are some questions you should definitely avoid. Here are five:

Question #1. What does your organization do?

If you prepared for the Northwest job interview, you should already know what the company does. Before going to the interview, you should have researched the company online and learned about who they are and what they do. So asking a broad question about what the company does simply makes you sound unprepared.

Question #2. Can I transfer to a different position?

This question is another major no-no. This basically says to the interviewer: “I know this job isn’t right for me, but I’ll take it anyway.” The bottom line is that if a job isn’t right for you, you’re probably not going to be successful in it. So be honest with the interviewer if you think that’s the case. And if you’re interviewing with a Northwest company you really want to work for, let the interviewer know that too (i.e. “I’ve been following your company’s performance in the news and am so impressed with your recent initiatives, but I just don’t think this particular position is right for me.”). If you’ve made a good impression, the interviewer might keep you in mind for future job opportunities.

Question #3. How long before I can get a raise?

You’re asking for a raise before even getting the job?! A more diplomatic way to get the information you’re after is to ask the interviewer if the company conducts performance and salary reviews each year.

Question #4. I have a health issue. Do you think it would be covered under the company’s insurance policy?

First of all, by asking this question, you’re sending the message that you’re not so much interested in the Northwest job, as you are in the benefits that go along with it. Secondly, the interviewer probably doesn’t know off the top of their head what’s covered and what’s not covered in the company’s insurance policy. Instead of asking this question during an interview, wait until the job offer has been extended to you. Then, before you accept, ask to learn more about the company’s benefits program, including health insurance.

Question #5. Do I have to undergo a background check?

Asking this question makes it look like you have something to hide. If you’re trying to learn more about the selection process, then ask that question directly. If you really do have something to hide and the employer requires a background check, then expect your “secret” to surface. There isn’t a lot you can do to keep a black mark on your record under wraps. But you can mitigate its impact by offering full disclosure. Negative information that is honestly revealed and discussed by you is less harmful than if it is discovered during a background check.

And if you need help landing interviews for a job in the Northwest, then please contact Provisional. For over 16 years, our Northwest employment agency has been placing professionals with great companies in temporary, temp-to-hire, and full-time positions.

After your job interview, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the telephone to ring, right? If that’s what you think, then you’re sadly mistaken. The period after a job interview is critical – and can truly set you apart from the other Coeur d’Alene job candidates, if you handle it right.

Here are some action steps you should take after the interview:

Action Step #1: Make notes.

Write down the details of how the interview went. Also, write down some of the positive areas you can reinforce in your thank you note.

Action Step #2: Send a thank you note.

Many times, candidates don’t think they need to send a note if the interview went well. But that’s simply not true. The post interview thank you note provides you with an opportunity to thank the hiring manager (a little apple polishing never hurt!) and to reiterate why you’d be a good fit for the position. If you don’t send a thank you note, you’ll miss out on this additional opportunity to sell yourself.

With that said, when writing a thank you note, make sure it’s short a sweet. Hiring managers are busy people and a long and windy note will annoy them.

Action Step #3: Alert your references.

Contact any references you gave to the hiring manager. Give your references some information about the particular job and the company. You may even want to ask your references to contact you once the hiring manager gets in touch with them to find out how the conversation went. If a reference is contacted, make sure you send along a thank you note letting them know how much you appreciate their time and support.

Action Step #4: Follow up, but don’t harass.

If the hiring manager doesn’t get back to you within the specified time period, it’s perfectly acceptable to contact them in order to inquire about the status of your application. Simply thank them again for the opportunity to interview and then ask when a decision will likely be made. Be professional, though. Don’t flood the hiring manager with voice mails and emails.

Action Step #5: Continue your job search.

Even if you think you’re a shoo in for the position, keep looking. You never know when a better job opportunity could come along. Plus, you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket until you’ve actually been extended the offer.

If you’d like more interview tips, or need help finding a job, please contact Provisional. As a leading employment agency serving Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and the Northwest, we can offer you access to a variety of rewarding job opportunities in accounting, healthcare, legal, technical, and office fields.

Contact Provisional today to learn more.