New Year, New Resolution for Hiring Managers: Improve Interview Techniques to Reduce Cost

MANSFIELD, MA, December 23, 2011 (Press-News.org) The cost of making a "bad hire" decision incurs the obvious expenses of salary and benefits, but there are also hidden costs. Time invested in training and lost time in finding the right candidate (which can takes months) cannot be recouped.

HR Knowledge, Inc. a leading human resources Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the East Coast with offices in Mansfield and Waltham, share their "Top 5 Tips for Successful Interview" techniques.

Many Human Resource Managers begin with the resumà and ask questions to determine what the skill set may have been for jobs listed on the resumà . Carefully listening to the answers may indicate a situation where the candidate has inflated the resumà or listed positions in the background that have been glamorized. Asking closed ended questions that have yes or no responses may not ferret these errors out, and it may not be assumed that these omissions will be picked up in a background check.

There are some simple, logical tips that can be used during a job interview to discern the credibility of the candidate. Here are the Top 5:

1. Ask open ended questions. Follow up with questions that will shed light on areas where there may be inconsistencies.

2. Look for eye contact. When applicants stretch the truth, they typically break eye contact or look away.

3. Nervous twitches or tics may give away the false answers. Switching crossed legs, leg shaking, toe tapping, finger drumming... are all indications that the candidate is uncomfortable. Looking into this discomfort may reveal areas of potential deception.

4. Evaluate the candidate's handshake. It may seem trivial, but a firm and direct handshake are important. A limp or moist handshake are giveaways that the candidate may be insecure with their presentation to you.

5. Obvious factors such as chewing gum or inappropriate attire during an interview are tip-offs that the candidate does not take the position seriously. Unless you want to have ongoing problems with lateness or unprofessional representation, you may want to skip these candidates.

According to Jeff Garr, CEO of HR Knowledge, "Searching for great employees is more than evaluating the resumà . Hiring the right person is important for the morale of the existing employees as well. The old adage "you are known for the company you keep" extends to the workplace. As each new hire represents your company, it's important to assess them on the basis of their skills, but also how they will fit into your corporate culture and ultimately, how they will represent your company and your brand."
For more information about compensation, HR and or benefits contact Jeff Garr, CEO at HR Knowledge or 508-339-1300.
About HR Knowledge, Inc.
HR Knowledge, Inc. is a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the East Coast. HR Knowledge has the experience and technology to efficiently provide best-in-class integrated HR services at an affordable cost to clients.

HR Knowledge's leaders have more than 100 years of combined experience and provide expert guidance in Human Resource management, Group Benefits Brokerage, Payroll Processing & Managed Services, Financial Services and Recruiting and Hiring Process Management (HPM).
Through their comprehensive Human Resource Services, HR Knowledge helps organizations minimize operational risks, reduce administrative costs and better serve their people.

HR Knowledge has been recognized as a Gold Level Broker by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. The company is headquartered at 905B South Main Street, Suite 203 in Mansfield and their second office is located at 890 Winter Street, Suite 208 in Waltham, MA. For more information, contact (508) 339-1300 or visit their website at http://www.hrknowledge.com