Post by Laurie Simonson
Preparing Interview Questions
In the fall of each year, our firm spends time recruiting for staff accountants and interns on college campuses and at the A & A Student Conference sponsored by the MNSociety of CPA’s. In doing this, we conduct first and second interviews with various candidates. It’s important to prepare for the interviews, I prepare by:
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Developing effective interview questions to help me determine if the candidate will be able to perform the job.
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Reviewing details of the job requirements, the skill competencies and the behavior qualities that are needed in the position.
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Structuring interview questions and putting them into an interview guide that is issued for each candidate seeking employment for the same position. The guide allows me to compare candidates in fair and nondiscriminatory fashion.
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Brushing up on inappropriate or illegal interview questions. It’s easy to get caught up in small talk and ask something of a candidate that really shouldn’t be asked. I try to stay alert to where the conversation may lead, even if the candidate brings up a topic; I look for ways to steer the discussion in another direction.
Promoting Wellness in the Workplace
As the temperature drops and the weather gets colder, I am starting to hear sneezing and coughing around the office. This made me think about scheduling our on-site flu shots. This will be our fifth year having flu shots on-site for employees and their families; it has been a successful benefit with no cost to our organization.
In addition, we have instituted a wellness initiative throughout our firm that has proven to be quite successful. In June, we were presented with the Gold Wellness by Design Worksite award. To my partners and my surprise, by having our wellness program in place, we were able to lower our health care premiums for 2011!
Work Hard, Play Hard
Whenever I mention the word “fun” to a group of business owners, they tend to roll their eyes and think work it just work, it’s not suppose to be fun. The new generation of workers will challenge this idea in a big way.
Did you know that laughter actually creates a bond that brings others together? Imagine a place where employees enjoy one another and share a laugh or two. It may be hard to do but employees who enjoy their time at work will excel. In fact, a fun workplace is not only more productive but it attracts people, profits and customers who like to work with happy people.
New Employee Orientation
A few months ago, my son called to inform me that he had accepted a new position with a different company. He was so excited about his new opportunity and anxious to start his new job. As his first day arrived, I couldn’t help but think about him all day and wonder how things were going. When he called me that evening, I could tell immediately that his day had not gone Well. As our conversation went on, I learned that his new company had not prepared for his arrival. His paperwork wasn’t ready, they had no plan for training him, he had no assignments and they didn’t even have a place for him to sit. In fact, they excused him early. This eager young man left his first day on the new job feeling deflated, unwelcomed and undervalued.
This is precisely why solid orientation programs are so critical. Imagine being invited to a dinner party and upon arrival, they did not have any refreshments, the food wasn’t prepared and there was no place for you at the dinner table. Being unprepared for new hires makes them feel just like a dinner guest without a seat at the dinner table.
Conducting An Effective Meeting
If you’re like me, I attend a lot of meetings. And, if you’re like me, I don’t always look forward to them. After leaving a meeting the other day, I was puzzled as why this meeting and others are so often ineffective. After some thought, I realized that not a lot of people have been instructed on how to facilitate an effective meeting. Many individuals call a meeting, show up with a few topics in mind and hope that all communication barriers are lifted. Instead, people often leave more confused and frustrated than they were prior to the meeting. I have been guilty of conducting those ineffective meetings and I have learned that preparation is the key to success.
