May 05 Newsletter

Is poor candidate screening putting your business at risk?

A number of our consultants recently attended a useful course by Australian Background. The workshop focused on a number of interesting aspects regarding how candidates can be a little economical with the truth regarding their employment background and qualifications.

Many companies, particularly those in banking and finance and insurance industries are adopting pre-employment strategies to ensure candidates are representing themselves accurately. In light of increased focus on corporate governance and keeping in mind the cost of making a poor hiring mistake, Australia is following America’s lead in screening candidates thoroughly, where 80% of America’s top 100 companies incorporate pre-employment screening as part of their standard interview process.

A recent survey of the local market, across management/non-management and all industries discovered that 21% of the people surveyed provided fraudulent information. They noted that men generally lied more than women, especially males who fell within the 21-30 age group. The survey highlighted that people were most likely to provide fraudulent details about their employment history; the most common discrepancies were related to dates of employment and salaries. Education was the second highest area where people had provided fraudulent information – many claimed that they had completed certificates/study when they had only enrolled, or were part-way through the qualification. The survey found that after completing background checks one in twenty of the respondents had a criminal record. 60% of them didn’t disclose this information, even after they were asked for their consent to proceed with the checks.

At Beaumont Consulting we endeavour to check the validity of educational qualifications where possible, especially when particular qualifications are required to fulfil the responsibilities and duties of the position. Employment referees are also cross-checked by consultants to ensure they are indeed who the candidate purports them to be. However, should you require any further information or advice regarding pre-employment screening, please contact your consultant and they will be happy to help.

Competency based behavioural interviewing

Most companies are now using behavioral interview questions to identify the right candidate for the job, though we still frequently get clients who, when asked how they like to interview, simply reply “It’ll just be an informal chat”. While this may suffice in an initial interview (provided the same questions are put to all candidates), it is beneficial to incorporate some form behavioural based questions into the interview structure.

Competency based behavioural interviewing is an interview based on questions that target the competencies required to perform the role by obtaining descriptions of actual past behaviours associated with these competencies.

By asking competency based behavioural interview questions the interviewer will be in a better situation to predict the behaviour, skills and decisions that the candidate will probably repeat in the future. This is based on the fact that past behaviour or how the candidate responded in the past is an indicator of how they will respond in the future.

A competency can easily be described as the behaviours that are required to achieve the objectives of the role and the organisation. A competency can also be measured and used as an assessment tool for performance appraisals and training needs analysis etc.

Competency based behavioural interview questions must be carefully planned so that evidence of the behaviour matches the selection criteria for the role. A skills and competencies analysis for the role should be undertaken so that the desired skill sets are clearly identified well in advance of the selection process. The questions need to be designed to probe at the candidate’s competency in the desired skills.

Competency based behavioural questions built into a structured interview deliver the best possible results!

Should you require assistance in incorporating some behavioural based questions into your interviews, please contact your consultant. We have a wide range of questions at our disposal that can be tailored to identify and assess key skills required for a wide range of positions.

Camp Quality

Last week a number of the Beaumont team attended a charity function in support of Camp Quality which assists kids with terminal illnesses. Louise, Cara, and Felicity attended a dinner at Catalina's restaurant in Rose Bay. They were then escorted by limousine to The Eastern Hotel in Bondi Junction where they partied until the early hours of the morning with a variety of B-grade celebrities such as Larry from the Price is Right! Oh those lucky gals!

Temp of the Month

We appreciate and acknowledge outstanding performance from the amazing temps that are currently working for us.

Our May Temp of the Month award goes to Katy Whitehouse. Katy has always been reliable, responsible and a real joy to work with, which is why we wanted her to receive the Temp of the Month Award this month.

Katy is pictured here with our Cara Stillman, whilst on assignment at Grange Securities. Well done Katy.

Quote of the month

The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it's the same problem you had last year. (John Foster Dulles)