Prior to three weeks ago, if asked what I do at IQMS, I would have given a detailed job description of my position. If asked today, however, I would say I am a professional interviewer. I interview potential employees, that's it... all day, every day. Now, I would be exaggerating slightly, but it certainly feels that way. I have given the same interview spiel so many times over the last few weeks that half the time I can't remember whether I am repeating myself to a particular candidate or if that was the morning candidate.
It is a very exciting time at IQMS. The good news is that we are in the middle of our largest hiring campaign ever. We are literally hiring in all departments. We need personnel in our Paso Robles Headquarters and our Chicago Regional office, as well as other areas of the US and the UK. We are looking to hire for Support, Professional Services Group (PSG), Training, Sales, Marketing, Development, and other areas within the organization; and not just any people, but the right people. That is where the challenge comes in; the right people. Our saving grace is the hiring strategy that we adopted a few years back. Some of the key elements, to name a few, that we implemented include:
- Constant evaluation and improvement of our employment ads
- Multiple interview process, including team member and cross-departmental interviewing
- Interview training for key participants
- Aptitude testing
- Behavioral, role-playing interviewing
- Personality/styles assessment
These techniques have helped us to attract individuals who closely match our current needs, hone in on those traits, knowledge, and skills that we desire, and most importantly to identify those individuals who display the aptitude and attitude to be successful at IQMS. And while this means more time and effort up front, it greatly decreases the costly effects of hiring the wrong people.
The latest change was more of a shift in mindset than anything else. And yet, I am finding it to be one of the most positive changes to date. The challenge that was laid out before us was to get the right people "on the bus." Some candidates have a clear role that they can fill, where others may not. However, just because their "seat" isn't clear in the beginning, it doesn't mean we don't want to invite them aboard. So far, while interviewing for a Shipping/Receiving position, we have identified several potential Technical Support candidates. While interviewing for Technical Support, we have found several people who we envision finding seats for in areas such as eCommerce/EDI and Professional Services down the road. This new, open-minded interviewing is helping us "grow" in several ways and helping us to continue finding the best people for IQMS and our customers.
