Things are looking up for your company, and a few of the positions that were eliminated need to be filled. The Human Resources Generalist position was eliminated months ago, so as the boss’s admin, the task falls to you to recruit, interview and fill those positions. The only experience you have with HR is your own job search and landing this job. How do you start? How can you be sure that you don’t break any laws and find the best candidate for the job? Here are some tips to lead you through the employment process.
1. Start with a job description. It is difficult to find a good candidate when you don’t know what skills, experience or physical requirements you are looking for or what the specific job responsibilities are. Sit down with the supervisor and/or someone who is currently in the job (if possible) and write down the job specifics. Websites like http://humanresources.about.com/od/jobdescriptions/Job_Descriptions_Free_Samples_Examples.htm give great information on the process of writing job descriptions with samples to use as a guide.
2. Determine the salary range for the position by doing a salary survey or use salary information available from the U.S. Department of Labor (http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm) or other sources, such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, or Salary.com. Some resources will actually drill down to your geographical area and/or city, giving you a good idea of what the current market is for the position.
3. Determine if the position is exempt or non-exempt regarding Federal wage and hour laws. Just making a position exempt so you don’t have to pay overtime can cost you more in back wages and penalties. Criteria for classifying jobs are available at http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-flsa.htm .
4. Once you have set the criteria for the position, you have many resources for finding candidates. Your local Department of Labor will post your job for free and screen candidates according to your criteria. Most job seekers use the Internet for their job search, so posting the positions on your company website and other local job sites or Craig’s list will bring you local and national candidates. Unless you are looking for unusual or highly specialized skills, these resources should bring you more candidates than you expected. Use your job description to qualify candidates according to their skills and experience.
5. If your search comes up without a viable candidate, temporary agencies are another source to fill a position quickly. You will have to pay a premium on hourly wage, but if the person isn’t right for the job, the agency can provide a replacement. Many temp agencies will allow you to hire a temp outright after they have worked in the job for a certain number of hours. The price you pay for the “trial run” may be worth finding the right candidate for the job.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
1. Start with a job description. It is difficult to find a good candidate when you don’t know what skills, experience or physical requirements you are looking for or what the specific job responsibilities are. Sit down with the supervisor and/or someone who is currently in the job (if possible) and write down the job specifics. Websites like http://humanresources.about.com/od/jobdescriptions/Job_Descriptions_Free_Samples_Examples.htm give great information on the process of writing job descriptions with samples to use as a guide.
2. Determine the salary range for the position by doing a salary survey or use salary information available from the U.S. Department of Labor (http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm) or other sources, such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, or Salary.com. Some resources will actually drill down to your geographical area and/or city, giving you a good idea of what the current market is for the position.
3. Determine if the position is exempt or non-exempt regarding Federal wage and hour laws. Just making a position exempt so you don’t have to pay overtime can cost you more in back wages and penalties. Criteria for classifying jobs are available at http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-flsa.htm .
4. Once you have set the criteria for the position, you have many resources for finding candidates. Your local Department of Labor will post your job for free and screen candidates according to your criteria. Most job seekers use the Internet for their job search, so posting the positions on your company website and other local job sites or Craig’s list will bring you local and national candidates. Unless you are looking for unusual or highly specialized skills, these resources should bring you more candidates than you expected. Use your job description to qualify candidates according to their skills and experience.
5. If your search comes up without a viable candidate, temporary agencies are another source to fill a position quickly. You will have to pay a premium on hourly wage, but if the person isn’t right for the job, the agency can provide a replacement. Many temp agencies will allow you to hire a temp outright after they have worked in the job for a certain number of hours. The price you pay for the “trial run” may be worth finding the right candidate for the job.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
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