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Effective Hiring
Ambitious, motivated, experienced, and intelligent are qualities all employers look for in an employee, yet the real question is how do you effectively find "the one?" Finding the right employee the first time will decrease turnover, lower unemployment costs, improve productivity and morale, reduce management time spent training a new hire, etc. Below are some suggestions to consider during every step of the hiring process to help find "the one." In most instances, RMI can help you in every step of the hiring process.
Where to begin?
After identifying the position your company needs to fill, the first step is to create a job description for such position. Although this first step might seem obvious, it is often overlooked, and is key for hiring. A job description provides the following information to a hiring manager, candidate for employment, and a new hire:
- Essential job functions and responsibilities
- How the employee holding a specific position will be measured on the job
- Whether the position is in charge of managing subordinates
- The skills necessary to succeed on the job
- The skill set desired by the company for the employee holding a specific position
If there is already a job description for the position, review and update it according to the duties performed. It is best to review and update a job description with the assistance of a current job incumbent or the employee who held the position last, if possible. RMI can also assist in creating and revising job descriptions.
Announcement
Once the job description is complete, a successful job announcement can be drafted. RMI will assist you in creating the job posting to attract the desired qualified candidates. Job postings effective in attracting qualified candidates are those that include:
- Job title
- Brief description of the company
- Job location
- Outline of job duties
- Qualifications and experience required
- Outline of ideal candidate profile
- Details on how to apply for the available position
- Benefits package
- Salary or salary guide
Once the job posting for the available position is created, it can then be announced internally and externally. Announcing an available position to employees within a company helps the recruiting process; current employees can be on the look out for great candidates within their network of people they know. Additionally, it allows employees the opportunity to apply for the position and offers them the opportunity to grow within a company.
Recruit Using the Internet
Announcing the open position externally can be easily done. RMI will create and advertise the job opening through our website, linking the job advertisement from/to the client company's website, or in advertising the job opening on private job posting websites. The job advertisement will also be posted for free on state or local government websites through the state's department of labor, the websites of universities, college boards, and trade associations. For a fee, the job opening may also be advertised on private job posting websites, or industry-specific websites, and membership bodies, etc. Currently, companies are using social networking sites (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn) to announce their open positions, which is a great and free of charge complementary avenue to advertise the employment opportunities.
Additionally, your RMI HR representative will be able to suggest different websites to advertise the job opening effectively depending on the position and current job seeker trends.
Recruit Using Career Fairs
Career fairs attract thousands of people and help companies connect with candidates who may not have otherwise known about the opportunities, company or positions. In career fairs, companies have the advantage to conduct on-the-spot interviews without the same level of commitment of scheduling individual interviews. For additional information on how and where to hold a career fair in your area, please contact your RMI HR representative.
Recruit Using Other Sources
Depending on the company, the company's industry, or the available position, companies may prefer to advertise the available position utilizing armed forces settlement programs, out-placement organizations, temporary agencies, headhunters for middle and senior level positions, on the news, television, radio, or in-print.
Contact your RMI HR representative for information on effective local job advertisement options. Your representative will be able to provide you with free options to advertise the job opening. As the number of qualified, job-seeking individuals has increased with rising unemployment, it is typically not necessary at this time to pay for a job announcement to get a good response to the ad.
Review Applications and Resumes
If RMI assists in advertising the job opening, your HR Representative will review and screen the resumes of candidates who apply for the position. The resumes of the qualified candidates are then sent to the hiring manager.
Thoroughly review applications, cover letters, and resumes received in a timely fashion. These documents provide information concerning past employment history, and past behavior is the best predictor for future behavior.
Red Flags
Although no resume is perfect, there are red flags worth paying attention to when reviewing a resume:
- Brief employment periods with various employers
- Employment gaps
- Spelling or grammatical errors
- Unprofessional e-mail address
- Information unrelated to the candidate's employment history or qualifications
- Failure to follow directions in applying for the job opening
Telephone Interview
Phone interviews are a fast way to narrow down the qualified candidate pool, particularly for candidates whose main duty would be working on the phone. Phone interviews allow the hiring manager to ask questions concerning a candidate's skill set and motivations while sensing their level of excitement about the position and the company.
Face to Face Interview
The purpose of face to face interviews is to have candidates reveal more information about themselves. The more job-related information a candidate reveals about himself or herself, the more it will help determining if the candidate will be a good fit for the company and the position. It is best and recommended to ask the same questions to all candidates to make the interview fair. The type of questions that reveal the most about a candidate are open ended and behavioral questions, (e.g. "how have you handled past situations where..."). Moreover, only ask questions directly related to the ability of the candidate to perform the job to avoid punishable discriminatory hiring practices. RMI has an "Interview Questionnaire" with several recommended questions to ask during a face to face interview. Click here to view the questionnaire or look for it under the Employer Resource Center tab on our website, www.rminc.com.
At the end of the interview, have other members of the hiring team talk to the candidate on the same day to get a second or even third opinion. For additional information on interviewing, click here or here.
Reference Checks
After the face to face interview or while the candidate is being interviewed by another employee, conduct a reference check. The most important question to ask is if the candidate is re-hirable. This is something that RMI can do for you or RMI has questionnaires with recommended questions to ask a former employer or personal reference during the reference check. Click here to view the "Pre-Employment Employer Reference Check" and here to view the "Pre-Employment Personal Reference Check" forms. They are also available under the Employer Resource Center tab on our website, www.rminc.com.
Decision
A thorough and informed hiring decision can be made when following the outlined steps. Although the hiring process is time consuming, the time dedicated for a thorough hiring decision translates into a stronger workforce. Furthermore, the company's bottom line will be protected with decreased turnover, lower unemployment costs, and improved productivity. RMI can assist in every step of the hiring process, including referring qualified candidates to you.
For help with the hiring process or for additional information or questions, please contact your RMI HR Representative. |
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RMI's Group Health, Dental And Vision
Insurance Plans Open Enrollment
(All States Except Washington) |
Open enrollment for RMI's Group Health, Life, Dental and Vision benefit plans begin August 15, 2011 through September 23, 2011. Note: This open enrollment only applies to those covered on an RMI-sponsored Group Plan outside the State of Washington. During this time, employees who are not currently enrolled may do so if their eligibility requirements have been met. Additionally, employees may add dependents to existing policies or change plans during this time.
This year, RMI is pleased to announce our new on-line application, the RMI Center. The RMI Center is a custom Human Resource Information System (HRIS) where employees can view their existing coverage, plan summaries, and renewal rates on-line. This year, all new enrollments and changes for open enrollment must be made using the RMI Center. The RMI Center can be accessed from the RMI's website www.rminc.com by clicking on the red button located on the top, right-hand side of the page.
All employees located outside of Washington State should have received their open enrollment postcard from RMI. This postcard contains specific instructions on how to log into the RMI Center for open enrollment. Employees are not required to re-enroll if they do not wish to make any changes to their coverage elections. However, we request that employees log on to view the renewal rates and plan choices. If your employees have not received their postcards, or experience any problems accessing the RMI Center, please have them contact RMI's Benefits Department. Please remind your employees to log in to the RMI Center, as they will not be receiving any other notification concerning open enrollment.
It is important to note that RMI collects premiums one month in advance; therefore, the new premiums will take effect on employees' first September payroll. To eliminate double deductions of premiums, please have all enrollments and additions submitted to RMI by August 31, 2011.
Within the next few months, our HR staff will be contacting each of our clients to introduce you to the RMI Center and educate you on all of the exciting aspects of this new system.
Health Insurance
There have not been any changes to the health plan this year. Employees can access the medical plan summaries specific to your company in the RMI Center.
RMI would like to remind you of some of the benefits that are available to employees who are enrolled on an RMI Group Health Plan:
Employee Assistance Program is available to you and all employees and their family members who are enrolled in an RMI Group Health Plan. The Employee Assistance Program is designed to assist persons who are dealing with day-to-day problems that are causing uncertainty, stress, or anxiety in their lives. Employees are encouraged to call Bloomquist & Hale at 1-800-986-9619 to set up a counseling session to meet with a licensed clinical social worker. All counseling sessions are free to the employee and completely confidential. You will not be notified of your employee's consultations.
Care Line - Did you know your employees have access to a private nurse on call 24 hours a day? Care Line, a service provided by EBMS as a benefit of RMI's Health Plan, provides them with this valuable access by calling 1-800-647-1534 at any time during the day or night. Employees can talk to a registered nurse and ask questions or ask for advice. For example, it is the middle of the night, their youngest child has developed a sudden fever of 103 and they would like to know if this fever warrants a trip to the emergency room or if a dosage of children's Tylenol would be the proper course of action, they can call and ask the nurse!
As an additional service, Care Line offers a pre-recorded library of information on subjects from A to Z, including subjects such as cancer, nutrition, early warnings of a heart attack, weight loss, and many more. You can request a copy of the Care Line booklet, which provides access information and lists the available recorded topics and code numbers, from RMI's Benefits Department or from the RMI office nearest to you. Included in the booklet is a fridge magnet with the Care Line phone number printed on it in bold numbers, so you can keep this number handy for emergency situations.
miBenefits is an on-line service provided by EBMS that enables employees to access their health claim history and review the status of recent claims. RMI would like to encourage employees to monitor this important information. miBenefits also allows employees to access plan benefit information and link to other websites that are helpful in researching medical issues. They can access the link to miBenefits from RMI's website, www.rminc.com.
Life Insurance
The basic life insurance benefit remains the same for all full-time employees covered under the basic life insurance plan. This life insurance plan provides access to The Hartford's Travel Assistance program, which includes providing pre-trip information, emergency medical assistance or personal assistance services while traveling. We suggest employees write RMI's Policy Number 220022 on their Travel Assist card and take it with them if they are traveling at more than 100 miles away from home. If you would like more information regarding the Travel Assist program, please contact RMI's Benefits Department.
Dental Insurance
Dental Select will continue to provide dental coverage for RMI's employees. There will be no changes to the benefits and the monthly premiums will remain the same. Employees can find the dental plan summaries specific to your company in the RMI Center. As a reminder, all employees enrolled on one of RMI's Dental plans through Dental Select have access to a discount vision plan that is included in the monthly premium.
Vision Insurance
RMI's vision insurance will continue to be offered through EyeMed and administered by Dental Select. There have not been any changes to the benefits or the monthly premiums. Employees can access the vision summaries specific to your company in the RMI center. |
| Changes In Federal High-Low Per Diem Rate Method |
| On July 19th, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced they intend to discontinue authorizing the high-low per diem rate method for substantiating lodging, meal, and other incidental expenses incurred for work travel. The IRS plans to publish a revenue procedure later this year that will provide the general rules and procedures for substantiating lodging, meal, and incidental expenses incurred when traveling away from home. Click here to read IRS Announcement 2011-42. |
| Safe Driving Tip |
| Keep Your Distance from Drunk Drivers |
What's at stake
If you see a driver you suspect has been drinking or impaired, do yourself and everybody else a favor and call the police.
What's the danger
Impaired drivers present a deadly hazard to occupants of other vehicles and to pedestrians.
Example
Not every impaired driver will be driving erratically. Here are a number of telltale signs of a drinking or drugged driver:
- Speeding or driving too slowly, or driving at inconsistent speeds.
- Swerving and frequently changing lanes, as well as making unusually wide turns.
- Passing dangerously.
- Nearly missing another vehicle, pedestrian or obstacle.
- Disregarding traffic signals and signs, as well as stopping too soon or too late at stop signs.
- Failing to signal turns or lane changes, and failing to dim high-beam lights.
- Driving with no lights at night.
- Driving in low gear or grinding gears, and jerky starts and stops.
- Driving too close to the center line or too close to the shoulder of the road.
- Driving with windows down in cold weather or with the head out the window.
- Stopping for no apparent reason, and erratic braking.
- Following too closely.
- Making abrupt or illegal turns.
How to protect yourself
Here are some ways to defend yourself against impaired drivers:
- Report suspected impaired drivers to the nearest law enforcement agency by cell phone, or stop and call the police from a land line. They'll need a description of the vehicle, the license number, the location and the direction the vehicle is headed.
- If you are behind, maintain a safe following distance. Don't try to pass because the driver may try to swerve into the passing lane.
- If someone is driving erratically behind you, flash your lights to warn on-coming traffic of the hazard.
- If you are in front of an impaired driver and fear he might involve you in a crash, turn right at the first safe intersection. Let the driver pass and return to your route.
- Pull over to the right and stop if the driver is approaching your vehicle. Avoid a head-on collision by sounding your horn or flashing your lights if you have time.
Final Word
If you encounter an impaired driver, keep your distance. Then call the police so they can get this dangerous driver off the road.
For additional information about safe driving, please contact your RMI HR Representative. |
| Workplace Safety Tip |
| Develop Safe Hand Habits |
Think of your hands as skilled and versatile instruments necessary for work both on and off the job. Because of many tiny nerves, your hands and fingers help you to determine the weight, texture and size of an object. They can sense all ranges of temperature from very hot to very cold.
It is vital to protect your hands in the workplace. You can do this by practicing safe habits with your hands as well as wearing safety gloves.
Here are some tips for on-the-job hand safety:
- Keep hands away from pinch points where they may become caught between two objects and be injured, crushed, or even cut off. This could be as simple as slamming your hand in a drawer or as serious as losing a hand in a machine.
- Take care to avoid the kinds of injuries which are caused by doing repetitive tasks. Keyboarding without a break or holding vibrating power tools can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). This syndrome can cause your hands to hurt or be unable to pick up or grip objects. To avoid CTS, take breaks or vary your tasks. When you hold tools in an awkward way, you can bend and strain your hands and fingers in a manner that might lead to injury. If possible, try to use tools designed for more comfortable use.
- Keep your hands clean. Wash them after working or handling any chemical substances or anything unsanitary. Wash them before you eat, drink or smoke. It is also critical to keep your hands clean after handling anything that could lead to infection.
- Practice recommended exercises to keep your hands strong and flexible.
In addition to these steps, it is essential you protect your hands by wearing the required safety gloves. Hand protection exists in a wide variety of styles and materials for many purposes. You can choose from many styles such as mitts, gloves, gauntlet-style gloves or full arm protectors. Ask your supervisor for the right choice for you.
- Cloth or wool gloves can help keep your hands warm and provide a barrier against rough materials and edges.
- Leather gloves also help protect hands from the cold but not so much from moisture. They can guard against sparks, slivers, scrapes, heat and abrasives.
- Gloves made of rubber or synthetic products help keep hands protected against certain chemicals and are useful against infection.
- Metal mesh gloves protect in occupations involving contact with sharp instruments such as knives.
- Aluminized gloves protect hands from intense heat in industries such as casting, forging and metal pouring.
- Use barrier creams in addition to gloves to help protect your hands from coming in contact with chemicals and other harmful substances.
Gloves should not be worn when performing tasks involving rotating machinery because they could get caught in the equipment.
Whether or not you are wearing safety gloves, make a commitment to practice safe hand habits at work. Keep your hands away from harm.
For more information on keeping your hands safe, please contact your RMI HR Representative. |
| To access the online Workplace Safety Training Log click here. |
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