Hiring Great People [Paperback]

Kevin Klinvex (Author), Matthew S. O'Connell (Author), Christopher P. Klinvex (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0070718725 | ISBN-13: 978-0070718722 | Publication Date: October 1, 1998 | Edition: 1

Hiring Great People removes the guesswork from the hiring process, giving you solid, no-nonsense tools and processes to identify and attract your industryÕs highest performing employees. Look to this dynamic book for advertising and public relations techniques proven to catch the attention of the brightest candidates, telltale interview tip-offs to unerringly help you separate the go-getters from the clock-watchers, guidelines for negotiating the offer, and more. Whether you are new to the hiring process or a seasoned veteran, Hiring Great People will ensure that you recruit and select only the people who will improve your companyÕs long-term success. (19990409)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A complete guide to recruiting, interviewing, assessing and hiring...It provides tips, tools and techniques to help businesses find and hire the people who will help companies grow and maintain a competitive advantage." (World Traveler Magazine )

From the Back Cover

Your step-by-step guide to attracting today's best employees.

Today's low unemployment, plus an ever-growing demand for workers with proven technical skills, means your company's long-term success rests on its ability to find the best employees in an ever-shrinking talent pool.

Hiring Great People removes the guesswork from your hiring process, giving you solid, no-nonsense tools and processes to identify and attract your industry's highest performing employees.

No matter what your company's size-from 3 employees to 3,000­­Hiring Great People will arm you with:

• Advertising and public relations techniques proven to catch-and-keep­­the attention of the brightest candidates
• Telltale interview tip-offs that unerringly help you separate the go-getters from the clock-watchers

Guidelines for narrowing your candidate list, negotiating the offer, and quickly orienting a new employee

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070718725
• ISBN-13: 978-0070718722
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Thorough!, June 17, 2000

By 

Roger E. Herman (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hiring Great People (Paperback)

Not another book on hiring! Enough! Can any more be said that hasn't been said already? Can the same information be presented any better than it has before?

I'll admit that I opened this book, part of McGraw-Hill's Briefcase series, with a bias to dismiss the publication as just another also-ran. Surprise! Hiring Great People caught my attention right away and held it for most of the book. Starting with the three-page detailed table of contents, the book was easy to read and easy to use. A Manager's Checklist at the end of each chapter offers a good summary for reality-checking and later reference.

I liked the way each chapter begins with a scenario, usually including dialog, that catches the reader's attention and focuses on the problem to be solved by the chapter's content. Nicely done. An abundance of examples aid in understanding of the authors' points and in the practical application of the knowledge presented. A common feature of the Briefcase books is effective use of icons to call out sidebars and boxes that highlight and amplify the text. The boxes are categorized as Smart Managing (tactics), Caution (warnings), Tricks of the Trade, Key Terms (jargon explained), Examples, Tools (proven procedures), and Mistake Proofing (how to minimize the risk of a bad hire).

The book begins with an emphasis on competency-based job descriptions. Helpful information includes definitions of competencies and advice on conducting a competency analysis. The second chapter jumps right in with the legal stuff that employers must be wary of today. A number of pertinent laws are carefully explained so the reader knows what to do and how to avoid costly mistakes. The chapter on attracting the right employees (note: not just warm bodies) addresses recruiting as well as what today's workers are looking for. The table on page 47 provides information on over a dozen internet sites that can be used for recruiting.

So now we have all these applications coming in. What should we do with them? Chapter 4 shows us how to use those applications as screening tools in our efforts to find the right people to bring in for interviews. Chapter 5 does the same thing with resumes. Frankly, I was astonished at the volume of advice; I learned about tools and procedures that opened my eyes about my own hiring. The next two chapters on interviewing was equally valuable; again, I gained knowledge that I didn't have before. Just when you think you know it all, this kind of book comes along to remind you and give you some more.

Do these applicants really care about working here, or are they just looking for a job? Chapter 8 shows us how to evaluate how motivated that applicant is to perform. The interviewing approaches are most useful, as are the charts and score sheets to help the interviewer focus on what's most important. Testing and background checks were discussed next-good sequencing of chapters. I thought the chapter on testing got a bit too deep in testing methodology for a book like this, but the information is interesting.

The chapter on making the hiring decisions and notifying applicants includes a weighting system that helps put appropriate emphasis on the most important characteristics. I liked the advice about sending polite rejection letters promptly. There are so many applicants that wait a long time-nervously and needlessly. Chapter 12 advises wise ways to bring new employees on board with the right kind of offer of employment and the subsequent orientation process. The final chapter on blended workforces highlighted the alternatives that employers have today, using part-timers, job-share, and contingent workers to get the job done.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read!, March 20, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hiring Great People (Paperback)

Kevin C. Klinvex, Matthew S. O'Connell, and Christopher P. Klinvex present a guide to creating a more effective hiring process. They cover each step, from defining the job to hiring the best person. The book provides techniques for attracting the right employees through advertising and promotion. It also covers effective use of applications, interviews, testing, and background checks. This book is clear, well-organized, and easy-to-read. While some of the suggestions may be obvious to those who are experienced at hiring, they are presented in a careful, step-by-step way. We at getAbstract recommend this book to those involved in the hiring process in larger companies, from company owners and top managers to human resource professionals. Small business owners who wish to use more sophisticated hiring techniques may also find it useful.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Professional Must Have, February 5, 2001

By 

Dennis Doverspike "hrlitehouse" (University of Akron, OH, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hiring Great People (Paperback)

Whether in your briefcase or on the bookshelf, this is a must have for the human resources professional or for any professional involved in selection and hiring. This book is really appropriate for any audience. I have used it as a textbook with my graduate personnel selection classes.

Hiring Great People is a well-written, easy to read book. At the same time, it presents highly technical information in a format which demonstrates how such information can be turned into practice. There are may useful hints, guidelines and forms in the book. As I have indicated above, I have used this book as a text in graduate courses. It is more valuable than books which cost five times as much.

This is not a book about fluff or fads -- it deals with the latest research and technology in the practice of personnel selection in a highly readable fashion. I find myself turning to it repeatedly for advice on topics such as interviewing and competency assessment.