Boston University Talent Acquisition

Hiring with Confidence

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Effective hiring involves
predicting
the performance of
people
you don’t know.

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Objectives
• Outline the hiring process
• Develop interview questions that lead to a successful
hire
• Identify what questions you can and cannot ask
• Evaluate the applicant
• Provide tools to hire the best candidate

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Identifying the Recruiting Process
Partnering with your HR Talent Acquisition Specialist (TAS)
Determining Recruitment Sources

STAGE ONE: RECRUITING

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Understanding the Recruitment Process:
The Position Posting Process
Step Action
 
One Position is created and maintained in SAP
 
Two Position goes through Workflow (approval process)

Three Position is received in HR

 
Four Talent Acquisition Specialist (TAS) works with hiring
manager to develop posting and discusses recruitment
strategy

Five Position is posted on HR Careers website

 
Six Hiring manager will receive notification that the position
is posted

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The Hiring Process

Step Action
One Applicants apply
Two TAS reviews and forwards resumes to hiring manager
Three Interviews Candidate
Four Reference Checks completed
Five HR extends the offer and does background checks
Six Applicant is hired and onboarding begins

Once your position has been posted to the website, you will receive a SilkRoad
Recruiting login account.
Login = BU login
Password will be sent from OpenHire

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BU Recruitment Sources
• BU HR website
• HERC (Higher Education Recruiting Consortium)
• Higher Ed Jobs
• Inside Higher Education
• Linked In (by request of manager or upon
recommendation of TAS)
• Most jobs are pulled automatically to Indeed, Simply
Hired and Glassdoor, as well as, some other aggregate
sites
• Other sites or publications are discussed with hiring
manager. Payment for these sites is by the
department
• Terrier Temps

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Maximizing Posting Descriptions
• Use conventional job titles
• Keep abbreviations in mind
• Write job responsibilities using action verbs
• Include time and travel requirements
• Differentiate the requirements i.e. preferred skills,
required skills
• Consider the length of the job description

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Establishing job competencies (skills, behaviors and attitudes)
Reviewing candidate materials
Preparing questions
Interviewing the candidate

STAGE TWO: INTERVIEWING

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Establishing Job Competencies
• Outcomes
- What do you want this person to accomplish?
• Skills
- What actual skills and knowledge must a person possess to
achieve the desired outcomes?
• Experience
- What experience is necessary?
- What experience is helpful, but not absolutely necessary?
• Organizational Alignment
- What does the specific environment of this position require?
- What personal characteristics are helpful in being successful
in this position?

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What to Look for in a Resume
• Signs of achievement
• Specific results
• Transferable skills and experiences
• Appropriate education and work background
• Continuity and duration of employment
• Gaps in time
• Unclear, incomplete or conflicting information
• Large numbers of relocation
• Job changes that do not indicate advancement
• Accuracy in spelling, grammar and format

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Lawful or Unlawful Quiz

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Lawful/Unlawful
• Gender
• Sexual Orientation or Sexual Identity
• Genetic Information
• Race
• Color
• National Origin
• Religion
• Age
• Disability
• Convictions
• Status in Military
• Marital or Parental Status

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Types of Interview Questions
• Behavioral
• Situational
• Rapport Building
• Open-ended
• Closed
• Contrary evidence

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 Behavioral interviewing
The single best predictor
of future behavior
is past behavior!

Ask for specific examples which show what the

candidate has done in the past and what he/she would
do in the future.

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Behavioral Interviewing
• A person’s past performance
• A person’s motivations, thought process, decision
making process, assessment of situations, problem-
solving skills, analytical skills and action taken
• Application of prior experience to future job-related
situations

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Example 1

Question Answer
What are your strengths? I think I’m a hard worker.

Behavioral
Tell me about a project that required you to put in some
extra effort to meet a deadline.

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ASK BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

“Tell me about a time when . . .”

you demonstrated the job criteria
we’re interested in.

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How to Start the Questions
• Tell me about a time when you exhibited ……
• Give me an example of a time when you had to ….
• Describe a situation in which….
• Describe a time when you had a particular difficult
situation with a customer and what you did to handle
that
• Tell me about a work situation where you had to….. and
what you did to do that
• Have you ever had to….? Tell me about…and how you
handled it
• Let’s say you encounter the following situation….how
would you deal with it?

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Use STAR to Ask a Behavioral Question

Situation/Task = The background or context in which the person acted

ST Action = What the person did in the situation

Result = The effects of the person’s actions

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Situational Interviewing Questions
• This is when the candidate may not have the actual
experience you are looking for
• You want to “see”:
- How the candidate would assess the situation
- Their thought process in resolving the situation

• If you were to develop a program for our department,

what would you do?
• You have multiple tasks to accomplish. How would
you prioritize the tasks?

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Effective Questioning Techniques
• Rapport building questions
- Do you think it will ever stop raining?
• Open-ended questions
- What do you like about your current job?
• Closed questions
- How many years have you worked in healthcare?

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Effective Questioning Techniques
• Contrary evidence questions
- You mentioned you work hard to build your customer
service team. Can you tell me about a time when it
didn’t work?
• Silence
- It’s okay. Take some time to think about it before you
answer.

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Interview Agenda
• Greet candidate • Give candidate opportunity
• Establish rapport to ask Questions
• Set agenda for the day • Describe job & organization
• Announce note-taking • Ask for references that
• Prepare questions verify job performance
• Probe to clarify • Describe interview process
understanding (& highlight next steps)
• Escort candidate out
• Private Location, free from
interruptions

* Adopted from “Selection Process: Sample How To’s and Tools for Success” by HR Consultant Donna Angelico

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Take Notes
• Inform the candidate that you will take notes
• Write down positives and negatives
• Use key words and phrases to remember
• Code key facts with *
• After interview - evaluate behaviors
• Make sure your conclusions have supporting examples

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The Do’s of Interviewing
Do ask all candidates the same questions
Do use the Interview Guide
Do find out type of work environment/management
style candidate prefers
Do engage multiple members of current staff for
interviewing

What questions can you ask in an interview?

1. Would I ask all candidates this question?
2. Is it relevant to the job they will be performing?
3. Does it have the effect of being discriminatory?

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At the End of the Interview
• Review notes to see if you need any more information
• Provide an overview of position and role in organization
• DO NOT provide feedback that could be interpreted as
an implied promise of employment
• Verify that candidate is interested in position
• Elicit questions and provide answers
• Explain interview process and next steps
• Thank the candidate for coming
• Escort the candidate to the next interviewer

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Evaluating objectively
Checking References
Making the contingent job offer
Conducting the Background Check

STAGE THREE: SELECTION

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Evaluate Candidates
• Understand selection criteria in advance
• Complete assessment while interview is fresh in mind
• Assess candidate’s responses in all selection areas
• Compare to skill proficiency levels
• Base conclusions on facts, examples and observations
• Identify strengths and limitations in each area
• Note areas of weakness or weak data for discussion
• Participate in interview team discussion

* Adopted from “Selection Process: Sample How To’s and Tools for Success”
by HR Consultant Donna Angelico

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Staying Objective in Evaluating Candidates
• Central tendency
• Evaluator consistency
• First impressions
• Halo/Horn effect
• Leniency/severity
• Similar-to-me

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The Selection Process
Component Steps
 
Prepare the • Notify Talent Acquisition Specialist when approaching a
job offer finalist(s) 
  • If external candidate, Talent Acquisition will reach out to
schedule HR Interview 
• Discuss details of the offer with your TAS and if applicable with
Business/Finance office i.e. salary expectations, start date, etc.
• Manager needs to complete the Position Offer Detail Form
Check • Reference checks can be done by manager or TAS; part of TAS
References Service Level Agreement
• Complete at least two external references
• If internal finalist, the finalist’s direct Supervisor must supply
you with a written reference, which should then be forwarded
to your Talent Acquisition Specialist
• Use Reference Check Form – a written summary must be sent to
HR

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The Selection Process
Component Steps
 
Make the • Only Human Resources can extend an offer of employment
contingent job • The Contingent Offer is pending Background Check
offer • HR will submit the Background Check 

Conduct • Background checks must be conducted for all employees - may

Background take up to 2 weeks
Check • Certain positions may require CORI/SORI checks
• Plan accordingly!
• Finalist cannot start in the position until the background check
is completed and approved by HR
 

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If Candidate Doesn’t Accept the Position
Determine with Talent Acquisition Specialist:
• To offer the position to your #2 candidate
• Reassess the candidate pool and invite new people in
for interviews
• Reassess the job description

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If Candidate Accepts the Position
• Notify in person interview candidates that they were
not selected
• Send your Talent Acquisition Specialist:
• List of candidates you personally notified to prevent
duplicate communications
• EEO information for the position (gender and race) of
all those who were interviewed
• Contact new hire to welcome and confirm start date
• Prepare Onboarding process
- Communications: inform staff of the employee’s arrival
- Logistics: work space, office supplies, computer
equipment
- Plan or Schedule: training, first day activities

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Preparing before the employee starts
University orientation
Department orientation

STAGE FOUR: ONBOARDING

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Why is Onboarding Important?
Providing a welcoming, collegial, and professional
environment, as well as, the tools and resources is
necessary to ensure a new hire’s success at BU.

• Provides information about the university’s culture

• Covers compliance items such as policies and required
new hire paperwork
• Gives clarity to the position and performance
expectations
• Ensures a connection between colleagues, the
department and the university

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Stages of Onboarding
• Prior to employee’s arrival
• Inform staff of the employee’s arrival
• Set up and clean the new employee’s office space
• Work with IT to obtain and set up computer equipment
• Day One
• New Hire Orientation
• Tour of the building/office/facilities
• Check in with new hire to review work schedule, dress code,
office protocol
• Week One
• Introduce the new employee to staff
• Establish access to appropriate computing resources,
electronic files, copier, fax machines
• Review the position description

Resource: Onboarding on www.bu.edu

http://www.bu.edu/hr/manager-resources/onboarding/orienting-your-new-e
mployee
/
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Onboarding System – Red Carpet

New Hire New Hire sets New Hire

receives up BU login receives access
to Onboarding
invitation, name & portal for task
once hired into Kerberos list, policies &
SAP password forms

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University Orientation
• Monday mornings
• Charles River and Medical Campus
• 3 hours
• Sample Agenda:
• Benefits
• University Overview
• BU Works
• Terrier Card

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 Thank you

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