Business

3 Qualities to Look for When Hiring New Employees

Published

4 years ago

January 19, 2021

You’re hiring a new executive position at your firm. There’s a shortlist of five stellar candidates — compact with impressive experience, education, and references — that are about to engage in separate secondary interviews within the coming days. How do you make the right decision? They all made it to the second round of interviews due to their high qualifications and excellent interview skills, so how can you possibly choose just one individual?

There’s no denying that making the final hiring decision can be a challenge. However, if you can find the following three qualities in a candidate, in addition to relevant experience and skillset, you’ve got yourself the right person for the job.

1. Emotional Intelligence

You’re looking for someone who can think quickly on their feet, is a problem-solver, and can effectively communicate with peers. What some hiring committees forget to consider is whether or not a candidate conveys emotional intelligence. Would this person show empathy to colleagues? How would they react to a stressful situation? You want someone who’s not only devoted to producing excellent work but also someone level-headed with interpersonal skills. Ask candidates why they believe they’ve been successful in their careers thus far. The people who thank a mentor or previous manager are the ones you’ll want to get to know because their answer shows they see outside of their egos.

2. Confidence

To identify top talent in your candidate pool, you must look for individuals with high self-esteem and confidence. Confidence shows that they’re happy with themselves and could handle learning a brand new position without experiencing self-doubt. It also shows that they could positively carry themselves in an office full of new faces. You’ll want to stay away from those who appear insecure because such individuals are generally more hesitant at work. If someone is very nervous during the interview, let them know that they’re in a safe space and try to calm them down by saying that you understand and have been in their shoes. If they continue to exhibit signs of insecurity, you might want to move on to the next candidate.

3. Knowledge of the Company

If a person has made it to the second round of interviews, then they must have made it clear that they’ve researched the company on some level. But how much do they actually know? Of course, you don’t expect anyone to know precise figures from your last annual report (although it wouldn’t help if the position is in finance), but they should have a solid understanding of your mandate and trajectory. As you listen to answers, pay attention and see if they align with the company’s values and mission.

Seek Extra Help from a Recruitment Agency

Many organizations work with professional recruiters to help them find the best employees. When you work with a recruitment agency, you don’t have to spend days sifting through resumes and interviewing. A recruiter will handle the entire hiring process for you. There’s also less risk of hiring the wrong person because an agency has the hiring experience and access to exclusive talent.

Hiring is never easy, but by working with an agency and focusing on the right qualities, you’ll find the best candidate in no time.

Business

Carry On Canadian Business. Carry On!

Published

2 days ago

October 22, 2024

Steven Kaszab

Human Resources Officers must be very busy these days what with the general turnover of employees in our retail and business sectors. It is hard enough to find skilled people let alone potential employees willing to be trained. Then after the training, a few weeks go by then they come to you and ask for a raise. You refuse as there simply is no excess money in the budget and away they fly to wherever they come from, trained but not willing to put in the time to achieve that wanted raise.

I have had potentials come in and we give them a test to see if they do indeed know how to weld, polish or work with wood. 2-10 we hire, and one of those is gone in a week or two. Ask that they want overtime, and their laughter leaving the building is loud and unsettling. Housing starts are doing well but way behind because those trades needed to finish a project simply don’t come to the site, with delay after delay. Some people’s attitudes are just too funny. A recent graduate from a Ivy League university came in for an interview. The position was mid-management potential, but when we told them a three month period was needed and then they would make the big bucks they disappeared as fast as they arrived.

Government agencies are really no help, sending us people unsuited or unwilling to carry out the jobs we offer. Handing money over to staffing firms whose referrals are weak and ineffectual. Perhaps with the Fall and Winter upon us, these folks will have to find work and stop playing on the golf course or cottaging away. Tried to hire new arrivals in Canada but it is truly difficult to find someone who has a real identity card and is approved to live and work here. Who do we hire? Several years ago my father’s firm was rocking and rolling with all sorts of work. It was a summer day when the immigration officers arrived and 30+ employees hit the bricks almost immediately. The investigation that followed had threats of fines thrown at us by the officials. Good thing we kept excellent records, photos and digital copies. We had to prove the illegal documents given to us were as good as the real McCoy.

Restauranteurs, builders, manufacturers, finishers, trades-based firms, and warehousing are all suspect in hiring illegals, yet that becomes secondary as Toronto increases its minimum wage again bringing our payroll up another $120,000. Survival in Canada’s financial and business sectors is questionable for many. Good luck Chuck!. at least your carbon tax refund check should be arriving soon.

Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca

Business

Imperial to cut prices in NWT community after low river prevented resupply by barges

Published

2 days ago

October 22, 2024

Anne Joseph

NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Imperial Oil says it will temporarily reduce its fuel prices in a Northwest Territories community that has seen costs skyrocket due to low water on the Mackenzie River forcing the cancellation of the summer barge resupply season.

Imperial says in a Facebook post it will cut the air transportation portion that’s included in its wholesale price in Norman Wells for diesel fuel, or heating oil, from $3.38 per litre to $1.69 per litre, starting Tuesday.

The air transportation increase, it further states, will be implemented over a longer period.

It says Imperial is closely monitoring how much fuel needs to be airlifted to the Norman Wells area to prevent runouts until the winter road season begins and supplies can be replenished.

Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month.

Norman Wells’ town council declared a local emergency on humanitarian grounds last week as some of its 700 residents said they were facing monthly fuel bills coming to more than $5,000.

“The wholesale price increase that Imperial has applied is strictly to cover the air transportation costs. There is no Imperial profit margin included on the wholesale price. Imperial does not set prices at the retail level,” Imperial’s statement on Monday said.

The statement further said Imperial is working closely with the Northwest Territories government on ways to help residents in the near term.

“Imperial Oil’s decision to lower the price of home heating fuel offers immediate relief to residents facing financial pressures. This step reflects a swift response by Imperial Oil to discussions with the GNWT and will help ease short-term financial burdens on residents,” Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, said in a news release Monday.

Wawzonek also noted the Territories government has supported the community with implementation of a fund supporting businesses and communities impacted by barge cancellations. She said there have also been increases to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy in Norman Wells, and continued support for heating costs for eligible Income Assistance recipients.

Additionally, she said the government has donated $150,000 to the Norman Wells food bank.

In its declaration of a state of emergency, the town said the mayor and council recognized the recent hike in fuel prices has strained household budgets, raised transportation costs, and affected local businesses.

It added that for the next three months, water and sewer service fees will be waived for all residents and businesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

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Business

U.S. vote has Canadian business leaders worried about protectionist policies: KPMG

Published

2 days ago

October 22, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – A new report says many Canadian business leaders are worried about economic uncertainties related to the looming U.S. election.

The survey by KPMG in Canada of 735 small- and medium-sized businesses says 87 per cent fear the Canadian economy could become “collateral damage” from American protectionist policies that lead to less favourable trade deals and increased tariffs

It says that due to those concerns, 85 per cent of business leaders in Canada polled are reviewing their business strategies to prepare for a change in leadership.

The concerns are primarily being felt by larger Canadian companies and sectors that are highly integrated with the U.S. economy, such as manufacturing, automotive, transportation and warehousing, energy and natural resources, as well as technology, media and telecommunications.

Shaira Nanji, a KPMG Law partner in its tax practice, says the prospect of further changes to economic and trade policies in the U.S. means some Canadian firms will need to look for ways to mitigate added costs and take advantage of potential trade relief provisions to remain competitive.

Both presidential candidates have campaigned on protectionist policies that could cause uncertainty for Canadian trade, and whoever takes the White House will be in charge during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

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