An economic downturn is inevitable. You never know when change is coming. When experiencing recession or two consecutive quarters of negative G.N.P growth can shake all enterprises’ department from operations and management to finances, and to human resources. When such happens, large corporations and small companies alike tighten their means including reorganizing their staffing. Some companies reduce staff members, others may implement a “hiring freeze,” others may try to look at hiring people internally with credible work background experience, or outsource jobs to freelancers or “virtual employees.”
After an economic recession, it is recognizable that the job market is also making adjustments. Before, companies outsource part of their business (e.g. customer service department) offshore to minimize cost. Now, after the recent global recession, companies outsource employees through virtual assistance programs online to continuously save on their company expenditures. In fact, this trend has spun a lot of attention from professionals wanting to earn more and companies wanting to save more.
True to the fact, the job market adapts to the current situation; always making an opportunity to uncontrollable shortcomings. And it is not just the industry that faces the challenges of recession and the effect of it. The companies, too, are experiencing it. Which is why the employed and the job seekers have treated the downturn as an opportunity to be versatile in the workplace.
As an officer in-charge of recruitment, finding the right person for a job requires more than a comprehensive resume. It also matters that you are able to interview an applicant not just on what is written in his resume but what he can do or contribute for your company.
Career objectives, scholastic records, academic achievements, skills, work history and character reference: these are the points in which you look for when searching for that right candidate. But how do you sort the good catch?
Finding the right candidate in this populated job market is to find someone who has a Vision. He should be able to envision himself as part of the company by helping it grow – by contributing what he knows and what he does best. Aside from his visions, he should possess a sense of Initiation. He should be the type of person who needs less supervision, thus he can manage his own time (Time Management) and tasks and deliver it in due time (Project Management). You might also want to look at how he deals with people. Check his resume if he’s part of any organizations. People involved socially are friendly people. They tend to be optimistic and can blend with different personalities. A person with social skills is not only an asset for your company, but they will also serve as an ice-breaker when work stress sets in. And lastly, of course, you need someone who is highly-skilled to perform the responsibilities the job entails. As this is the most crucial part of finding the right candidate, you must assess his employment history and previous work background.
Sometimes, I get fascinated that a person can be a writer and a graphic artist at the same time, or a skilled bookkeeper who knows how to troubleshoot a computer malfunction. So when interviewing an applicant, I always ask if he has other skills not written in his resume – this way I get insights about his personality.
