BUILDING YOUR TEAMBEFORE THEY ARRIVE

The University of AlabamaW. Michael George, University Registrar

Teresa Faulkner, Human ResourcesSACRAO 2015

Answer:

You want talentedemployees who will

represent your department well and fit into your

culture.

So what are you going to do?

Prepare for your candidates and the interview process the same way you would

prepare for and serve your customers!

“Take your time on the front end so that you can enjoy having the

RIGHT PEOPLE on your team.”-David Cottrell

• Position descriptions, the Job Analysis, (KSAs)

• Past Job Behavior = Future Job Performance

• Training the Interview Team – (legal matters, etc.)

• The STAR Method - Situation, Task, Action & Result

• Jumpstarting Onboarding Process

PREPARE• Develop your plan: – timeline, data, systems, marketing, approvals,

team• Create/Update: – job description, duties and task list, week at-a-

glance guide, “culture caption”• Communicate: – post position, tap into employee networks,

connect efficiently and appropriately with applicants/candidates (before, during and after)

Just as you are evaluating the applicant, they are evaluating you. Prepare for, communicate with, and welcome them appropriately – online, face-to-face, etc. throughout the process.

TOOLS• Position/Job Description– Use this information to build your interview

questions, develop activities, etc.

• Behavioral Based Interviewing (STAR)– Use a proven method/technique

• Interview Team– Equip your team with legal and effective interview

skills and techniques

STAR MethodSituation or

Task

Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Action you took

Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did -- not the efforts of the team. Don't tell what you might do, tell what you did.

Results you achieved

What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

 

PLAN (Ahead)• Orientation and Onboarding Strategies

– Consider your organization and develop an orientation and onboarding plan for the First Day, First Week, First Month….First Year for your new hire. This should go from specific to broad and involve a technical orientation as well as a socialization component.

• What might that look like?–Welcome– Technical– Team

• You become an Employer of Choice• Future job searches will be successful• The best equipped applicants are hired to

represent your department• What else?

What are the Benefits of Building Your Team Before They Arrive