I found a perfect candidate — do I need to interview others? by Alison Green on March 27, 2024 A reader writes: I recently posted a position that’s a bit above entry-level. People from various backgrounds could do well in the role, but I had a pretty specific profile in mind when I wrote the job description. I was thinking I’ll never find someone who checks all these boxes, but I did! This person […] Read the full article →
how can we get people to stop applying for every open position we have? by Alison Green on March 20, 2024 A reader writes: My organization receives hundreds of applications from candidates looking to fill our vacant positions. Hiring can be a very time-consuming process. How can I get applicants to stop applying if we have already declined them multiple times? There are various reasons for this. Some of the applicants have had negative references and […] Read the full article →
should we hire a candidate who’s unhappy with the salary? by Alison Green on December 18, 2023 A reader writes: We’re looking for a temp to come in and cover one of my colleagues, Melissa, who is going on extended medical leave for six months. The staffing agency has sent us lots of candidates, but only one of them had the skills we were looking for. Anne has a few years of […] Read the full article →
should I warn job candidates that we don’t give raises? by Alison Green on November 20, 2023 A reader writes: My organization recently replaced merit increases with capped bonuses. While I think this is a bad policy and I’m pushing back on it, in the meantime I’m concerned about my responsibility to new hires. I would never have thought to ask about this as a candidate. I’m hiring a new junior staff […] Read the full article →
this is how to be a good interviewer by Alison Green on November 14, 2023 So, you’ve been asked to interview someone, and you’re not sure where to start. Maybe it’s your first time on the interviewer’s side of the desk, or maybe you’ve hired before with less than desirable results. Maybe you’ve been faced with bad interviewers yourself and you want to avoid making someone else suffer through that […] Read the full article →
we ask job candidates, “what salary would it take to turn up happy every day?” by Alison Green on October 11, 2023 A reader writes: I work for a law firm and have significant input in hiring (including interviewing candidates). I have a question about how we talk about salary with candidates. None of the job ads we publish specify a salary range. They say something like, “We have no fixed salary for the position, but intend […] Read the full article →
an entry-level candidate with no experience wants an above-market salary by Alison Green on August 14, 2023 A reader writes: I am hiring someone for an entry-level position. It is meant for someone straight out of college and new to the field who is interested in learning a lot, meeting loads of highly connected people, and launching a potentially awesome career. I’ve set the salary to be a little above what other […] Read the full article →
how do I tell job applicants that their parents are hurting their chances? by Alison Green on August 2, 2023 A reader writes: I recruit for a large company that staffs festivals, conventions, and sporting events. A lot of our applicants are young university graduates or recent high school graduates, ranging from 18-21. Our younger candidates will have their parent(s) call on their behalf, asking why an application is taking so long, why they didn’t […] Read the full article →
can we ask job candidates to follow our scent-free policy at interviews? by Alison Green on July 20, 2023 A reader writes: The admin team at the front of our office is very sensitive to strong smells (good or bad). Our company is currently hiring for an off-site position, but the interviews are happening in our office. The last few candidates who have come in for interviews have been bathed in perfume, to the […] Read the full article →
how can I get better at spotting talent in people different than me? by Alison Green on June 26, 2023 A reader writes: I like to think I’m pretty good at judging technical abilities, but I’m wondering if I’m actually only looking for the cues that people like me (male/western culture) show. If so, I’m wondering how I can get better. Here’s the situation that makes me wonder: At a recent technical conference, we gave […] Read the full article →