Companies are in constant search for high-caliber, well grounded prospective candidates.

Chasing competent and trustworthy talent has become an urge in today’s highly competitive job market. As a matter of fact, a recent study from Harvard University has recently reported that 80% of employee turnover is attributed to mistakes made during the hiring process, that is employing the wrong people to the wrong positions.

It is mainly within the interviewer’s ability to avoid such dilemmas by following a few essential guidelines during the interview and placing the right questions in the right places.

Tip 1: Know what the job is about: More often than not, interviewers tend to commit the mistake of not being abreast of the job requirements and thus rely on their rudimentary gut feel to decide whether a candidate is suitable for the position or not. Do not fly by gut instinct alone; instead prepare your questions in advance and learn everything there is to learn about both the specific position (by taking the time to read through the job description thoroughly) and the candidate (by taking the time to review his/her resume) before the interview stage.

Tip 2: Offer the information you have about the position. Do not wait for the candidate to ask. Sell him both your company and the position itself. It has become quite hard to find talented, efficient, committed employees nowadays and your role as an interviewer requires you to lay the facts on the table and explain to the candidate why you should be the employer of his/her choice and why the position is the long awaited position that will grant him/her long term success and career advancement.

Tip 3: Follow a behavioral interviewing technique rather than the traditional interviewing path: Dig deep into the candidate’s accomplishments rather than merely glossing over the candidate’s stated skills and capabilities. This technique accentuates past performance and behavior, and there is no better indicator of future performance than past performance. Let go of customary questions (i.e.: tell me more about you, your strengths and your weaknesses, etc…) and hypothetical questions (what would you do if…) and focus more on getting further into the details of previous actual work experience relating to decision making skills, leadership, resourcefulness, organization, communication, motivation, resilience and willingness to learn (i.e.: Did you face obstacles on the job? How did you handle them? Etc…)

Tip 4: Use open-ended questions when you are interviewing a candidate and give him/her the time he/she needs to give you an answer. Silence can be an effective tool in such situations and can work to everybody’s advantage. Do not hustle the interviewee with the next question on your list but rather give him/her the opportunity and the time to think before he/she responds.

Tip 5: Remember that your role as an effective interviewer urges you to listen more and talk less (interviewers are usually expected and advised to talk for about 20 to 30% of the total interview time and leave the rest for the interviewee). Give your candidate the opportunity to talk about his/her competencies, skills and qualifications.

Tip 6: Watch your body language:

a) Posture: Make sure your shoulders are kept straight and your head up high. A solid posture reveals great self confidence (which assures the interviewee that you’re on top of what you’re doing).

b) Hand shake: A firm hand shake shows interest and extends value to the interviewee. Remember to greet your candidate with a steady courteous hand shake.

c) Tone of Voice: Speak clearly, slowly with an enthusiastic tone of voice. This will put your candidate at ease and reassure him/her that they are in good hands.

d) Eye Contact: Maintain direct eye contact with the interviewee during the interview process. Strong eye contact is usually perceived by interviewees not only as interest, respect and self confidence but also as credibility and trustworthiness from both your part and your company’s.

Last but not least, remember that being professional at all times is a must. You obviously have to ensure your candidate is comfortable enough to want to sit and talk to you and later on become part of your team (especially if he is the right candidate for the job). Be friendly but still maintain your professionalism. Do not indulge in excessive small talk, rather focus on work- related information. Remember the interview process is a two-way street: the candidate will be assessing you and your company just as mush as you will be assessing him/her and his/her capabilities. Always allot some time to answer his/her questions and concerns before wrapping up the interview!

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The end of the year is a good time to review your company’s holiday pay practices. This article answers common questions regarding holiday pay-related issues in the United States.

Must an employer provide employees time off on holidays?

No. There is no Federal law that requires an employer to provide time off, paid or otherwise, to employees on nationally recognized holidays.

Must an employer accommodate an employee’s observance of a religious holiday?

An employer is obligated to provide reasonable accommodation for the religious practices of its employees, unless it can show that the accommodation would result in undue hardship for its business. Many employers offer a “floating holiday” in addition to the regularly scheduled holidays. This allows an employee to take time off for religious observances that are not covered by the employer’s established holiday schedule.

Courts addressing the issue of religious accommodation generally agree that unpaid time off can be a reasonable accommodation, as can allowing an employee to use a vacation day to observe a religious holiday. Generally, employers require that floating holidays be taken in the same year they are granted and do not allow these days to be carried over into the next year. Employees usually are required to give adequate advance notice of their intention to take a floating holiday.

Must holiday time off be paid?

For non-exempt (hourly) employees, no. An employer does not have to pay hourly employees for time off on a holiday. An employer is only required to pay hourly employees for time actually worked. On the other hand, exempt employees (salaried employees who do not receive overtime), who are given the day off, must be paid their full weekly salary if they work any hours during the week in which the holiday falls. This requirement for exempt employees did not change under the new federal overtime regulations.

Must paid time off be counted as hours worked in determining whether an employee is entitled to overtime?

No. If an employer provides paid holidays, it does not have to count the paid hours as hours worked for purposes of determining whether an employee is entitled to overtime compensation. An employee must actually work 40 hours in a week before he/she is eligible for overtime. Paid time off (holidays, vacation, sick leave, etc.) is not considered time worked. Note, however, that many collective bargaining agreements include additional provisions for determining overtime.

Here are more answers to common questions regarding holiday pay related practices.

May an employer attach conditions to the receipt of holiday pay?

Yes. For example, an employer may require that employees work or be on an approved leave status the day before and after a holiday in order to receive holiday pay. An employer may also require an employee to have worked for the company for a specified period of time before being eligible for holiday pay. In addition, an employer may pro-rate the amount of holiday pay due to a part-time employee. Whatever conditions apply to the receipt of holiday pay should be in writing.

Are employees who work a holiday entitled to premium pay?

No. While it is common to pay a premium to an employee who works on a holiday, there is no legal requirement to do so.

Must an employer provide the same holiday benefits to all employees?

No, as long as the basis for the different treatment is not discriminatory, i.e., based on a protected classification, such as age, race, etc. For instance, an employer can provide holiday pay only to full time and not part time employees, or to office and not “field” employees.

What if a holiday falls on an employee’s day off or when the business is closed?

While not required by law, many employers give an employee the option of taking off another day if a holiday falls on the employee’s day off. Similarly, many employers observe a holiday on the preceding Friday or the following Monday if a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday and the employer is not open for business on the weekend.

What if an employee works a compressed work week (i.e. four 10-hour days per week)?

As with employees who work a standard work week, there is no requirement that an employer provide an employee on a compressed work week schedule with paid or unpaid time off on a holiday. Employers who utilize a compressed work week have generally taken one of three approaches to eligibility for holiday pay.

Some employers pay only for holidays occurring on the employee’s regularly scheduled work day.
On the other hand, some employers allow the employee to take a “substitute” holiday on a day when he or she would otherwise have been required to work, if the holiday falls on a day the employee is not scheduled to work.
Finally, other employers prefer to have employees who work a compressed work week on the job at least four days a week and pay for the holiday even if the employee is not scheduled to work that day, thus giving the employees an extra day of pay.
As long as the employer follows its policy consistently, any approach selected by an employer is acceptable.

Salaam Vaseem,

U r doing really a gud work, my email id is "zaman.amd@gmail.com".

Thanking You,
Zaman.

Thnk you Sanjana,

could u care to tell me how well he/she can make use of HR cum Admin work exp to b a HR Pro?

Thank you,
Zaman.

Hi frndzz,

I just wanted to know, what is the future of a person working on Off-Role in a company? and

If he/she is working as HR cum ADMIN how well he/she can make a carrer in HR?

please answer in detail to the 2nd question.
Please relpy ASAP to this topic its really urgent?

Thanking you,
Zaman.

Thank You Swarna,

I will keep your points in mind thanks for ur suggestion.

Thanking you,
Zaman.

Hi frndzz,

I am plannng to setup a Palcement firm. So I am requesting you to provide me Information and useful TIPS on few points such as :

1. How to start up.
2. Set up cost.
3. Basic requriment to set up a placement firm.
4. Info on legal aspects.
5. Risk ratio.
6. Info on getting clints and Contacting formalities.

I kindly request you people to share your experince, Ideas and suggestion.

Thanking You,
Zaman.

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,

"Things aren't always what they seem"

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.

"Things aren't always what they seem,"the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it." "Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.

"Things aren't always what they seem."

Have you ever worked along side an employee who had poor personal hygiene, foul smelling clothes or breath, or an annoying personal habit like making clicking noises? Or worse, the employee drinks heavily in the evening and then exudes the smell of alcohol, often mixed with the equally fetid smell of coffee and cigarettes, all day at work?

Or, worst on the list of most challenging issues, the employee's breath and pores exude a spicy aroma that makes you ill; the employee's clothes are clean, but he or she appears to bathe infrequently, and you're positive that saying anything would be culturally insensitive. Welcome to the workplace situations from hell.

Start by reading How to Hold a Difficult Conversation for some initial insight into these challenging discussions. Then, integrate these new tips about holding difficult conversations into your feedback approach.


More Tips for Holding Difficult Conversations
Start with a soft approach to set the employee at ease, but don't beat around the bush. The employee's level of anxiety is already sky high and making more small talk while he waits for the bad news to emerge, is cruel. Once you've told him that you want to discuss a difficult topic, move right in to the topic of your difficult conversation.

Tell the employee directly what the problem is as you perceive it. If you talk around the issue or soften the impact of the issue too much, the employee may never get that the problem is serious. If you reference the problem as "some of our employees do the following," the employee may never understand that you mean him.

Whenever possible, attach the feedback to a business issue. This is not a personal vendetta; the difficult conversation has a direct business purpose. Perhaps other employees don't want to participate on his team, and you've noticed the lack of volunteers. Perhaps his appearance is affecting the perception of customers about the quality of the organization's products. Maybe, an irritating mannerism has caused a customer to request a different sales rep. Make the business purpose of the conversation clear.

You also need to let the employee know that not only is the behavior affecting the business and the employee's coworkers, it is affecting the employee's career. Express directly the impact you believe the behavior is having on the employee's potential promotions, raises, career opportunities, and relationships in the workplace.

I receive frequent emails asking me if a training solution is appropriate in these instances. The managers who write suggest that they will provide a grooming and professionalism seminar for all employees to attend. The employee with the problem, will get the message via the training. It isn't going to happen. The employee with the problem will not get that you mean him and you will have subjected countless others to training they didn't need.
I am not opposed to professionalism training, dress code training, and similar activities. I have even sponsored a fashion show to demonstrate appropriate business casual dress.

I am opposed to training as a means to correct the personal problems of individuals. The worst suggestion that I have seen recently? Train just the individuals who are perceived by organization members to have the problem. This is offensive and discriminatory. Address the issue with the employee - individually.


Be sensitive to the fact that different cultures have different norms and standards for appearance, bathing, and dress. I'd probably leave this discussion to the employee's manager, but your workplace is justified in asking employees to embrace the cultural standards of the workplace in which the employee is working. This is especially true if nonconformance to the standard is interfering with the harmony and productivity of your workplace.

Be sensitive to the difference in cooking and eating traditions, too. A woman confided to me recently that her fellow students had laughed at her and made fun of her because she always smelled like curry and garlic and other pungent spices. As a working adult, she has toned down the amount of spice in her cooking, but she was injured by the thoughtlessness for years. Heck, my own father used to regularly complain that I smelled like garlic, and he didn't mean it as a compliment; he was not fond of garlic, and I am.

If an employee has repeatedly tried to correct a hygiene issue such as bad breath, and is not making progress, suggest that the employee see a physician to determine if an underlying medical condition might be causing the problem. Your thoughtfulness could save an employee's life.

Finally, if you are the employee's supervisor, you owe it to the employee to hold the difficult conversation. Especially, if other employees have complained to you, understand that if you don't hold the difficult conversation, the employee's coworkers will.
And, they may not hold the conversation effectively with the goal of minimizing embarrassment and discomfort. A bottle of deodorant might show up on the employee's desk. Soap has been placed in employee mailboxes, in my client companies. Nasty notes have also been left in mailboxes and on chairs. None of these actions contribute to a harmonious workplace. Furthermore, the employee can justifiably charge the employer with allowing harassment and a hostile work environment.

Care enough about the employee and your productive, harmonious workplace to hold the difficult conversation.

Some years ago, three brothers left the farm to work in the city. They were all hired by the same company at the same pay. Three years later, Jim was being paid $500 a month, Frank was receiving $1,000, but George was now making $1,500.

Their father decided to visit the employer. He listened to the confused father and said, "I will let the boys explain for themselves."

Jim was summoned to the supervisor's office and was told:

"Jim, I understand the Far East Importers has just brought in a large transport plane loaded with Japanese import goods. Will you please go over to the airport and get a cargo inventory?"
Three minutes later, Jim returned to the office. "The cargo was one thousand bolts of Japanese silk," Jim reported. "I got the information over the telephone from a member of the crew."

When Jim left, Frank, the $1,000 a month brother, was called. "Frank," said the supervisor, "I wish you'd go out to the airport and get an inventory of the cargo plane which was just brought in by Far East Importers."

An hour later, Frank was back in the office with a list showing that the plane carried 1,000 bolts of Japanese silk, 500 transistor radios, and 1,000 hand painted bamboo trays. George, the $1,500 a month brother, was given identical instructions. Working hours were over when he finally returned.

"The transport plane carried one thousand bolts of Japanese silk," he began. "It was on sale at sixty dollars a bolt, so I took a two-day option on the whole lot. I have wired a designer in New York offering the silk at seventy-five dollars a bolt. I expect to have the order tomorrow. I also found five hundred transistor radios, which I sold over the telephone at a profit of $2.30 each. There were a thousand bamboo trays, but they were of poor quality, so I didn't try to do anything with them."

When George left the office, the employer smiled. "You probably noticed," he said, "that Jim doesn't do what he's told, Frank does only what he'd told, but George does without being told."

The future is full of promise for one who shows initiative.