The Attrition Condition in the ARM Industry

Have a clearly defined job description.

It is more important then ever to have a clearly defined job description, including job functions, previous experience requirements (to include specific industry experience), must-haves, should-haves, and a clearly defined expectations list which should include how the position will ultimately improve company performance.

Have a clearly defined interviewing process.

Make sure that your company has a clearly defined interviewing process. In a candidate-driven marketplace, it is very important that the candidate see efficiency on the part of the potential employer, not disarray. Candidates are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them.

1. Who will be the first person to speak with the potential hire?
2. Who will be involved in the face-to-face interviews?
3. Who will make the final offer?
4. Do you have all of your benefits documents in order?
5. Do you have a new employee brochure which explains all the benefits of coming to work for your company to the potential hire?

The myth of reference checks.

Companies often ask us, as the referring recruiting firm, to conduct reference checks; or, alternately, they check references internally. We’re happy to oblige – and so should your internal HR department. This is an excellent way to increase your company’s visibility in the market place, and might lead to additional hires.

However, I’m not a big fan of the reference check's ability to assess a potential hire’s viability for a job with a particular company. For one thing, who supplies the names of references? The candidate. And he isn’t likely to name an individual who didn’t think highly of him. I am more inclined to work with candidate I have knowledge of (most of our candidates we have known for years) or someone who has been referred to me by a trusted source. Only after thoroughly screening a candidate will I feel comfortable with referring her to a position. If you make a bad hire, it’s not a problem with the referral source or the reference check, it’s a problem with your internal hiring process and how you evaluated your new hire’s ability to perform within your company.

It is often the company who moves most swiftly that has the first victory in hiring the best available talent; however that is winning the battle. Winning the war is hiring the right candidate in the shortest amount of time.

If you would like to discuss you hiring process I’m always available through insideARM.

John Fiumano is CEO of Executive Alliance, a strategic partner of Kaulkin Ginsberg, and a leading national recruitment firm that specializes in the debt collection and accounts receivable management industry.