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“Companies that are successful at recruiting and retaining staff are those who treat their staff with respect,” explains Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO of the Manhattan-based recruiting and consulting firm Hurwitz Strategic Staffing. “It’s as simple as that!”

In reviewing the actual hiring process, Hurwitz notes, “Candidates should have a series of interviews. They should be interviewed by HR, the department head under whom they will be working, and subsequently, other members of the department and peers from other departments. If all goes well, the final stop should be the department head’s supervisor and the CEO of the company, or at least some C-level executive. If the company is small enough, it should be the president/owner.”

“Of course, while in the end an interview comes down to personality, it is critical to ask the right questions and to be open and honest with the candidate,” Hurwitz advises. “While proprietary information need not be shared, candidates must know what is expected of them, what the short- and long-term goals are, and be given an honest appraisal of the financial and business health of the company. If a new employee feels that they have been deceived, they’ll quit almost immediately so as not to ‘damage’ their resume,” he warns. “Additionally, employers should address the issue of promoting from within to emphasis career growth.”

Hurwitz says that interviews are “dialogues, not monologues.” “Candidates do have the right to ask questions. In fact, some have lost offers because of the low quality of their questions or the fact that they asked none,” he recalls. But the onus, of course, is on the employer. “Perhaps the most important question, other than ‘Why do you want to work here?’ which provides an indication of the candidate’s marketing skills is, ‘Why did you leave your previous jobs and why do you want to leave your present one?’ The answer is not as important as the way the answer is given. ‘I couldn’t stand my colleagues,’ and ‘It just wasn’t a good match,’ may mean the same thing but they are totally different.”

“An interviewer wants a candidate who can explain a negative in a positive way,” he continues. For example, “The corporate culture was not for me. I need a professional environment where departments work together to reach goals. Don’t get me wrong, they are good people who do good work. I just like structure because I believe structure leads to positive initiatives and innovation.” “The way a candidate answers tough questions about himself is the best indication of how they will communicate with clients or customers about tough issues,” Hurwitz explains.

If a decision is reached to make an offer, “references must be checked,” Hurwitz warns. “The key issues to confirm are: Is the candidate a problem solver? A leader? A team player? How does the candidate handle stress? What examples are there of the candidate going above and beyond? How did the candidate grow in his position? What was his contribution to the success of the business?”

“Once the employee is hired it is imperative to nurture and excite them,” Hurwitz concludes. “Regular meetings should be held to make certain that the employee is content, motivated and enthusiastic. The key is to listen. Permit employees to try new things. Encourage creativity. Put differently, allow employees to fail and then celebrate, literally, what was learned and how that education will save the company money. And, of course, praise success. ‘Praise’ does not necessarily mean a check. A handshake and pat on the back from the boss, in front of peers, can go a long way.”

Bruce A. Hurwitz, Ph.D., is president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing.  An executive recruiter and career counselor, Hurwitz serves both the non-profit and corporate sectors.  The mission of his company is to promote the hiring of veterans.

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