Employer Recruiting Practices Survey Results

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Employer Recruiting Practices Survey Results

• Funding Provided by
• MWACE Steele Grant Award

Survey Conducted by Saint Louis
University Career Services
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Purpose

• To survey local and midwest employers about their
  recruiting preferences, in order to provide a
  summary report on best interview and job seeking
  practices to students who are internship or
  job-seeking, and to respondents of this survey
  upon request.

Presenters Kathy Day Carol Lunning August 4,
2004
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Preferred Method to Receive Resumes Cover
Letters
(Select only one)

• E-mailed with cover letter as body resume as
  attachment

• E-mailed with both documents as attachments

• Online application

• No preference

• Mailed in 9x12 envelope

Number of Employers who selected this answer
4
Most Important Things to Lookfor in a Resume
(Select up to three)

• Work or internship experience (222)
• Specific major or degree (140)
• Summary of qualifications (120)
• Accomplishments (107)
• Clear Objective (58)
• Extra-curricular involvement (54)
• GPA (53)

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Complaints Regarding Resumes
(Select up to three)
Poor style or format
More than one page
Errors (spelling, grammar, etc.)
Lack of or unclear objective
Missing or unclear dates
Unprofessional looking
Lack of or unrelated experience
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1 Complaint Regarding Cover Letters

• No clear connection between job requirements and
  candidates qualifications (92)
• Poorly written (60)
• Errors (spelling, grammar, etc.) (48)
• Lack of cover letter (29)
• Cover letter more than one page (17)

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What Influences Your Decision to Invite a
Candidate for an Interview?
(Select up to three)
Follow-up contact from candidate 51
Academic Accomplishments 60
Relevant work or internship experience 236
Cover letter directed to specific job 83
Referral from someone within the company 94
Education that matches the job 154
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What makes a candidate stand out most in an
interview?
(Select up to three)

• Personality that seems to fit position and team

• Answers that include thoughtful examples

• Sincere, passionate interest in the position

• Poised and professional attitude

• Providing evidence / an example of intelligence
  or ability to learn

Number of Employers who selected this answer
9
What makes a candidate stand out most in an
interview?cont

• Knowledge of company / organization

• Thoughtful questions to the interviewer

• Professional dress

• Direct and appropriate eye contact

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Is Telephone Screening Part of your Interviewing
Process?
Always 106
Sometimes 145
Never 24
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How Important do you Consider a Thank You Note in
your Decision to Hire?
Very Important 34
Important 88
Unimportant 28
Neutral 122
Very Unimportant 3
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In What Format do you Prefer a Post-Interview
Thank You Note?
(Select only one)
Hand-written 84
Follow-up phone call 1
No Preference 133
E-mailed 38
Prefer not to receive one 4
Typed 15
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Preferred Method of Recruiting Entry-level
Candidates
(Select up to three)

• Referrals

• Career Fairs

• Internships / Co-ops

• On-campus recruiting (interviews)

• Internal / company websites

• External websites (Monster, HotJobs, etc)

Number of Employers who selected this answer
14
Minimum Number of Interviews you Typically
Conduct, Before Making an Offer to a Candidate
One 20
Two 113
Three 91
Four 24
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Do You Ever Conduct Long-Distance Interviews Via
Videoconferencing?
Yes 28
No 165
Not currently, but may in the future 82
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What is Your Favorite Interview Question?
Major Categories

• Behavioral
• Analytical
• Strengths / Accomplishments
• Knowledge of Organization / Position
• Challenges / Areas for Development
• Who are you?

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Behavioral-Based Questions

• Give me an example of a time when you failed.
  What did you learn from it, and how did you apply
  that knowledge in a future situation?
• Give me a situation where in order to solve a
  problem you had to find a unique solution.
• Describe a difficult co-worker. Include why you
  consider them difficult and tell me how you work
  with that person.

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Analytical Questions

• Why are manhole covers round?
• What part of a car would you like to be and
  why?
• What are the key elements to being successful
  in a career?
• If you were the employer and could only make
  one job offer, which one of your classmates
  would you hire and why?

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Strengths / Accomplishments

• How do you feel your experience has prepared
  you for a leadership role with our company?
• What has been your greatest accomplishment in
  life?
• What strengths do you bring to this position?
• What teambuilding and people development skills
  do you feel you possess?
• What qualities will you bring to our company
  that will help us improve?

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Knowledge of Organization / Position

• Have you visited our website?
• What do you know about our company /
  organization?
• How does your work, educational, and volunteer
  / internship experience relate to this position?
• Why are you interested in this particular
  position within our company?

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Challenges / Areas for Development

• Tell me about a stressful situation and how you
  handled it.
• Tell me about a time when you made a mistake on
  the job, how you handled it, and what you
  learned from it.
• Tell me about a job / task that you did not
  find challenging or stimulating. How did you
  keep yourself motivated?
• Give me an example of an area in which you
  would like to improve.

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Who Are You?

• How would you describe yourself in 5 words or
  phrases?
• Nobody is perfect, but if there is something
  you could change about yourself, what would it
  be and why?
• If I were to contact a prior supervisor, how
  would he / she describe you as an employee?
• Why should I hire you instead of one of the
  other applicants for this position?
• What are your long-term career goals?

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Advice to candidates applying for a position with
your company

• BE
• Confident and enthusiastic
• On time
• Prepared and professional
• Yourself
• Honest
• Assertive

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• DO
• Research about the company / organization
• Show respect to the interviewer
• Focus on your field of interest
• Give examples of leadership roles
• Follow up
• Relax
• Ask questions
• Dress professionally

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• HAVE
• Passion for the position
• Previous experience
• Extra copies of your resume and cover letter
• A list of references
• Evidence of work or class assignments that
  relate to the position

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• KNOW
• Your target position
• Details about the position
• What qualifications are required
• Your strengths
• How to think outside the box
• What you are getting into before you commit
• Where you want to work and why you are a good
  fit

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• SHOW
• Accurate dates of employment
• A real interest in the position
• A clear and concise objective
• A positive attitude and
• maintain eye contact
• How you can be an asset to the company

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• Additional Advice
• Practice interviewing
• Provide thorough but concise answers to
  questions
• Provide all information necessary to be
  considered as a candidate

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Conducting SurveysLessons Learned

• Start Early!
• Prepare a timeline budget
• Get IRB Certified
• (check with your institution for requirements
• Determine purpose of survey and use it as a
  guide in developing questions

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Lessons Learned Cont

• Plan distribution of survey and collection of
  data
• (letters, e-mails, etc.)
• Update incorrect mail and e-mail addresses
• Analyze and compile data
• Publish and distribute findings
• (booklets, website, etc.)

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Acknowledgements
Kim Reitter James Buck Assistance in developing
survey questions Ellen Steichen,
Intern Developing powerpoint presentation Career
Services Student Staff Additional survey
assistance
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Contact Information
Carol Lunning, Assistant Director, Career
Services Lunningcd_at_slu.edu Kathy Day Director,
MBA Graduate Business Programs Dayka_at_slu.edu SL
U Career Services Office Phone [phone]
Website Careers.slu.edu
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• Thank you for your participation.
• Please remember to complete the
• session evaluation.