HR Advice - ConsultingHQ
Professional Advice on common topics around Human Resource can be found on these blogs – written in accordance with legal and compliance requirements at the time of writing. If you would like personalised advice on any Human Resource related issue, please contact us.
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Why you’re likely to hire the wrong person if you don’t do proper reference checks
Reference checking is one of the most important stages in the recruitment process – but most employers either skip this step, or don’t do it properly. Tanya Gray shares her reference-checking tips to help you recruit the best applicant (and avoid expensive hiring...
Performance reviews turbo charge staff productivity
How to turbo charge staff productivity and motivation with performance reviews Have you ever driven a car with an innocent-looking button near the gear shift, labelled ‘Sport’ – or maybe just an ‘S’? Out of curiosity, you pressed the button… and whoosh! The throttle’s...
Strategic HR: Are you making the most of your team?
Are you making the most of your team? Discover how strategic HR can take your business to the next level The world is a-changing fast these days, wouldn’t you agree? Technological developments are moving at a lightning fast pace; economies rise and fall; consumers are...
Talent sourcing: Has NZ got the skilled talent your business needs?
Has New Zealand really got the skilled talent your business needs? When you’re recruiting, does the process ever remind you of a really bad talent show? Everyone you interview just doesn’t have the x-factor you’re looking for. They’re just a little bit flat, or...
Job ad writing: How to write job ads that appeal to star employees
Job ad writing: How to write job ads that appeal to star employees If job ad writing daunts you, you’re not alone! Job ad writing is a vital component in attracting the best applicants: the better the applicants, the more chance you have of finding that star employee....
What is an Employment Agreement? And how does it help you as an employer?
Every employee needs a written and signed Individual Employment Agreement. It’s been a legal requirement for employers to do this since July 2011, and if you don’t comply you could face fines of up to $20,000. Is there a benefit to Employment Agreements other than...
Are your HR procedures exposing you to risk?
Have you noticed how many headlines there are in the NZ Herald at the moment about companies that have fallen foul of employment law? Getting it wrong can be extremely costly, as the examples below show. And notice how these articles are all from August 2013… there...
Do you need an Employee or a Contractor?
Here’s a guide to help you choose… In New Zealand you can engage people to work for you in two main ways: you can choose between Employees and Contractors. But many small businesses aren’t clear on the difference, and why sometimes it may be preferable to hire a...
A Person Specification is your tool for attracting and identifying candidates with the right attitude
How to hire the right person with the right attitude “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”… those are the words of Winston Churchill, and if you’ve ever hired someone with the wrong attitude, you’ll know just how true that statement is! The right...
How to Write a Person Specification
A person specification states the minimum set of capabilities a person (the new recruit) needs to have in order for them to be appointed into a position. The primary use of the person specification document is to assist in the recruitment and selection of a new...
Discover why a Position Description is your new best friend…
Most kiwi business owners realise that it’s now law to have a Position Description for every employee. But rather than being a pain-in-the-you-know-where, Position Descriptions actually save you time and money. (Yes, really!) The reason why business owners should...
Phone Screening – How to weed out the unqualified from the qualified with a brief phone interview
“Phone Screening” or having a brief phone interview to gauge an understanding of an applicant is one of the most valuable ways to eliminate unsuitable applicants; allowing you to focus on only the suitable applicants which saves you time. If you have ever found...
Interview Questions to be wary of – By Max Whitehead
New Zealand’s politically correct laws often block employers from asking job applicants relevant interview questions. To avoid getting into strife with government bodies, like the Human Rights Commission, Privacy Commission or the Employment Relations Authority, I...
5 Recruitment Tips For Hiring the Perfect Employee
Are you thinking about Recruiting in the near future? Read these 5 recruitment tips to help you hire the perfect person for the position. Widen the scope of your advertising – have you been using the same old website you have been using the past 5 years? How about...
What is a Structured Interview?
A structured interview is an effective interviewing process in which an employer can measure job related competencies of candidates. Through asking tailored competency based questions that relate to the candidate's behaviour in the past or their proposed behaviour in...
How to master competency based interview questions using the STAR method
The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioural based interview question by discussing the specific Situation, Task, Action and Result of the situation you are describing. Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task you needed...
Typical interview structure
Don't just think of an interview as an opportunity for the employer to find out as much as they can about you, but also for you to find out as much as you can about the company and the position- it is a two way street! When you find out you have an interview with an...
Employment Application Forms – What to include?
There are a great deal of questions you can ask in a comprehensive employment application form. Ideally these should be tailor made to suit each role within an organisation and should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they comply with legal requirements. A one...