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DICTATION TIPS
 Clear recordings facilitate accuracy and efficiency in transcription so that you receive the best value and document possible. Minimizing background noise and including formatting commands are two key ways to enhance the quality of your dictations. To learn more about these and other tips for successful dictation, visit the TTE blog and read the August 1 entry. |
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CLIENT NEWS
TTE has recently completed several projects for local police departments. Crime scene notes, interrogation interviews, depositions - our skilled staff expertly transcribes these audio files into professional documents. We welcome and appreciate referrals.
In addition to local police departments, new TTE clients include Thomson Reuters, an information provider for businesses and professionals. Welcome, Thomson Reuters!
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 NEW PROJECTS
IdeaScribe will soon be coming to your iPhone and iPad! Over the last several months, TTE has been developing a mobile application to help make your job easier. Get a sneak peak into this exciting project on the TTE blog. |
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IMPROVING YOUR HIRING AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Industry expert and New Office Temps, Ltd. owner Chuck Smith has interviewed more than 20,000 candidates, helping more than 4,000 people get jobs. TTE recently spoke with Smith about talent acquisition and hiring best practices.
Shift the Paradigm
First, look at hiring and recruitment as a process instead of an event, recommends Smith. "Just like you have a marketing and sales process that you repeat and make better, but execute over and over again, the best companies have a recruitment process that they pay attention to," he says. "They're looking at talent all the time." Shifting from an event to a process paradigm helps companies keep a talent pipeline in place, avoid crisis hires, and develop a multifaceted approach. "The companies that understand having the right people in the right jobs will help determine their success in the future are the ones that have back-up plans for positions and are staying in touch with people that look good that they may not be able to hire right now," says Smith. And, always being on the lookout for talent increases your chances of hiring the best available talent - instead of just the best talent you see in an emergency.
Second, incorporate resumes, but don't depend solely, or even primarily on them. As experience documents, resumes don't always tell the whole story. Build other elements (like screening tools and interviews) into your hiring and recruitment process to help tell the rest of the story - to help qualify and quantify.
Focus on Key Accountabilities
"When you have actual information, you'd like to be able to test. And that's what we call key accountability. A key accountability in a job," says Smith. This goes beyond just the years of experience someone lists on a resume to the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes needed for the job in order to become a good fit for the company. For example, Smith says, a key accountability for a bookkeeper might be Excel knowledge, specifically the ability to do a 90-day rolling cash flow projection - not just five years Excel experience.
As you look at resumes, keep key accountabilities in mind and try to match what you are seeing and reading to at least two or three of the job's key accountabilities.
Smith recommends using a screening tool first though - before you even look at a resume. "And the screening tool should ask about the key accountabilities of the job, so that you're talking to people who at first blush match most closely to what you're looking for. Then look at their resume," says Smith.
Be Strategic When Conducting Interviews
Be candidate centered, not company centered, during the interview. Find out what the candidate knows about the company, why he or she is applying for the job, how they think they fit into the company's goals and visions, and how they are going to contribute to the organization. "Don't start selling your job before you know if you want the person to work for you. The interview isn't about selling your job and your company until you know whether the person has the skills and behavior you're looking for. People waste a lot of interview time talking about how great their company is or how great their team is," says Smith. He gives the following five tips for interview success:
First, ask questions focused in two areas: the company and the candidate. Asking the candidate questions about the company helps the interviewer understand whether a candidate is prepared for the interview and if they have any idea what the company does, according to Smith. Three company-oriented questions Smith likes are:
- What does our company do?
- What is the job?
- Why is the job we're hiring for important to us?
Second, Smith also suggests asking more behavior-based questions of candidates to help understand who they are rather than just what they say they know. Two examples he gives of these kinds of questions are:
- Tell me about a time you faced adversity in life - what the circumstance was and how you overcame it.
- Tell me about a difficult work situation you wish looking back you had handled differently and why.
Third, give the interviewee a chance to shine. "Be polite but not overly friendly, because we want to give a candidate the opportunity to display their personality and if we're overly warm and friendly, we'll never find out if they are able to warm up a conversation," says Smith.
Fourth, prepare and be consistent. "Prepare relevant questions in advance and then ask them of all the candidates," says Smith. (Even if it would be more fun to spend the bulk of the interview talking about the college alma mater you have in common!)
And fifth, don't be afraid of silence in an interview. "If you have questions that you need answers to, wait for the answer, don't be afraid of the silence. It's an uncomfortable social situation, and many times people let others off the hook by not waiting until the candidate answers, changing the question, or answering the question for them," says Smith.
Final Thoughts
People, and their stories, have always interested Smith. And being in the hiring and recruitment industry is a natural fit for his desire to help people succeed in life. "I think that we spend the majority of our time working and that everybody should be working in a job they like and that they can be successful in," says Smith. "We want to see people get good jobs, we want to see companies get the right people so that they can be successful."
And the best way to avoid a bad hire? "Have an efficient and repeatable recruiting process which entails: casting a net as wide as possible - because you don't know who you don't know; screening effectively based on your key accountabilities; and saying 'no' a lot until you find the right person," says Smith.
 Established in 1985. New Office Temps, Ltd. is located in Chicago, Illinois. Chuck Smith came to the company as a temporary employee in 1988 and then purchased the company in 1999. Smith and his team at New Office work with clients in all 50 states, and the company's newest product offering is NewHire™ Candidate Management Software. Smith is a member of Vistage International and a popular speaker on issues of talent acquisition, hiring best practices, and small business management. He has a bachelor's degree in American Literature and Religion from The George Washington University and a master's degree in Religion and Literature from the University of Chicago.
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TTE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Over the summer, TTE CEO Terry Thompson teamed up with Chicago area businesses and another individual to host a community event. TTE, WIND Radio, Arcada Theatre, and Jennifer Nazlian co-sponsored a "Restoring Courage" public viewing party on August 24 at Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois. According to the organizers, approximately 150 people attended.
Event attendees viewed a taping of Glenn Beck speaking earlier that day in Jerusalem, listened to a live musical performance, heard from community leaders, and honored military personnel in attendance. "I decided to host this event because there was a calling and responsibility that I felt I had in standing for Israel. All faiths need to link arms during this crucial time and I felt a calling to gather people together and make a difference," says Nazlian. Thompson enjoyed engaging with event attendees throughout the evening and left motivated to not only stay involved, but to also learn more about the Bible, U.S. history, and Middle East history.
TTE regularly contributes to charity organizations and community causes. Now, TTE CEO Terry Thompson is going a step further as she puts together an opportunity for businesses to help local families in need. Contact Thompson at the TTE headquarters via phone or e-mail to learn more about this project and how you can be a part of helping families still struggling in today's economy.
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CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
My experience with TTE Transcripts was excellent. The people I dealt with were friendly and informative. The cost was very reasonable and the turn around time was very fast. I would not hesitate to use TTE Transcripts in the future.
Commander Rick Davies Vernon Hills Police Department
Illinois
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