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Local Director Describes Hiring in the Current Economy
What does it take to get a job interview these days? Higher ed. sat down with Craig Woodson, senior vice president in Human Resources at Commerce Bank, to interview him on the subject.
Woodson sits on the KU Edwards Campus Workforce Development Advisory Board and has seen a million resumés in his 10 years in Commerce Bank's HR department. Lately he's been seeing more than ever. The bank has fared well during the economic downturn and has been hiring throughout.
On average, his department will see 400 applications in a typical week, Woodson says. Recently, more than 200 resumés came in for a single position – an internship! Yes, it's tough out there. However, some applicants will always be called in. Woodson describes how he finds them.
How does Commerce advertise its job openings?
"In general, most of our applications come in via our corporate website and services like CareerBuilder and Monster.com. For a position in a specialized field, we may use more targeted media. We also use university placement offices in the area, because we prefer to hire locally if we can."
What does it take for a resumé to make it through the first round weed-out process?
"We have basic minimum qualifying criteria for each position, so the first things are education, years of experience, salary needs and so forth. Then we look to see if there is stability in their work history, that they've stayed places and not jumped around from job to job. We also like to see an upward progression in roles and responsibilities. By that point, we usually have a lot of candidates ruled out."
Which is better, diverse
experience or specialization?
"It depends on the position, of course, but also what the specific needs are in that particular group or team. Sometimes, broad experience across different organizations or industries makes a better fit, especially if the person shows a track record of leadership. Other times, a team might have strong leadership in place but needs more technical experience or expertise in a given area. It's mostly about finding the best fit with the talents and temperaments we already have."
What do you and hiring managers look for during
an interview?
"By this point, it usually comes down to character. Character is especially important in our industry, and probably more important than ever right now. In a number of ways, we look for strong evidence of honesty, integrity and work ethic."
What's the best advice you
can offer job seekers today?
"Never underestimate the power of networking. However, I think job hunters put too much emphasis on social media and not enough on face-to-face networking. People want to get their names in front of a million contacts,
but they should really get away from
the computer and actually meet people, especially decision makers. Not that
social media isn't important, but if that
is all you're doing, you're just a name
and number."
