揭开招聘过程的神秘面纱

 　　你是否想知道当你申请一份工作时，招聘幕后发生的事情？尽管招聘程序会因行业、公司、甚至部门而异，结果却是一样的：众多应聘者中只有一个会拿到聘书。

　　Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes when you apply for a job? While the recruiting process varies by industry, company and even department, the result is the same: One person out of many receives an offer.

　　对于那些未被聘用的人来说，可能很难搞清楚招聘过程中自己作为应聘者出了什么问题。并非每家公司都会通知应聘者他们被拒了，告诉你被拒原因的更是少之又少。不过，明白招聘过程背后的秘密可能会使求职者在找工作时获得有利地位。

　　For those who aren't hired, understanding what happened to their candidacy along the way can be a mystery. Not every firm notifies applicants¹ they've been rejected, and few say why. But knowing what goes on in the hiring process may give prospects² the inside track for a job.

　　很多雇主在开始招聘高管以下级别人员时，会利用一个招聘小组或人力资源团队来剔除未能满足工作基本要求的应聘者。西雅图一家小型电子商务公司Onlineshoes.com首席营销长里奇说，他们应该只是排除那些明显不合格的人选。

　　Many employers start filling vacancies³ below the executive level by using a team of recruiters or human-resources personnel to weed out applications that fail to meet a job's basic qualifications. 'They should only be removing candidates who are a clear miss,' says Peter Leech⁴, chief marketing⁵ officer for Onlineshoes.com, a small Seattle e-commerce company.

　　筛选的方式、时间长短和进入下一轮选拔的应聘者人数会因公司而异，不过也有一定的模式可寻。有些进行初选的招聘人员会把所有的申请都一一过目，而有些则会在申请中找某些关键词。同样，有些人会在进行评估时看附在简历前的求职信，有些则会忽视求职信。职业专家建议，宁可过于谨慎也不要粗心。每份申请都要提供一份认真撰写的求职信，并键入关键词，也就是通常能够在招聘广告中找到的资格要求。

　　How this is done, the time it takes, and the number of applicants selected to go on to the next step varies, but there are some patterns. Some screeners eyeball every submission⁶ that comes in, while others search for certain keywords among applications. Likewise, there are screeners who consider cover letters in their evaluations⁷ and those who ignore them. Career experts suggest erring⁸ on the side of caution. Submit a carefully written cover letter and insert keywords -- must-have qualifications usually found in the job posting -- with every application.

　　新罕布什尔州职业策略师奥唐纳说，如果你担心自己的申请无法送达，等上五天，然后给雇主打电话确认他们是否收到了。

　　If you're worried that your application never arrived, wait five days and call the employer to ask for confirmation⁹, suggests J.T. O'Donnell, a career strategist in North Hampton, N.H.

　　位于明尼阿波利斯的General Mills Inc.副总裁、首席招聘长莱勒克说，公司只向在网上填写了某个职位申请表的求职者发电子邮件确认收到申请。她说，此外招聘人员只会看那些根据筛选标准满足工作基本要求的应聘者的申请。

　　General Mills Inc. sends email confirmations¹⁰ only to job hunters who complete an online application for a specific opening at the Minneapolis-based company, says Stephanie Lilak, vice¹¹ president, chief staffing officer. What's more, recruiters will only review applications that show a person meets a job's basic qualifications, based on screening questions, she says.

　　不过很多公司常常会有这样的特例：由员工或其他可靠来源推荐的应聘者。一位受到推荐的人选可能会立刻获得注意，有可能会加快他们进入面试阶段的过程。43岁的法斯克兹说，她上个月获得了应聘一份高级营销职位的电话面试，这要多亏了招聘经理的一个朋友推荐了她。法斯克兹后来受邀接受数位高级经理的面试，不过她后来没有得到这份工作。她说，我不用填写网上申请表，直接就进入了面试阶段。

　　One common exception many firms make: A job hunter who is referred by an employee or other trusted source. A referred candidate may be given immediate¹² attention, potentially speeding them to the interview stage. Michelle Vasquez, 43, says she landed a phone interview for a senior marketing job last month thanks to a referral from a friend of the hiring manager. Ms. Vasquez was later invited to interview with several senior managers, though she later found out she didn't get the job. 'I didn't have out to fill an online application,' she says. 'I went straight into the interview pool.'

　　下一步常常是让人力资源人员、招聘经理或二者一起把申请人的范围缩小到那些技能和工作经历与职位描述非常接近的人。如果他们不能确定，可能会发邮件或打电话了解更多情况。最后，他们往往会得出一个人选名单，通常不超过20人进入面试程序。

　　The next step is often to have human-resources staff, hiring managers -- or both -- narrow down applicants to those whose skills and work histories closely match the job description. If they're unsure, they might email or phone to learn more. In the end, they'll typically have a list of candidates, usually no more than 20, to interview.

　　经常是人力资源人员，不过偶尔会是招聘经理，将首先对应聘者进行电话面试。密苏里州堪萨斯城保险经纪商 Lockton Cos. LLC高级副总裁、人力资源人士盖斯汀说，一般来讲，电话面试的目的是确保候选人了解职位的要求，并且符合他们的工资预期。她说，如果不符合，就没有进一步面试的必要了，不过偶尔对期望工资高于职位最高工资的人选会有例外。她说，他们的表现必须让我们刮目相看才行。

　　Often human-resources personnel, but occasionally hiring managers, will first interview candidates over the phone. In general, the purpose of the phone interview is to make sure candidates understand the job and that it lines up with their salary expectations, says Jo-Ann Gastin, senior vice president, human resources, for Lockton Cos. LLC, an insurance brokerage firm in Kansas City, Mo. If it doesn't, 'there's no point in going any further,' she says, though on rare occasions exceptions may be made for candidates who name salaries above the maximum for a job. 'They'd have to wow us,' she says.

　　电话面试可以被用来帮助确定候选人是否是非常合适的人选。应聘者的沟通技能也可能受到评估。以盖斯汀为例，她说，我们希望看到他们是否能在电话面试中表现出亲和力，因为我们是一家客服公司。

　　Phone interviews may be used to help determine if the person is a strong fit. Candidates also may be evaluated on their communication skills. In Ms. Gastin's case, 'We look to see if they can establish rapport¹³ on the phone because we are a customer-service company,' she says.

　　招聘经理有时会在安排现场面试之前，再进行一次电话面试，以便深入了解更多情况。一些公司要求候选人完成性格或能力测试，测试是根据雇主认为一个特定职位所需的关键特点而制定的。

　　Sometimes hiring managers will reach out to candidates for a second call before scheduling an on-site meeting to dig deeper. And some firms require candidates to complete personality or competency tests benchmarked according to what an employer considers to be key traits for a particular role.

　　一些公司会在评估了应聘者的申请之后，马上让候选人来公司进行面试。波士顿咨询就是这样一家公司，公司合伙人、美洲招聘负责人沃夫冈说，它主要聘用应届大学毕业生或学历更高的毕业生。该公司指定最多由三人组成的小组来评估来自30多所美国学校的求职者。沃夫冈说，我们要找的是全面发展的人才，他们的兴趣和生活经历能证明他们拥有良好的适应力。

　　Some firms do bring candidates in for face-to-face meetings right after reviewing their applications. Among them is Boston Consulting Group, which mostly hires upcoming college and advanced-degree graduates, says Mel Wolfgang, partner and head of Americas recruiting. The firm assigns teams of up to three recruiters to assess applicants from more than 30 U.S. schools. 'We look for well-rounded individuals whose interests and life experiences suggest that they would adapt well,' says Mr. Wolfgang.

　　每个职位会有至多六位应聘者得到第一轮面试的机会，包括接受两位公司顾问的面试，每位顾问的面试时间约为 40分钟。在这些候选人中，约有一半的人会进入与四位合伙人的第二轮面试。在面试期间，候选人会被问及他们的工作经历、职业目标和其他相关话题，另外他们还可能会参加角色扮演活动。

　　Up to six applicants are typically granted first-round interviews per opening, which involve meeting with two company consultants¹⁴ for about 40 minutes each. Of these, about half go on to second-round interviews with up to four partners. During the meetings, candidates are asked about their work history, career goals and other relevant topics, plus they are expected to participate in role-playing exercises.

　　大部分公司，一旦面试完成，招聘经理就会与参加最后一轮面试的同事开碰头会，了解他们认为谁应该获得这份工作。Onlineshoes.com的里奇说，不过最后，决定权仍在招聘经理手中。这个决定常常取决于应聘者的适合程度和热情度。他说，你要确保你选的人对这份工作充满激情。

　　At most firms, once interviews are done, hiring managers will convene¹⁵ with colleagues who met the finalists to get their opinions on who should get an offer. 'But in the end, it's still the hiring manager's call,' says Mr. Leech of Onlineshoes.com. That decision often comes down to fit and level of enthusiasm. 'You're making sure that you pick someone who is pumped up about the role,' he says.

1 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

2 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

3 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 leech   

n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人

参考例句：

• A leech is a small blood-sucking worm and usually lives in water.水蛭是一种小型吸血虫，通常生活在水中。
• One-side love like a greedy leech absorbed my time and my mirth.单相思如同一只贪婪的水蛭，吸走了我的时间和欢笑。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

7 evaluations   

估价( evaluation的名词复数 )； 赋值； 估计价值； [医学]诊断

参考例句：

• In fact, our moral evaluations are merely expressions of our desires. 事实上，我们的道德评价只是我们欲望的表达形式。 来自哲学部分
• Properly speaking, however, these evaluations and insights are not within the concept of official notice. 但准确地讲，这些评估和深远见识并未包括在官方通知概念里。

8 erring   

做错事的，错误的

参考例句：

• Instead of bludgeoning our erring comrades, we should help them with criticism. 对犯错误的同志， 要批评帮助，不能一棍子打死。
• She had too little faith in mankind not to know that they were erring. 她对男人们没有信心，知道他们总要犯错误的。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

9 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

10 confirmations   

证实( confirmation的名词复数 )； 证据； 确认； （基督教中的）坚信礼

参考例句：

• Never use transitory dialogs as error messages or confirmations. 绝不要用临时对话框作为错误信息框或确认信息框。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Dismissing confirmations thus becomes as routine as issuing them. 因此关闭确认对话框和发起确认对话框一样成为例行公事。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

13 rapport   

n.和睦，意见一致

参考例句：

• She has an excellent rapport with her staff.她跟她职员的关系非常融洽。
• We developed a high degree of trust and a considerable personal rapport.我们发展了高度的互相信任和不错的私人融洽关系。

14 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

15 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。