One position in an IT organization would be that of a technical writer. A technical writer is in charge of writing and editing software documentation, such as user manuals, release notes, online help, and the like. Aside from having writing skills, a technical writer must also be knowledgeable on the use of authoring tools such as Arbortext and content management systems, such as Documentum. In addition, the technical writer will be required to coordinate heavily with other members of the organization, such as the software developers, the business analysts, and the technical support personnel, in order to obtain the information needed for the documentation.
In recruiting for this position, I would make use of a series of exams and interviews in order to find the best person for the job. The first interview will be the HR interview. Since HR receives the resumes from the applicants, it is HR’s job to create a short list out of the applicants who applied. In the HR interview, the HR personnel will just determine whether the applicant matches the qualifications that are required for the job in terms of their skills and competencies. The applicants who pass the initial HR interview are then asked to take a series of tests, which include a technical writing test, an English proficiency test, an IQ test, a psychological test, and a personality test. The technical tests provide information on whether the applicant has the necessary aptitude for the job and the personality and psychological tests provide an initial assessment of whether the applicant fits the company’s culture. The applicants who pass the tests are included in the short list.
The short listed applicants are then endorsed for an interview with the hiring manager.
The hiring manager tries to determine the applicant’s skills, working styles, attitudes, and ethics to determine if the applicant is capable of performing the tasks and responsibilities that are required for the position. This also allows the hiring manager to determine if the applicant will be a fit for the team’s culture. For example, if the team has flexible working conditions and the applicant is used to more rigid working conditions then he or she may not be the right fit for the job. To obtain this information, the hiring manager can either ask direct questions or provide the applicant with scenarios. In the latter case, the way that the applicant responds or reacts to the scenarios enables the hiring manager to further determine if they are a fit for the job. As well, the hiring manager can ask the applicant for work samples in order to further gauge their competency.
The applicants who pass the interview with the hiring manager moves on to the technical interview, which is conducted by other members of the organization, such as the hiring manager’s superior or the development director with whom the new technical writer will be working with. Since the job of a technical writer involves a certain degree of technical skills, the technical interview allows the interviewers to gauge whether the applicant has enough technical skills to be able to fulfill their responsibilities. For example, if the job requires the documentation of database systems and the applicant does not have any knowledge on databases then he or she may not be a fit for the job even if he or she has good writing skills.
The hiring manager and the technical interviewers then choose among the applicants who passed the technical interview and the applicant they choose will be the one to receive the job offer.
Finally, the selected applicant will undergo the final interview, which is usually conducted by the HR head. In this interview, the HR head further discusses the company’s culture with the applicant, as well as the details of the job offer. The HR head can also ask the applicant about his or her resume so if the HR head finds any anomaly or discrepancy in the applicant’s resume or qualifications then the HR head can still prevent the applicant from being hired. If all goes well, though, and the applicant is amenable with the job offer then the applicant is hired.
References
Collins, J. (2001). Good to great. Retrieved from
http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html.
