Are you looking to hire a star player for your IT team? Your screening process for technical candidates can make all the difference—if you do it right.

1. TECH HIRING
ONE SMALL CHANGE THAT WILL
REVOLUTIONIZE
YOUR HIRING RESULTS

2. Most companies’ screening
process has a small but
fundamental flaw.

3. Sometimes this
flaw leads you to hire
these candidates:

4. Qualified but not a great fit

5. Qualified but not a great fit
Qualified…ish

6. Qualified but not a great fit
Qualified…ish
Super-qualified but bloody
awful to have on your team

7. And sometimes, it lets
disastrous hires slip
through the cracks...

8. And sometimes, it lets
disastrous hires slip
through the cracks...
and onto your team.

9. What is the cost
of hiring the
wrong person?
QUIZ

10. $17,000A
QUIZ

11. $17,000
25-200% of salary
A
B
QUIZ

12. $17,000
25-200% of salary
5x annual salary
A
B
C
QUIZ

13. $17,000
25-200% of salary
5x annual salary
A
B
C
QUIZ
✓
✓
✓
For all job types, says the U.S. Department of Labor
Cost of recruitment and training for new hire,
says American Management Association
Including morale and productivity losses, says SHRM

14. Plus, you lose
a chance to hire
someone awesome!

15. But the most significant
cost of hiring the wrong
person is the difference
between spending
youryear...

16. Managing a
performance plan

17. ...or meeting
your goals!
Managing a
performance plan

18. Preventing a
BAD HIRE
starts with...

19. MEANINGFUL
reference checks.

20. I’M SORRY,
that wasn’t the
answer you wanted.

21. You think reference checks
are a waste of time,
DON’TYOU?

22. You only do them
TO APPEASE HR

23. ...and to make sure your
candidate wasn’t fired for
stealing data, embezzling,
or punching a coworker
at the holiday party.

24. By the time you complete
reference checks,
IT’S TOO LATE

25. YOU’VE MADE
UPYOUR MIND.
You don’t look for anything
to discourage you from hiring
your candidate.

26. THERE’S
A BETTER WAY

27. WHEN DONE
THE RIGHTWAY
at the right time reference
checks help you build a
high-functioning team.

28. Wait, who am I to
give hiring advice?

29. Wait, who am I to
give hiring advice?
I’m Mike McSally,
Vice President of Enterprise Operations
and Technology, TEKsystems

30. I’ve been sharpening
recruiting and screening
methodologies for 25 years.

31. I’ve been sharpening
recruiting and screening
methodologies for 25 years.
Most of those years
with TEKsystems, the
No.1 IT staffing company.

32. And attracting and
retaining talent is my
burning passion.

33. And attracting and
retaining talent is my
burning passion.
(I don’t have a lot of
hobbies or friends)

34. FOR PERFORMING
MEANINGFUL
REFERENCE CHECKS
TOP 5 TIPS

35. 1 Onlytalk
to supervisors

36. 1 Onlytalk
to supervisors
If you let your candidate
cherry pick their references,
they’re basicallyworthless.

37. 2 Start earlier

38. 2 Start earlier
The best time to start reference
checks is when you’re getting
down to your final 3 candidates
...or earlier.

39. 2 Start earlier
If you’re working with a good
recruiter, they should be able
to share supervisory references
before you even decide to
interview.

40. 2 Start earlier
By checking
references first, you
avoid wasting time
in pointless interviews.

41. 3 Ask your network

42. 3 Ask your network
Look at LinkedIn and ask your
staff to do the same.

43. 3 Ask your network
One of you probably knows
someone who knows your
candidate by reputation.
Ask them.

44. 4 Ask open-ended
questions:

45. 4
What projects did the
candidate work on?
Ask open-ended
questions:

46. 4 Ask open-ended
questions:
What kind of work culture
would they thrive in?

47. 4 Ask open-ended
questions:
What is their
communication style?

48. 5 And ask this
crucial question:

49. 5 And ask this
crucial question:
Would you rehire
this person?

50. Listen closely to their
answer and tone.

51. Listen closely to their
answer and tone.
A hesitant “yes” means
probably not.

52. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO TO ENSURE
YOU ARE HIRING THE
VERY BEST TALENT?

53. CHECK OUT THESE HELPFUL LINKS
Screening Technical Candidates:
Critical Steps Most Employers Miss
The Secret to Sourcing Top ITTalent