How do you evaluate a candidate during an interview? Effective candidate evaluation is critical to hiring the right person for a role. Beyond assessing technical skills and experience, hiring managers must delve deeper into a candidate's fit with the company culture, problem-solving abilities, and potential for growth. A structured interview process, incorporating both behavioral and situational questions, can provide valuable insights: Behavioral questions, such as "Describe a time when you had to overcome a significant challenge," offer clues about how candidates handle adversity. Situational questions, like "How would you handle a conflict with a team member?" assess decision-making and problem-solving skills. Pay attention not only to the candidate's answers but also to their body language, tone of voice, and enthusiasm. Does their passion align with the company's mission? Are they a team player? Do they demonstrate a growth mindset? Post-interview evaluation should include a detailed assessment of the candidate's qualifications, cultural fit, and potential contributions to the team. Comparing candidates based on a standardized rubric can facilitate objective decision-making. Remember, hiring is an investment; choose candidates who not only possess the necessary skills but also embody the company's values and contribute positively to the team dynamic. hashtag #hiring #candidateevaluation
CPG & Associates
Staffing and Recruiting
Dallas, Texas 9,537 followers
Identifying Leaders who Drive Financial Value for your Company
About us
CPG and Associates is an innovative, results-oriented boutique search firm dedicated to providing superior client services through integrity, honesty and respect in all of our relationships. We have a knack for creating a serendipitous match. Whether you’re a company anticipating a strategic hire or a professional passively considering the next calculative move, we’re there to assist you at building faith towards a fortuitous find. Our passion is to enhance one’s career and to build one’s team, to give unbiased insight whenever asked, and to create a collaborative union with our business clients and professional candidates alike. Our team is committed to being the best in the industry by focusing on client satisfaction. Our unique firm has two recruiting divisions: CPG INDUSTRY DIVISION - At a national level, we concentrate on placing professionals in all facets of sales and sales management including category management, market research, trade marketing, customer marketing, and sales planning. ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE DIVISION – Primarily focused on the Dallas / Fort Worth market, we specialize in professional recruitment in Accounting, Finance, Treasury, and Audit. Our clients are VC-backed start-ups, Private Equity (PE)-owned portfolio companies, privately held, publicly traded and Fortune 500 companies across all industries.
- Website
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http://www.cpgandassociates.com
External link for CPG & Associates
- Industry
- Staffing and Recruiting
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Dallas, Texas
- Type
- Privately Held
- Founded
- 2007
- Specialties
- Consumer Goods Sales and Sales Support and Accounting and Finance
Locations
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Primary
Dallas, Texas 75214, US
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San Antonio, TX - Texas 78230, US
Employees at CPG & Associates
Updates
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“Brett, I don’t know what I want to do to, but I don’t want THIS job.” For people who are discontent in their jobs or careers, but not clear on which direction to go in, the future can seem daunting. You may have an inkling of what you want to do, but you’re not yet ready to commit to a full pivot. And in any case, you don’t necessarily have the experience to back it up. There are a few ways you can toe-dip into the waters of a new career before launching an all-out search: 👉 Network. Always the answer, isn’t it? That’s because it works. Reach out to people in roles or careers you’re interested in, and ask them to coffee or for a quick Zoom. 👉 Explore on LinkedIn. There’s a treasure chest of information at your disposal on this platform. Join professional groups and follow people in the industries or roles you’re interested in. 👉 Volunteer. This is an age-old way to get experience in a new field, and it can also be very informative and rewarding. Once you’ve done your due diligence, reach out to a CPG & Associates recruiter and start making a move.
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If anything is a sign of the times, it’s this: I recently read that at Harvard, one of the most popular lectures is a course called Leadership and Happiness. It teaches future business leaders how to cultivate team happiness. 🙁🙂😄 We are in a time when the war for talent, the struggle to ensure retention, and the sheer competitive nature of business in every industry means leaders have to try harder than ever before to make sure their employees like their jobs. According to Dr. Arthur Brooks, who teaches the Harvard class, happiness comes from four key areas of life: 1. Meaningful work 2. Family 3. Friends 4. Life philosophy/spirituality The class kicks off with the question “In which area are you over-indexing?” You don’t have to go to Harvard to ask yourself this question as a leader, and as Dr. Brooks reminds us, happy, well-rounded employees start with happy, well-rounded leaders. As a recruiter for 20+ years, it’s refreshing to see this concept of work-life balance being legitimized by business schools.
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When David Novak, the longtime CEO of Yum Brands (think Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell) was a college student, he made ends meet serving tables at a Holiday Inn, where Engelbert Humperdinck once stiffed him on a tip. Novak credits this experience with helping form who he is as a leader today. He wrote in his biography, “I’ll remember until the day I die how bad that made me feel.” The lesson? Treat your employees well, and always reward them for their work. This lines up with the fact that a lot of employees tend to leave their jobs because they don’t feel appreciated. Lately, we’ve all heard so much about candidates leaving their jobs due to not feeling valued by their employer. In my own line of work as a Managing Partner at CPG & Associates, it’s obvious that making employees feel appreciated is more important than ever.
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“So, Brett, tell me about yourself.” It’s not a trick question, but if you’re interviewing for a job, you want to be thoughtful about how you answer it. Most people freeze when they hear this question in an interview. Or they get nervous and overshare, starting with the very beginning and progressing year by year through the documentary film reel of their life.” The real key to answering this generic question is to make it specific to the company you’re interviewing with. If you’ve done your research and you know what they look for in an employee — and more specifically, for this role — you’re more likely to answer the question in a way that will capture the interviewer’s attention. The first clue, by the way, is probably right there in the job description. Look for key phrases like “must have” and “what we’re looking for.” Of course, you don’t want to blurt out the answers verbatim: “I have strong computer and communication skills!” But find ways to tell the story of how you do. And practicing in advance is always a great idea. Yes, you want to be authentic and sincere in an interview. But when you’re nervous, it’s also a good idea to have some memorized bullet points to fall back on. Of course, when you work with a CPG & Associates recruiter like myself, we'll guide you on what the client is looking for so that type of question doesn't surprise you!
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Does your resume have a headline? I’m not talking about your name in lights at the top of the page. I’m talking about a catchy headline that will grab the attention of hiring managers. For instance: VP Finance with Private Equity Acquisition Integration experience Or: Controller with Experience at Fortune 100 companies As an A&F recruiter for 20 years, I’ve seen candidate anxiety levels go up around whether their resumes are being read. Using a recruiter is certainly a smart way to get your resume in front of the right people. But that resume has to stand on its own, too. Just as you probably choose which articles to read based on the headlines journalists use, hiring managers are more apt to read a resume that grabs their attention right away. The headline — typically right above your summary — is one great way to make an impression.
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“Brett, should I put references right on my resume or in another doc?” This is a question I often field from candidates. My answer: Don’t worry about including references when you apply for a role. In fact, don’t even bother to write the phrase “References available upon request” on your CV. Prospective employers are not going to call your references until after they’ve interviewed you, at which point, they’ll ask you for them. Listing references in advance is a waste of space, and it’s also old fashioned. Hiring managers assume you’ll give them names and contact info when they’re ready. That said, definitely have your references ready to share. That means having a list of good references (at least three) and giving them the heads up that they may receive a call. Typically, hiring managers want a name, company, title, phone number and email address. Having this information organized and handy will help you respond quickly when they ask. Working with a CPG & Associates recruiter, we make sure your references are not bothered until you are further along in the process and a offer is imminent.
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Why do job seekers who seem so eager for a job interview end up ghosting the interviewer? This is a phenomenon I am often asked about in my role as a recruiter at CPG & Associates. These are the most common reasons for ghosting: 🔹 An overall bad experience in the interview process 🔹 They got specific information in the process that made them think twice about the job 🔹 There was a detail of the role or your policy or culture that was a deal-breaker for the candidate 🔹 They simply decided to take another offer In any case, ghosting shows a lack of respect. But as a hiring manager, you could really use the feedback to improve on the next round. On your own, you may find yourself wondering, was it something I said?? When you work with us, of course, you are far less likely to get ghosted. Our recruiters do a darn good job at profiling the candidates before the interview process making sure it's the right candidate for the right job. Our recruiters at CPG & Associates follow up with the candidate and stay on top of it...no matter what.
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Live vs Remote interviewing - THAT is the question... Remote interviews are convenient and low-risk. You can interview candidates from anywhere. In-person interviews are more personable, and a lot of people think they give you a better idea of whether a candidate is the right fit. You can introduce more of your staff, and give the candidate a feel for the company culture in person. Remote interviews mean everyone involved needs a strong internet connection and EVERYONE needs to have patients for glitches and unforeseen issues. For candidates who aren’t tech-savvy, it adds an extra layer of complexity. But then again, in a world where remote meetings are a common thing, in-person interviews don’t allow you to test a candidate’s ability to navigate Zoom or Teams and be able to handle the rigor that comes from speaking into a camera. As a recruiter, I've experienced on-site work companies, doing remote interviewing and making an offer but the candidate didn't want to accept until seeing the office and meeting everyone in person. Ultimately, you’ll probably choose one method over the other for practical reasons. And the format you choose isn’t nearly as important as how you conduct the interview. But if you want tips on how to better conduct either kind of interview, contact me at CPG & Associates today.
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As Summer approaches and the Dallas job market starts getting hotter, CPG & Associates is ready to assist. Or, perhaps your gears have shifted, and you now need to hire where you didn’t before. How can I help? As an A&F recruiter for 20 years, hiring is my number-one focus. So as you handle all the other aspects of being a leader right now, I can step in to help you find the right people for your open positions. I’ll handle: 1. The pipeline — finding the right pool of candidates in the first place 2. The screening — narrowing it down to the ideal few 3. The interview setup — getting you and the prospective employees on the calendar in a pain-free way 4. The negotiation If you’re ready to hire a candidate that's guaranteed to be "THE ONE," and you want the hiring process to be seamless, contact me today.