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Knock 'em Dead Hiring the Best: Proven Tactics for Successful Employee Selection

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Employees are your company's number one asset. "Hiring the Best" offers managers and HR personnel a proven and practical approach to recruiting and selecting the right people for the job. With over 400 questions you can use to interview candidates and obtain the most pertinent information, you'll be armed with the tools you need to ensure that you are indeed "Hiring the Best."

Completely revised and updated! Updates include new section on electronic recruitment, revised resource section, and information about law and guidelines that influence hiring practices.

"Hiring the Best" allows you to determine not only if candidates can do the job, but also if they can be managed effectively and thrive in their new positions.

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1987

27 people are currently reading
219 people want to read

About the author

Martin Yate

67 books19 followers
Martin Yate, CPC, also publishes as Martin John Yate.

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5 stars
30 (22%)
4 stars
46 (34%)
3 stars
38 (28%)
2 stars
20 (14%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for GoldGato.
1,306 reviews38 followers
April 1, 2014
It's always nice to get another perspective on the process of hiring new employees, and I have found this book to be very helpful. I think the reason it ranks as my favourite interview book is due to the fact that it addresses the three points of hiring, which are:

1. Is the candidate able to do the job?
2. Is the candidate willing to do the job?
3. Is the candidate going to be manageable?

In an age where true references are not really available due to company restrictions on releasing data on employees, a hiring manager really has to figure it out because it is the hiring manager, and not Human Resources, who will be responsible for the outcome. There are many different types of scenarios provided here, along with questions that can be asked to pinpoint if a candidate will fit the role. Although I have done hundreds of interviews as a hiring manager, I always go back to this book for a review and a revamp.

Still, my favourite interview of all time was when HR called me to state that they had scheduled an interview with a 'high-quality' candidate. Great, I thought. At the interview, my first question was, "Can you explain why this position appeals to you and why you would be a good fit?" The response I received was, "Don't know, you tell me". And that's why one doesn't rely on HR.

Book Season = Year Round
Profile Image for Cat.
715 reviews
March 24, 2018
There were helpful criteria to structure my thinking (both as someone interviewing people now and someone who will probably be interviewed again at this point in my career) as well as LOTS of examples of questions to ask. However, there weren't very many guidelines on how to winnow down the questions instead of asking every single one (there just isn't time for that!), and the structure was a little off, such that some information was redundant or belonged in an earlier and more general section. This book is worth it, however, as a way to get started creating a customized set of questions tailored to each job search, because there are so many examples and types listed here.
45 reviews3 followers
January 26, 2020
Очень понравилось - описывает всё от создания профиля до работы после найма. Её одной было бы достаточно. Пол-книги состоят из примеров, что также хорошо. Книга старая и в других отзывах пишут, что что-то там неактуально.
125 reviews2 followers
May 1, 2022
This is quite an old book but sticks to the basics and gives you plenty of questions to ask the candidates whom you are interviewing.
Also helpful if you require some brush up for an upcoming interview.
Profile Image for Beau.
311 reviews7 followers
November 8, 2012
Before I read this book, 15 years ago, I thought I knew how to interview people. I was mistaken.

Mr Yate described a simple process of matching resume to job, and then planning the interview skeleton to clarify specific things. It changed my mind about this critical business practice.

If anyone ever gets hired again in this country, the person hiring should dust off this book first and prepare like a professional.
Profile Image for Lori.
17 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2010
A few days after being promoted into my first management position I needed to hire someone, and needed some guidance. This book gave me the basic information to conduct thorough interviews and a philosophy/structure to start the process. In the intervening years, it's also served as a way to prepare to be interviewed... when I can answer the questions in this book clearly I am much more prepared and comfortable sitting on the "other side of the table."
Profile Image for Arseny Khakhalin.
22 reviews4 followers
August 12, 2016
Excellent book; very well written, and a great bank of interview questions, well structured and annotated. It's probably a good idea to flip through its pages before each job search, just to refresh possible questions in the mind.
2 reviews4 followers
February 10, 2008
My first book on interviewing skills. Lots of insight for the in-experienced interviewer, and real world techniques I'm excited to try out.
Profile Image for Wayne Zill.
73 reviews
June 23, 2010
This is a great reference book for anyone doing interviewing or hiring in any size business. I highly recommend its practicality and simplicity to help in the interviewing and hiring processes.
Profile Image for Hope Baugh.
70 reviews14 followers
February 5, 2010
Practical tips and good philosophical food for thought for both sides of the interview table.
Profile Image for Ana Paula.
327 reviews5 followers
April 12, 2024
Great book for managers who know very little about Human Resources and the recruitment process. Some guidelines in the book are a bit antiquated but overall great information.
253 reviews2 followers
September 16, 2009
More useful for me but not as well written as the last one, still looking for what I need.
Profile Image for Kay.
34 reviews
October 16, 2012
Good Resource book for interview question, approach, etc
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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