MEMORANDUM1.4 Cautions • Federal law prohibits discriminating candidates based on age, race,...

MEMORANDUM

MEMORANDUM

To: Cindy Raisor, Director of Human Resources From: Daniel Worker, Recruiter Date: 10/4/2013 Subject: Requested instructions for executing online prescreens of candidates for

employment.

This is the instructions that we agreed I would write last week after I successfully prescreened a candidate for employment. This document should help the HR department standardize the prescreening process. The instructions I have complied consist of five steps:

I have also included a worksheet (section 4) for note taking and documentation purposes. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments at [email protected] or at 555-222-3333. Enclosures (1)

For Internal Use Only

Online Prescreening of Candidates for

Employment

Document No. INS-HR-100

Version No. 001

New _X_ Revised ___ Effective Date: 10/04/2013 Author: Daniel Ehlers

Online Prescreening of Candidates for Employment (INS-HR-100), Version 001, Daniel Ehlers, 10/04/2013 Page 1 of 11

1. Overview

1.1 Purpose

These instructions will help you perform an online prescreen on a candidate for employment at

PetroChem. This process is used to gain information about a candidate for employment that

has sparked HR’s interest. This information will be used to analyze the candidate below the

surface and provide assurance that he or she will be a good fit here at PetroChem. The process

is described as follows:

1.2 Prerequisites

1. Receive authorization e-mail to prescreen candidate from Cindy Raisor, Director of HR.

2. Download all available supporting documents (resume, cover letter, etc.) from the

candidate’s file on the HR hiring portal.

1.3 Materials

• PetroChem authorized computer with internet access

1.4 Cautions

• Federal law prohibits discriminating candidates based on age, race, color, religion, gender,

sexual orientation, status as a parent, or disability. Do NOT take note of any of this

information.

• Verify that each source screened contains multiple indications that verify the information

present is connected to the candidate. If in doubt, it is best to not record questionable

information.

Permission Confirmation

•Authorization to prescreen is recieved from candidate AND Cindy Raisor, Director of HR.

Identity Verification

•LinkedIn® is used to confirm that the resume is honest and complete.

Social Network Investigation

•Facebook® and Twitter® are used to identify personality traits as well as social networking usage habits.

Miscellaneous Data

Exploration

•Google® searches are used to find additional information online about the candidate.

Prescreen Report

Generation

•A memorandum report of the results is generated and submitted to Cindy Raisor.



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1.5 Glossary

Online Alias Any screenname the candidate goes by on social networking sites or

before the “@” sign in his or her e-mail addresses.

Red Flags Troublesome aspects found that should raise concern for employment.

Examples: Odd obsessions, inappropriate photos, illegal activities, etc.

2. Instructions

Use the worksheet included in section 4 to monitor your progress and organize your thoughts as you

complete each step.


1. Verify that the correct candidate is being screened.

Confirm that the candidate you are about to screen is the same candidate requested via e-mail

to be screened by Cindy Raisor, Director of HR.

CAUTION: Only screen candidates that you have been properly authorized to screen.

Screening unauthorized candidates is against PetroChem policy and will result in disciplinary

actions.

2. Confirm background check permissions.

Ensure that the candidate you are about to screen has submitted a background check

agreement form to the HR hiring portal.

CAUTION: Do NOT begin a background check without proper permission from the candidate.

This activity is punishable by federal law.


1. Search for and gain access to the candidate’s LinkedIn® Profile.

Enter the candidate’s first and last name into the search box on LinkedIn.com. Open the profile

that contains similar information to the supporting documents on file. If the profile is set to

private, request to be “connections” using the undercover HR account. Login info should have

been sent in the authorization e-mail from Cindy Raisor.

2. Compare the LinkedIn® profile to submitted documents.

Analyze the LinkedIn® profile for any information that contradicts that listed on any of the

documents submitted to the HR hiring portal. Highlight all information on the resume that can

be matched with the LinkedIn® profile, as shown below in Figure 2-1. This practice identifies

information that is verified as true.



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Figure 2-1: Verified resume information (highlighted) by a LinkedIn® profile [1].

3. Use the LinkedIn® profile to complete the submitted resume.

Note any information that is included on the LinkedIn® profile but not on the submitted resume

that you feel will help PetroChem make a better decision regarding employment.


1. Search for and gain access to the candidate’s Facebook® profile.

Enter the candidate’s first and last name into the search box on Facebook.com. Open the

profile that contains similar information to the supporting documents on file. If the profile is set

to private, request to be “friends” using the undercover HR account. Login info should have


2. Note key personality traits observed throughout the profile.

Browse wall posts, personal info, photos, friends, groups, and affiliations. Note key personality

traits observed and provide supporting evidence. Does the candidate post content of him or

her volunteering? Are the profile pictures modest? Does he or she display an interest in the

Petrochemical Industry? Also note any red flags. Does the candidate have disturbing obsessions

such as drugs or weapons?

3. Search for and gain access to the candidate’s Twitter® Profile.

Enter the candidate’s first and last name into the search box on Twitter.com. Open the profile

that contains similar information to the supporting documents on file. If the profile is set to

private, request to be a “follower” using the undercover HR account. Login info should have




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4. Identify posting habits observed throughout the profile.

Check that the candidate exhibits self-control by not posting several times a day about trivial

things. Note the posting habits rather than the actual content (assuming no red flags are

present). Refer to Figure 2-2 below for an example of contrasting posting habits.

TIP: Consider skimming through a few pages of tweets to gain a broader perspective rather

than microanalyzing the first page displayed.

Miscellaneous Data Exploration

1. Perform a Google® search consisting of the candidate’s first and last name in quotes.

Performing a Google® search in quotes assures that the sequence of words in quotes is

returned in the search results. If no quotes are included, the first name and last name will be

scattered in each description.

2. Find sources relevant to the candidate by browsing each description.

Browse the list of search result descriptions for phrases that contains similar information to

what you have discovered thus far in the prescreening process. Click on each relevant

description. Ensure that enough supporting details are present in each source to allow you to

assume that the information corresponds to the candidate.

3. Note key personality traits and the supporting details present in each source.

Find details in each source that you feel reflect the candidate’s traits and would help

PetroChem make a better decision regarding employment.

4. Perform additional Google® searches using different keywords relating to the candidate.

Proceed back to step 2 for each new search.

• Search additional variations of the candidate’s name in quotes. For example: “’Daniel J

Ehlers’” and “’Daniel James Ehlers.’”

Figure 2-2: Examples of acceptable and unacceptable posting habits.



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• Search associations you have discovered from the other sources along with the candidate’s

name. For example: “’Daniel Ehlers’ TAMU” and “’Daniel Ehlers’ AIChE.”

• Search online aliases derived from any e-mail addresses or screen names uncovered. For

example: “Djecomputer,” “Daniel.ehlers,” and “Dantheman2015.”

Prescreen Report Generation

1. Categorize the information found.

Define 3 categories that sum up the noted information. For example, a candidate might exhibit

noteworthy personality traits, strong workplace skills, and broad leadership experience.

2. Create subcategories for each category found.

Define 3 subcategories that describe each category defined in step 1. The same candidate in

step 1 might, regarding personality traits, be honest, practical, and virtually responsible.

3. Describe each subcategory in paragraph format.

Discuss the inferences you have made and provide supporting details from your research to

support your claims.

4. Generate and submit the prescreen report.

Load the memorandum report template from the PetroChem intranet portal. Compile the

report from the results of steps 1-3. Upon completion, submit the document in PDF format to

Cindy Raisor, director of Human Resources at [email protected].

3. Conclusion

An online prescreen report of a candidate for employment should have been generated at the

successful completion of these instructions. Cindy Raisor will let you know if the report needs is

complete and if she would like you to investigate any aspects further. She is your best resource as

far as knowing the expectations for content. This report is a crucial aspect of the recruiting process,

as it will aid management and HR in making important employment decisions allowing PetroChem

to hire the best possible people in the industry.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the process, please do not hesitate to contact me

at [email protected] or at 713-555-5555.

[1] “Daniel Ehlers | LinkedIn” Internet: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=161675608. [Oct. 1,

2013]. Used with permission.



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4. Online Prescreen Worksheet


Yes No

Is the candidate you are about to screen the same candidate requested via e-mail to be

screened by Cindy Raisor, Director of HR?

Has the candidate you are about to screen has submitted a background check agreement form

to the HR hiring portal?


Were you able to gain access to the candidate’s LinkedIn® profile?

Did you have to request to be LinkedIn® “connections” using the undercover HR account?

Does the LinkedIn® profile match the submitted documents?

If no, please explain:

Have you highlighted all matching information on the resume?

Additional information from the LinkedIn® profile to complete the resume:



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Yes No

Were you able to gain access to the candidate’s Facebook® profile?

Did you have to request to be Facebook® “friend” using the undercover HR account?

Personality traits observed from the Facebook® profile:

Traits: Supporting evidence:

Are any red flags present?

If yes, please explain:



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Yes No

Were you able to gain access to the candidate’s Twitter® profile?

Did you have to request to be a Twitter® “follower” using the undercover HR account?

Posting habits observed from the Twitter® profile:

Posting habits: Supporting evidence:





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Miscellaneous Data Exploration

List search keywords used:

Source: Confirmation data

linking the source to

the candidate:

Relevant information found that will aid in the hiring decision

process:

Yes No





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Prescreen Report Generation

Category 1: Category 2: Category 3:

Subcategory 1: Subcategory 1: Subcategory 1:

Supporting Details: Supporting Details: Supporting Details:







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5. Version History

Date Version # Description

10/04/2013 001 Original issue



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I didn’t want to include these citations with the document. If these instructions were actually for PetroChem, the writer

wouldn’t have to cite logos and templates that the company owns the rights to.

Logo Image (Adapted and Used with Permission):

Vimeo. “Flower Logo.” http://b.vimeocdn.com/ps/320/320055_300.jpg. 30 Sep 2013.

SOP Template (Adapted from):

Expresstrain-ts. “Free SOP Template.” http://www.expresstrain-ts.com/resources.html. 30 Sep 2013.

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