Why North Bay hiring can be hard and what to do about it

When it comes to hiring people from outside the north San Francisco Bay Area, it helps to be truthful about limitations in the region, such as pay and advancement. Local recruiters offer tips on how to deal with these challenges.|

North Bay living is higher cost with tighter housing than many areas – and someone taking a job here may not get the salary they would have gotten in Silicon Valley.

So when it comes to hiring them, it helps to be truthful about aspects of life in the North Bay that could be perceived as limitations, said Kayleigh Sharp, practice lead at the Petaluma office of Aerotek, a national staffing company.

“The North Bay provides an incredible quality of life. Yet sometimes the pay in the North Bay isn't going to be as high as the pay in the South Bay. At times we're working with smaller companies. Opportunities for growth could be slower or less available. In addition, housing is hard to find. I always have candidates do a lot of research on the housing market and rent prices. They should know a lot before moving here,” said Sharp.

You can also ask questions to determine what the candidate wants from the job and the place they will call home.

Julie Coucoules, global head of talent acquisition at Glassdoor, a Mill Valley-based company that provides a database containing millions of company reviews, is aware of “the struggle of getting people over the Golden Gate Bridge.”

“Even though we're right past the bridge, that's a big deal for some candidates. So we moved our on-site interview up in the recruitment process for some roles. Candidates come, experience the catered lunch, meet the dogs, and see our beautiful office earlier in the process to get them excited about our location,” said Coucoules.

Sarah Hopkins, director of human resources at Santa Rosa Junior College, asks candidates why they are interested in becoming a part of SRJC.

“We're looking for people to stay,” said Hopkins.

Design the right interview

The “right” interview process is the one that fits the job. Employers can utilize multiple interviews with staff at different levels in the company and credit and criminal background checks closely related to the job description to learn whether a candidate will fit a position. Pre-employment tests such as multiple choice personality tests, timed knowledge-based exams, and physical screens that ensure the candidate can perform the essential duties of the job are beneficial.

“Pre-employment inquiries can be quite extensive, even for entry-level retail positions. Yet for smaller employers, I see fewer pre-employment tests than I did 20 years ago. You've got to ask what the return on investment is for interviews and tests,” said Valerie Nagle, employment program representative of the Santa Rosa office of the California Employment Development Department.

Nagle recommends asking all the candidates for the same job the same questions, to eliminate any doubts about potential discrimination. She also thinks it is helpful to ask open-ended questions.

“The phrase ‘Tell me a little bit about yourself' seems trite, but it gets the person to open up. Offering them an opportunity to talk about themselves is good,” said Nagle.

Sharp said Aerotek relies heavily on an interview that “digs in on a candidate's career goals and motives.”

“Our interview process is pretty extensive. 85 percent of our business is (providing employees for) temp to hire. Our recruiters begin by phone screening candidates. They talk to them about what they're interested in and determine whether they will represent Aerotek well. Then we do a face-to-face interview at Aerotek's office, where we try to see if the candidate meets the qualifications of our customers. During the interview, our recruiters explore the candidate's expected pay, work environment, commute, and growth opportunities, as well as their preferred company culture and management style,” said Sharp.

Coucoules said Glassdoor's hiring process typically involves initial conversations with candidates, an on-site visit, and an assignment related to the open position.

“An engineer may be required to do a coding test or a code pair (an online coding demonstration) live with a manager over the phone. A marketer may be asked to give a presentation to a group,” said Coucoules.

Hopkins said SRJC's interview process depends on the position.

“For full-time faculty, we have a committee interview, a finalist interview, and an interview with the president. Classified staff participate in a committee and finalist interview. Part-time faculty only have a committee interview. Applicants may be asked to give a teaching demonstration, (perform) writing exercises or other assessments related to the job as part of the interview process. We tend to include multiple levels of assessment…to determine if candidates are the right fit for a position,” said Hopkins.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc., a biotech company headquartered in San Rafael, starts the interview process with a phone call. The company likes to get a sense of whether the applicant is familiar with the company.

“In the initial interview, we look at how prepared someone is for the call. Do they know BioMarin's mission or portfolio of products? How responsive are they with our coordinators who schedule interviews or have follow up questions? Is their personality consistent throughout the whole process? That helps us determine if they would be the right fit for BioMarin,” said Johanna Lucas, senior director of talent acquisition for BioMarin.

Generally, tests like drug tests, criminal background checks, and credit checks should be applied in a uniform way for all applicants. They should also relate to a requirement for the business. For example, a credit check would be appropriate primarily for positions that involve handling money. Language tests are appropriate if the job requires speaking another language or the company works overseas where that language is spoken.

Employers in tourism and hospitality can make a love for the area a qualification for the position. It is allowable to ask interview questions that permit a candidate to showcase their knowledge of local geography, understanding of different North Bay populations, and appreciation of the resources that the three counties offer.

Complying with the law

Recent changes in California state law prohibit employers from asking a candidate's salary history, requesting an arrest record, and asking about felony convictions. Federal and state law prohibit employers from asking whether a candidate has a disability or a prior work-related injury. Employers should also avoid asking a candidate about their children or plans to have children, their age, marital status, gender, and sexual orientation.

Sandra Wickland, an employment law attorney based in Santa Rosa, said employers should not use generic applications that they find on the internet or applications from other states.

“A good job description is the right place to start. Include the physical requirements of the job, even if it's a desk job. The applicant should know how much they might need to lift, how long they would be expected to sit, and whether the job involves repetitive motion, like typing. You can ask an employee to show how they would perform the duties of the job. With regard to age, you should avoid having dates on an application, like when an applicant attended college. Just ask them what degree they received,” said Wickland.

Wickland said California law requires an employer to obtain the applicant's permission if they want to perform a criminal background check or a credit check. Specific notice requirements apply if the employer disqualifies the candidate based on information that the check turns up. If a position requires the employee to drive, an employer can request a candidate for permission to obtain a DMV report.

Steven Kesten, an employment law attorney based in San Rafael, advises employers about how to conduct interviews and any screening procedures that “go outside the traditional work environment.”

“I see a lot of problems where employees want to conduct interviews over dinner or in a social environment,” said Kesten.

Kesten advises that employers who want to gain a deeper understanding of a candidate ask questions about community work and social activities in which the candidate is involved. These questions are allowed.

“It is important to understand the community you are trying to build to get work accomplished. It also shows you whether the candidate has (desirable attributes)…you want, like a pleasing personality, the ability to play well with others, creativity, and problem-solving skills,” said Kesten.

Kesten said setting a high bar in the interview process typically yields a good result.

“If you have fewer rules and higher expectations, people tend to respond to that. Even in the interview process, treat someone with respect. Believe in their capacity to do a good job. You won't be disappointed. (If) after examining your employee's pluses and minuses you discover the wrong person was hired, don't be afraid to terminate and start interviewing again. Keep this proverb in mind: no matter how far you've walked down the wrong road, it is never too late to turn around.”

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