你是否想知道當你申請一份工作時，招聘幕后發(fā)生的事情？盡管招聘程序會因行業(yè)、公司、甚至部門而異，結(jié)果卻是一樣的：眾多應(yīng)聘者中只有一個會拿到聘書。

　　Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes when you apply for a job? While the recruiting process varies by industry, company and even department, the result is the same: One person out of many receives an offer.

　　對于那些未被聘用的人來說，可能很難搞清楚招聘過程中自己作為應(yīng)聘者出了什么問題。并非每家公司都會通知應(yīng)聘者他們被拒了，告訴你被拒原因的更是少之又少。不過，明白招聘過程背后的秘密可能會使求職者在找工作時獲得有利地位。

　　For those who aren't hired, understanding what happened to their candidacy along the way can be a mystery. Not every firm notifies applicants they've been rejected, and few say why. But knowing what goes on in the hiring process may give prospects the inside track for a job.

　　很多雇主在開始招聘高管以下級別人員時，會利用一個招聘小組或人力資源團隊來剔除未能滿足工作基本要求的應(yīng)聘者。西雅圖一家小型電子商務(wù)公司Onlineshoes.com首席營銷長里奇說，他們應(yīng)該只是排除那些明顯不合格的人選。

　　Many employers start filling vacancies below the executive level by using a team of recruiters or human-resources personnel to weed out applications that fail to meet a job's basic qualifications. 'They should only be removing candidates who are a clear miss,' says Peter Leech, chief marketing officer for Onlineshoes.com, a small Seattle e-commerce company.

　　篩選的方式、時間長短和進入下一輪選拔的應(yīng)聘者人數(shù)會因公司而異，不過也有一定的模式可尋。有些進行初選的招聘人員會把所有的申請都一一過目，而有些則會在申請中找某些關(guān)鍵詞。同樣，有些人會在進行評估時看附在簡歷前的求職信，有些則會忽視求職信。職業(yè)專家建議，寧可過于謹慎也不要粗心。每份申請都要提供一份認真撰寫的求職信，并鍵入關(guān)鍵詞，也就是通常能夠在招聘廣告中找到的資格要求。

　　How this is done, the time it takes, and the number of applicants selected to go on to the next step varies, but there are some patterns. Some screeners eyeball every submission that comes in, while others search for certain keywords among applications. Likewise, there are screeners who consider cover letters in their evaluations and those who ignore them. Career experts suggest erring on the side of caution. Submit a carefully written cover letter and insert keywords -- must-have qualifications usually found in the job posting -- with every application.

　　新罕布什爾州職業(yè)策略師奧唐納說，如果你擔心自己的申請無法送達，等上五天，然后給雇主打電話確認他們是否收到了。

　　If you're worried that your application never arrived, wait five days and call the employer to ask for confirmation, suggests J.T. O'Donnell, a career strategist in North Hampton, N.H.

　　位于明尼阿波利斯的General Mills Inc.副總裁、首席招聘長萊勒克說，公司只向在網(wǎng)上填寫了某個職位申請表的求職者發(fā)電子郵件確認收到申請。她說，此外招聘人員只會看那些根據(jù)篩選標準滿足工作基本要求的應(yīng)聘者的申請。

　　General Mills Inc. sends email confirmations only to job hunters who complete an online application for a specific opening at the Minneapolis-based company, says Stephanie Lilak, vice president, chief staffing officer. What's more, recruiters will only review applications that show a person meets a job's basic qualifications, based on screening questions, she says.

　　不過很多公司常常會有這樣的特例：由員工或其他可靠來源推薦的應(yīng)聘者。一位受到推薦的人選可能會立刻獲得注意，有可能會加快他們進入面試階段的過程。43歲的法斯克茲說，她上個月獲得了應(yīng)聘一份高級營銷職位的電話面試，這要多虧了招聘經(jīng)理的一個朋友推薦了她。法斯克茲后來受邀接受數(shù)位高級經(jīng)理的面試，不過她后來沒有得到這份工作。她說，我不用填寫網(wǎng)上申請表，直接就進入了面試階段。

　　One common exception many firms make: A job hunter who is referred by an employee or other trusted source. A referred candidate may be given immediate attention, potentially speeding them to the interview stage. Michelle Vasquez, 43, says she landed a phone interview for a senior marketing job last month thanks to a referral from a friend of the hiring manager. Ms. Vasquez was later invited to interview with several senior managers, though she later found out she didn't get the job. 'I didn't have out to fill an online application,' she says. 'I went straight into the interview pool.'

　　下一步常常是讓人力資源人員、招聘經(jīng)理或二者一起把申請人的范圍縮小到那些技能和工作經(jīng)歷與職位描述非常接近的人。如果他們不能確定，可能會發(fā)郵件或打電話了解更多情況。最后，他們往往會得出一個人選名單，通常不超過20人進入面試程序。

　　The next step is often to have human-resources staff, hiring managers -- or both -- narrow down applicants to those whose skills and work histories closely match the job description. If they're unsure, they might email or phone to learn more. In the end, they'll typically have a list of candidates, usually no more than 20, to interview.

　　經(jīng)常是人力資源人員，不過偶爾會是招聘經(jīng)理，將首先對應(yīng)聘者進行電話面試。密蘇里州堪薩斯城保險經(jīng)紀商 Lockton Cos. LLC高級副總裁、人力資源人士蓋斯汀說，一般來講，電話面試的目的是確保候選人了解職位的要求，并且符合他們的工資預(yù)期。她說，如果不符合，就沒有進一步面試的必要了，不過偶爾對期望工資高于職位最高工資的人選會有例外。她說，他們的表現(xiàn)必須讓我們刮目相看才行。

　　Often human-resources personnel, but occasionally hiring managers, will first interview candidates over the phone. In general, the purpose of the phone interview is to make sure candidates understand the job and that it lines up with their salary expectations, says Jo-Ann Gastin, senior vice president, human resources, for Lockton Cos. LLC, an insurance brokerage firm in Kansas City, Mo. If it doesn't, 'there's no point in going any further,' she says, though on rare occasions exceptions may be made for candidates who name salaries above the maximum for a job. 'They'd have to wow us,' she says.

　　電話面試可以被用來幫助確定候選人是否是非常合適的人選。應(yīng)聘者的溝通技能也可能受到評估。以蓋斯汀為例，她說，我們希望看到他們是否能在電話面試中表現(xiàn)出親和力，因為我們是一家客服公司。

　　Phone interviews may be used to help determine if the person is a strong fit. Candidates also may be evaluated on their communication skills. In Ms. Gastin's case, 'We look to see if they can establish rapport on the phone because we are a customer-service company,' she says.

　　招聘經(jīng)理有時會在安排現(xiàn)場面試之前，再進行一次電話面試，以便深入了解更多情況。一些公司要求候選人完成性格或能力測試，測試是根據(jù)雇主認為一個特定職位所需的關(guān)鍵特點而制定的。

　　Sometimes hiring managers will reach out to candidates for a second call before scheduling an on-site meeting to dig deeper. And some firms require candidates to complete personality or competency tests benchmarked according to what an employer considers to be key traits for a particular role.

　　一些公司會在評估了應(yīng)聘者的申請之后，馬上讓候選人來公司進行面試。波士頓咨詢就是這樣一家公司，公司合伙人、美洲招聘負責人沃夫?qū)f，它主要聘用應(yīng)屆大學(xué)畢業(yè)生或?qū)W歷更高的畢業(yè)生。該公司指定最多由三人組成的小組來評估來自30多所美國學(xué)校的求職者。沃夫?qū)f，我們要找的是全面發(fā)展的人才，他們的興趣和生活經(jīng)歷能證明他們擁有良好的適應(yīng)力。

　　Some firms do bring candidates in for face-to-face meetings right after reviewing their applications. Among them is Boston Consulting Group, which mostly hires upcoming college and advanced-degree graduates, says Mel Wolfgang, partner and head of Americas recruiting. The firm assigns teams of up to three recruiters to assess applicants from more than 30 U.S. schools. 'We look for well-rounded individuals whose interests and life experiences suggest that they would adapt well,' says Mr. Wolfgang.

　　每個職位會有至多六位應(yīng)聘者得到第一輪面試的機會，包括接受兩位公司顧問的面試，每位顧問的面試時間約為 40分鐘。在這些候選人中，約有一半的人會進入與四位合伙人的第二輪面試。在面試期間，候選人會被問及他們的工作經(jīng)歷、職業(yè)目標和其他相關(guān)話題，另外他們還可能會參加角色扮演活動。

　　Up to six applicants are typically granted first-round interviews per opening, which involve meeting with two company consultants for about 40 minutes each. Of these, about half go on to second-round interviews with up to four partners. During the meetings, candidates are asked about their work history, career goals and other relevant topics, plus they are expected to participate in role-playing exercises.

　　大部分公司，一旦面試完成，招聘經(jīng)理就會與參加最后一輪面試的同事開碰頭會，了解他們認為誰應(yīng)該獲得這份工作。Onlineshoes.com的里奇說，不過最后，決定權(quán)仍在招聘經(jīng)理手中。這個決定常常取決于應(yīng)聘者的適合程度和熱情度。他說，你要確保你選的人對這份工作充滿激情。

　　At most firms, once interviews are done, hiring managers will convene with colleagues who met the finalists to get their opinions on who should get an offer. 'But in the end, it's still the hiring manager's call,' says Mr. Leech of Onlineshoes.com. That decision often comes down to fit and level of enthusiasm. 'You're making sure that you pick someone who is pumped up about the role,' he says.