Hiring the Best

Now that Video Librarian is looking to hire more office help, preferably someone with excellent writing skills, knowledge of the video industry, mastery of the web, sales skills that would knock Tom Peters' multi-colored socks off, a perennially sunny disposition, and...um...anyway, I thought it might be worth taking a gander at Hiring the Best. Primarily straight-talking head (courtesy of presenter Mary O'Dowd), with a few skits thrown in for illustration, this compact overview advises employers to create a "must-have" worksheet detailing the job's purpose and responsibilities, followed by the qualities and personal attributes necessary to do the work, as well as preferred but not necessarily vital skills. The next section--on advertising the job--is the weakest; want ads and networking are mentioned, but--amazingly--not one word is said about job listings on the Internet (a considerable oversight, circa 1999). In preparation for conducting an interview, viewers are reminded which areas of inquiry are illegal, and given tips on creating good questions, active listening, and "selling" a strong candidate. Finally, the program covers ranking interviewees and proper follow-up (including a polite call to those applicants who did not get the job). In an age when business tapes are still regularly priced around $500 (and up), a $99.95 title is--in my opinion--still pricey, but certainly more affordable. In this case, libraries can toss the manual (which has some fill-in-the-blanks pages) and add the audiocassette as a separate item, since it's the soundtrack of the video (and the two-fer adds a little more bang for the C-note). Recommended, on balance. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)