拿I Love Rewards這家咨詢公司來說。這家公司位于馬薩諸塞州以及多倫多，現有38名員工，主要為那些希望實施員工福利和基于業績的薪酬的公司提供咨詢。最近該公司的9個職位空缺接到了1200份求職申請。

　　Paula Kwan I Love Rewards的員工們在快速面試中向應聘者提問。I Love Rewards并沒有瀏覽每份簡歷，而是向每位求助者發送了一封電子郵件，對求職者有意謀求公司職位表示感謝，并請他們參加在多倫多的一次開放參觀活動。結果只有400名求職者到場。該公司創始人兼首席執行長蘇勒曼（Razor Suleman）說，這等于讓他們自己篩選。求職者到處申請職位很容易，但有800人都沒有邁出第一步，這縮短了篩選程序。

　　在幾個小時內，蘇勒曼和手下31名員工對他們兩層高的辦公樓進行了布置，第一層被安排為求職者可以和公司員工見面的區域。第二層成為了所謂的速配區域，有希望的求職者和員工進行數分鐘的一對一接觸。

　　蘇勒曼說，這種系統安排很完美，因為每個求職者都能得到一段時間。在5分鐘內，我們問了他們一些問題，看看他們是否適合這個職位。這種做法與眾不同，但卻很有效率，因為你可以排除那些并不是非常熱衷的求職者。到當天晚上結束的時候，該公司選出了前68位求職者，隨后將給這些人打電話，請他們再來公司參加小組面試以及隨后的單獨面試。

　　招聘廣告的費用、獵頭費用，如果發現新招聘人員不適合之后尋找接替者，這些可能成為公司面臨的一大財務負擔；在各家公司都在密切關注成本的當下尤為如此。

　　會計師事務所Fisher,Herbst & Kemble PC的合伙人赫伯斯特（Bob Herbst）說，我們現在更加嚴格了，因為如果招聘者和工作崗位不適合，我們會浪費大量時間和精力。現在，這家事務所在招聘之前求助Mercer Systems制訂的性格測試。

　　赫伯斯特說，此前數年，他和公司其他人在面試過程中都相信直覺，但這并不總是能招到最好的應聘者。現在他不再心存僥幸了，而是要求所有求職者完成15分鐘的調查問卷；問卷意在預測人際交往風格、未來狀況和激勵因素等。

　　赫伯斯特說，我們以此避免招到不合適的人，這比簡歷或其他東西更為重要。

　　PCA Skin是亞利桑那州一家擁有100名雇員的公司，主要開發臨床皮膚護理產品。該公司從6月份開始在招聘中使用性格測試。測試問卷是由Professional Dynametric Programs制訂的，測試時間在10分鐘左右，包括了數十項特征描述。

　　PCA Skin首席執行長林德（Richard Linder）說，我們讓65位求職者進行了測試。他從6月份以來招募了17名新人。林德說，到目前為止我們使用這一測試工具招聘的每個人都很勝任。

　　其他公司則愿意支付更多前期費用，確保他們招到適合人選。新墨西哥州廣告公司McKee Wallwork Cleveland的老板之一、創意總監克里夫蘭（Bart Cleveland）就是這么做的。他沒有使用性格測試對求職者進行行為評估，而是最近開始對應聘者進行為期數天的親自考察。

　　他說，公司習慣了為求職者報銷機票，因此租車和住宿產生的額外費用就不算什么。最近，在四天的時間內，一位申請產品開發職位的求職者不但了解了公司文化，甚至被允許參加一些公司會議。

　　自從招聘了這位開發人員之后，McKee Wallwork Cleveland還對其他兩名求職者進行了類似的多天考察。克里夫蘭說，對那些需要為了工作搬家的人來說，這個過程對雙方都有利。

　　克里夫蘭說，人們在結識新人的時候，總是表現出最好的行為，但當他們心態放松、做回自己的時候，你就會開始看到他們真實的一面。我們會在他們從眾多應聘者中脫潁而出之前謹慎地篩選他們，一旦他們開始工作，精挑細選出來的人果然就大不一樣。

　　Take,for instance,I Love Rewards Inc.,a 38-person consulting firm that advises companies that want to implement employee benefits and performance-based rewards. I Love Rewards,based in Wellesley,Mass.,and Toronto，recently received 1200 applications for nine job openings.

　　Instead of reading through each resume,the company sent an email to each applicant，thanking the candidates for their interest and asking them to attend an open house in Toronto. Only 400 showed up. 'That's self-selection' reasons Razor Suleman,the company's founder and chief executive. 'It's so easy to apply for anything but 800 didn't take the first step. That lowered the screening process.'

　　Over a few hours,Mr. Suleman and 31 of his employees arranged the two-story office so that the first floor was designated as an area where employees could mingle with the candidates. The second floor became a so-called speed-dating area,where the prospects had one-on-one contact with the employees for a few minutes.

　　'It was perfectly systematic because everyone had a time slot' says Mr. Suleman. 'And in five minutes,we'd ask a few questions and see if they were right for the role. It was different but so efficient because you could remove people who aren't wildly enthusiastic.' By the end of the evening,the team had found the top 68 candidates,who will be called back for group interviews and then individual interviews.

　　Especially in a time when firms are watching overhead closely,the cost of advertising the job,paying headhunter fees and finding a successor if a new hire doesn't work out can be a major financial setback.

　　'We are much more strict now because we waste a lot of time and energy when the hire is not a right match.' says Bob Herbst,a partner at the accounting firm of Fisher,Herbst & Kemble PC in San Antonio,which is now relying on personality tests by Mercer Systems Inc. before hiring candidates.

　　In years past,Mr. Herbst says he and others at the firm would trust their instincts during the interview process， but that didn't always produce the best hires. Now,he isn't taking any chances,making all candidates fill out 15-minute questionnaires designed to forecast behaviors such as interpersonal style,outlook and motivators.

　　'It's our defense [against] getting the wrong kind of people.' Mr. Herbst says. 'It's a much more important factor than a resume or anything else.'

　　Physician's Choice of Arizona,or PCA Skin Inc.,a 100-employee company in Scottsdale,Ariz.,that develops clinical skin-care products,started administering personality tests in June. Developed by Professional Dynametric Programs Inc,the test takes about 10 minutes and consists of dozens of trait descriptors.

　　'We have had about 65 candidates take the survey.' says PCA Skin Chief Executive Richard Linder,who has filled 17 positions since June. 'So far,every hire we have made in which we used the survey tool has resulted in a successful placement.'

　　Other firms are willing to spend more upfront to make sure they are hiring bulls-eye candidates. Such is the case with Bart Cleveland,creative director and co-owner of McKee Wallwork Cleveland,an ad agency in Albuquerque,N.M. Instead of assessing behavior through personality surveys,Mr. Cleveland recently has begun to evaluate the candidates in person over the course of several days.

　　The firm is accustomed to paying for candidates' flights,so the added expense of car rentals and lodging has been a relatively small sacrifice,he says. Over the course of four days,one recent candidate for a developer position was privy to the culture of the firm and was even allowed to attend some meetings.

　　Since hiring that developer,the firm has had similar multiday evaluations with two more candidates,which Mr. Cleveland says is mutually beneficial for those who would need to relocate for the job.

　　'Humans are on their best behavior when they meet new people,but you start to see who they really are when they are relaxed and are themselves.' Mr. Cleveland says. 'We are careful of screening them before they come out but once they get here it really makes a difference.'