Connie Terwilliger - Script Sample

Hiring Principles, The Keys to a Good Fit
Training Video written for Rescue Industries

FADE IN:

1 - EXT. - SMALL HOUSE WITH TRUCK PARKED ON STREET

BARRY TIPTON leaves the house carrying a tool belt with a variety of tools in it in one hand, and a cup of coffee and his keys in the other. With the grace of repetitive habit, he pauses only slightly to pick up the NEWSPAPER which is lying on the grass near the walkway. He continues to walk down the walkway to his TRUCK.

He unlocks the driver’s side door and tosses his tool belt into the truck onto the seat. He climbs in the cab and lays the paper down on the seat beside him.

2 - INT. - CAB OF TRUCK - ANGLE OF BARRY

Still holding the coffee Barry turns on the engine. In the process of attempting to fasten his seat belt, Barry spills some coffee on the paper. He moves quickly to prevent the coffee from getting on the seat by lifting the paper up and sort of shaking it down on the floor mats. To prevent the stain from spreading, he opens the paper and folds the wet side inside. This exposes the RESCUE ROOTER ad, which catches his eye.

3 - INT. - ANGLE - CU - RESCUE ROOTER AD IN NEWSPAPER

Zoom in and hold on Rescue Rooter ad in paper. We see Barry’s finger follow over some of the words.

NOTE: This would be a good spot to work in the OPENING TITLE for the video.

Rescue Rooter
Presents
Hiring Principles, The Keys to a Good Fit

4 - INT. - ANGLE - MEDIUM SHOT INSIDE CAB OF TRUCK -- OVER THE SHOULDER

Barry looks at his watch and back to the ad.

5 - EXT. - MEDIUM WIDE OF TRUCK FROM SIDE.

Barry finishes fastening seat belt, puts truck in gear and drives out of frame.

6 - EXT. - RESCUE ROOTER SERVICE CENTER

Barry drives into parking place in front of Service Center, turns off engine, unfastens seat belt and gets out of the truck. He straightens out his clothing, runs his hands through his hair once or twice and enters the building.

7 - INT. PAULA’S OFFICE OR OTHER SET -- TO CAMERA

"The hiring decision is one of the most important decisions that a Rescue Rooter Manager makes. You know, as well as I, that a great part of a Service Center’s performance depends on the quality of that Service Center’s people. So hiring the right people is critical to building a successful Service Center team. In fact, poor hiring decisions usually result in a high turnover rate. This is costly in a number of ways -- profitability, your time, Service Center growth and employee morale, to name a few. Good hiring decisions depend on having a good hiring process. It’s not just "gut" feelings -- there’s a lot more to it. And just like learning how to fix a leaky faucet, you can learn good interviewing and selection skills. All you need is proper preparation and experience ... plus a few good interviewing techniques. This video is going to give you a better idea of the whole hiring process, from screening the application to setting up and actually doing the interview, to how to extend an offer ... so that you can be sure that the people you hire are a GOOD FIT."

Cut away from Paula when appropriate to key these major segments.

· Review the Application · Schedule the Interview · Prepare for the Interview · Put The Applicant at Ease · Probe for information · Questions and Answers · End the Interview · Reference Check · Extend an Offer/Notify Non-hires

8 - INT. - RESCUE ROOTER SERVICE CENTER LOBBY AREA.

Barry enters the facility. PAUL DONOVAN is at a desk (or other logical and appropriate area, possibly behind a sliding glass window) working on some paperwork. He looks up as Barry approaches.

DONOVAN
Hi, may I help you?

TIPTON
Yes, I think so. I noticed an ad in the paper this morning that says you are doing some hiring?

DONOVAN
That’s right. We’re looking for qualified candidates for our Service Technician position. Would you like to fill out an application?

TIPTON
Yes, I would. Thanks. I’ve been keeping my eye out for something like this.

DONOVAN
Great.

Donovan locates the APPLICATION and the CHECKLIST and hands them to Tipton. Make sure there is a clipboard or something so that Tipton can write easily.

DONOVAN (cont.)
Here’s the application...and here’s a short checklist that explains our minimum qualifications.

TIPTON
OK.

DONOVAN
There’s a seat over there and here’s a pen. Can I get you a cup of coffee or water?

TIPTON
No, thanks. I’ve had my coffee today.

DONOVAN OK. My name is Paul. Paul Donovan. I’m an Assistant Manager here at the service center.

TIPTON
Barry Tipton.

DONOVAN
Good to meet you Barry. Just let me know when you’re done and I’ll take a quick look at your application before you leave.

Barry crosses over to the chair that Paul indicated and begins to fill out the application.

9 - While the narrator is speaking we see Barry filling out the application. Use a combination of CU’s, Medium and Wide shots so that we can extend or jump time as necessary. NARRATION

The process has started. A potential Rescue Rooter employee is filling out an application. You started out on the right foot by greeting him right away and making him feel comfortable. What happens next can mean the difference between a Service Center of the Year Team and a Service Center with high turnover, low morale and poor profits. Deciding who to hire is one of the most critical decisions a Rescue Rooter Manager makes. And the hiring process is your key to hiring the best person for the job.

10 - INT. - PAULA

Paula is in same location as for her introductory statements. These are long sound bites. It may be helpful to have a ready supply of generic Rescue Rooter stock footage to cover some of her responses. Or, where appropriate to her words, use extra footage from the Interview Scenario. Use Bullets where appropriate. She answers a couple basic questions here, playing off the last sentence of the narration:

"The best person for the job is someone who is a GOOD FIT for both the applicant and the service center. Whatever job you are hiring for -- service tech, dispatcher, fleet manager or even the bookkeeper -- you’ll want to find this GOOD FIT. You know what kind of knowledge, skills and abilities would be best for that specific job. Now you need to match those things up with the right person. With this in mind, let’s move on to the first step in the process, REVIEWING THE APPLICATION. The first thing you want to do here is determine if the applicant meets the Rescue Rooter minimum qualifications. The last thing you want to do is get all the way to the interview stage and THEN discover that the applicant isn’t 21 yet, or has too many marks on their driving record."

11 - GRAPHIC - WITH TITLE

Bring in a title over a still frame of the application or some other interesting background which could be carried throughout the show. This will be the first segment of the show.

Review the Application

12 - INT. - RESCUE ROOTER SERVICE CENTER LOBBY AREA..

Barry is nearly finished with the application.

NARRATION
What the applicant puts down on the application can be very revealing -- and is the primary way you will determine if this candidate should come in for an initial interview.

It’s up to you to check the application carefully for anything that would immediately eliminate an applicant from being qualified for the position.

Barry stands and approaches the area where Paul is working. Paul either comes back into the room, or gets up from where he has been sitting.

DONOVAN
All finished?

TIPTON
Yes, I think so.

DONOVAN
Did you have any questions?

TIPTON
No.

DONOVAN
That’s great. Barry, can you give me just a couple of minutes to look this over?

TIPTON
Sure, no problem.

DONOVAN
Have a seat. There’s a Rescue Rooter newsletter you might find interesting and I’ll be back in a few.

Donovan exits and Barry returns to the seat and picks up the newsletter and begins to read.

13 - INT. - PAUL’S OFFICE

Paul enters his office, sits at the desk and begins scanning the application. He makes a few notes. Shoot enough of this action to allow you to use it as cutaways during the billboard.

[Action continues with narration as primary sound track. There could also be some music at this point.]

NARRATION
Review the application in a quiet place where you can concentrate as you look for apparent advantages...or obvious disqualifiers. You should know the layout of the application pretty well, so this should only take a few minutes.

14 - CUT AWAY FROM PAUL’S ACTION TO GRAPHIC AS NECESSARY.

GRAPHIC - (WHAT TO LOOK FOR) This is a standard billboard with the minimum requirements popped on.

What to Look For...
· Minimum Age -- 21
· Driving Record

NARRATION (CONT.)
There are some key points to check. Is the applicant at least 21? If it isn’t obvious, simply ask candidates if they are at least 21...remember, don’t ask them how old they are.Check the driving record. It doesn’t pay to discover a bad driving record during the first or second interview.

· Certain Criminal Convictions

Look for criminal convictions. If the box is checked, is there an explanation? While not an automatic disqualifier, a criminal record needs to be reviewed carefully. Call the Employee Services Department if this box is checked.

· Work History
· Customer Service Experience
· Mechanical Experience

Scan the work history page. This segment will tell you lots of things about the candidate. Look for gaps in employment...reasons why they left their last job...as well as for previous customer service and technical experience.

· References

Has the applicant listed enough references? Be sure to ask for them if they aren’t there.

· Previous Salary

The salary information can also be revealing. Is there a history of pay raises? This is a good sign of promotability. Something to question, however, would be a big discrepancy between previous salary and potential Rescue Rooter earnings. This is one area where you should ask for clarification.

· Signature

And remember, this is a legal document, so look for that signature on the final page of the application.

15 - INT. - SERVICE CENTER LOBBY AREA AGAIN.

Paul comes back in with the application and his paper with a few notes on it.

DONOVAN
Thanks for waiting.

TIPTON
No problem.

DONOVAN
Everything was pretty clear. You’re a careful driver....that’s very important to us....And your work history looks applicable. However, I did have a question about when you were on this job ... here. Was this job at the same time as this job?

Barry looks at application with Paul. Ad-lib if necessary. Fade out of this scene to Paula’s interview.

16 - INT. - INTERVIEW WITH PAULA

Another thing to consider is how neat and complete the application is. Not only could this indicate how serious the applicant is about working for Rescue Rooter, but it will also tell you if a customer would be able to read an invoice written by this person. And always pay special attention to the reason for leaving pervious jobs. If they left a job for "personal reasons", you will want to ask about what happened. Are the reasons something they might encounter at Rescue? With a little experience -- and knowing what you want out of an applicant -- you should be able to review the application and make the right decisions about who to bring in for a first interview.

17 - GRAPHIC - WITH TITLE

Bring in a title over a still frame of the SERVICE CENTER or the interesting background selected. We bring on the title for the next segment of the show.

Schedule the Interview

18 - INT. - SERVICE CENTER RECEPTION AREA

We continue with the action from previous scene. Barry and Paul are discussing the application.

NARRATION
After determining that an applicant meets all the minimum qualifications for Rescue Rooter and has some of the predetermined skills and experience you want, you need to schedule an interview. This is where you will try to determine what is unique about the candidate. Interviews should be worked in as soon as possible after accepting the application, so as not to lose a good candidate to someone else. Think about your own work load and allow at least 30 minutes for the interview. These applicants are important to our success, so it makes sense to time things so that you are not rushed and they aren’t kept waiting.

BRING UP AUDIO FROM SCENARIO.

DONOVAN
Based on your qualifications and background, everything looks good at this point, Barry. A couple of quick things before I schedule an interview.

TIPTON
Sure...

DONOVAN
We require a drug screening.

TIPTON
That’s no problem.

DONOVAN
Great. The service tech positions I’m filling at the moment require at least 10-hour shifts...nights, or weekends and some holidays...

TIPTON
That should be OK.

DONOVAN
Super. When can you come in for an interview? Sometime this week OK?

TIPTON
How long will it take?

DONOVAN
Oh, let’s say about a half hour -- 45 minutes at the most.

TIPTON
Well, mornings are good for me.

DONOVAN
OK, how ‘bout Thursday morning at 9? Sound good.

TIPTON
Sounds good to me.

DONOVAN
Thanks for coming in, Barry. I’ll be doing the interview, so when you come in, just ask for me. Here’s my card.

TIPTON
Thanks. I’ll see you on Thursday at 9.

19 - INT. - INTERVIEW WITH PAULA

When you run an employment ad, it is a good idea to plan for interviewing applicants on the spot. This may require extra staffing so you can be in interviews, uninterrupted, for at least 30 minutes at a time throughout the day. In any case, be sure to tell the candidate what to expect next and follow through. If you say you will call them by Friday, be sure to keep the commitment. This is important, because each applicant is a potential customer. You want to treat them with respect so that they walk away with a positive image of Rescue Rooter.

20 - GRAPHIC - WITH TITLE

Bring in a title over a still frame of the SERVICE CENTER or the interesting background selected. We bring on the title for the next segment of the show. This is a very short segment.

Prepare for the Interview

21 - INTERVIEW WITH PAULA

"Many service centers choose to conduct more than one interview with each applicant. This way another manager can also evaluate the candidate -- looking for a GOOD FIT. An extra pair of eyes and ears will also help ensure quality and consistency in the hiring process.

OK, the next step is preparing for the interview. Here’s what you are going to need.

The Applicant Check List - you should already be familiar with this list of Rescue Rooter qualification, because it can also be used when you are first reviewing the application.

The Rescue Rooter Interview Questions. These help keep you on track and maintain consistency between all interviews.

Have a pad of paper for notes.

The Fact Sheet is to give candidates you think might be a GOOD FIT.

And keep your Hiring Principles Handbook open to the pages that outline the Interview Format...especially when you are first starting to conduct interviews. Having structure and explaining it to the candidate helps keep you in control of the interview.

21A - INT. - RESCUE ROOTER SERVICE CENTER, COMMON AREAS AND PAUL’S OFFICE.

Paul is in his office with the appropriate papers, reviewing them prior to the interview. He should have the Application, the Interview Questions and the Applicant Checklist. He is wearing different clothes, as it is now Thursday, just before the HIRING INTERVIEW. He could be greeting another service technician, or getting a cup of coffee. We use these shots to cover the second portion of Paula’s comments.

At the end of Paula’s comments...go to...

22 - GRAPHIC - WITH TITLE

Bring in a title over a still frame of the SERVICE CENTER or the interesting background selected. We bring on the title for the next segment of the show.

Put the Applicant at Ease

22 - INT. -- HALLWAY OR AREA JUST OUTSIDE PAUL’S OFFICE

[This is the first 13 pages of a 32 page script.]

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