How to Interview Employment Candidates
5 Tips to Help Recruiters Hire the Right Person for the Job
Nov 22, 2008
You might be new to hiring or have years of experience, but if you have never been taught how to interview effectively, your chance of hiring the right person for the job is low. This is because in order to hire the right person, you must meet and get to know many candidates in rapid succession with very little time.
Hiring is based on knowing. Getting to know someone means asking the right questions, in the right ways. Follow these tips and get the results you need to make your next hiring decision.
Be Cool
Practice interviewing with a calm, cool demeanor. This puts candidates at ease. If you get nervous, they get nervous. Practice breathing and grounding before the interview. Be completely prepared and mentally engaged. Remember this person has taken the time to sit with you and be examined. Respect that and be ready to listen.
In the book You're Not the Person I Hired: A CEO's Survival Guide to Hiring Top Talent, authors Boydell, Deutsch and Remillard (2006) stress the importance of building rapport through small talk in order to "break the ice" and put interviewees at ease. When candidates are comfortable they are more likely to open up and share honestly.
Have a Game Plan
Create a set of questions that you would like to ask during the interview. Try to lay them out in an order that flows logically. Leave space on the pages for answers. Jot down clear, specific notes about what seems most important about the candidate. Avoid lame questions like, "What are your strengths/weaknesses?" Everyone knows the right answers there. Ask questions that elicit a narrative and get down the heart of the matter.
Let Them Tell the Story
After asking a question wait for the candidate to respond, giving them plenty of time to provide an answer. Avoid giving prompts, or telling them what you want to hear. Then ask yourself if you need more information. If yes, ask a follow up question. For example, "Can you tell me of a specific time when..."
Reserve Judgment
Do not hire someone on the spot. Also, avoid making a decision right after an interview. Let the information settle. It is too tempting to hire a person just because they are likeable, or reject a person because of an annoying laugh. After a few days, go back to the notes and make a critical, informed decision.
Go With the Whole Package
Consider the job and consider what the perfect candidate would look like. If the person will be traveling around alone for considerable lengths of time, do not pick the guy who clearly needs to be around other people. The reverse is true. Do not pick the shy loner type for a high energy customer relations post. When matching job and candidate - you want the whole package to fit together.
You Are an Interviewing Guru!
Practice makes perfect when it comes to interviewing. Each person has a style that makes it all their own. The main points to remember are to keep calm, let the candidate tell their story, let the information settle before making a decision, and always go for the total package.
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