This past Monday I had the opportunity to listen to Rudolph Giuliani give the keynote address at the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame banquet in Boston. During his keynote he discussed - among other things - the six principles that he sees as the foundation for leadership success....including... practice and preparation.

He shared with the audience a story of how his propensity for preparation came from a mentor who once suggested that for every hour of presentation one should practice or prepare for four hours. As I sat there listening I couldn´t help but realize that it was quite evident that he practiced what he preached. It was evident in his delivery as well as the content he presented.

Applying what Giuliani said to the process of interviewing candidates is an easy leap. It stands to reason that when the candidate walks in the door he or she is expecting to be interviewed by a corporate representative that has prepared. Preparation for the interview involves learning as much as possible about the candidate (ex. reading articles candidates have written, blogs they have contributed to, conversations with colleagues and supervisors)  to compiling questions that uncover or elicit information from candidates. All of which helps paint a clear picture of the candidate´s competencies and likely fit within your company.

Preparation is transparent. We can see it in candidates when they walk in the door. And candidates see it when the interviewer begins the interview. Is your interview team prepared?