Not only is it the applicant’s last chance to make a good impression, but it’s your chance to assess their cultural fit, their personality, their intentions and their temperament. And it is also you and your company’s chance to make a positive lasting impression as well. That’s a lot of pressure for one meeting!
Even though you’re not the interviewee, as an employer you should go into interviews just as prepared as your candidates. Have a plan and know what questions you’ll need to ask to fully reveal if this candidate is right for the position and for your organization.
Job interviews have come a long way – and they are anything but boring. The most important thing to do is to get past the bullshit.
Resume, schmesume
You already have their resume with their experience listed right in front of you, so no need to get them to regurgitate that information. Instead use the resume as a starting point. Ask them questions about what interested you about their resume. “It says here you had your own TV show. What was it about?” or “I noticed there is a two-year gap in your listed experience. Do you mind my asking the reason?”
The resume is just what you need to start the conversation. Things should progress naturally from there.
It’s not a race
Interviewing is extremely time consuming – and it’s hard to schedule all the candidate interviews you want into one day – but it is more time consuming to hire the wrong candidate because you were rushing the process. Take your time with each interview and make sure you schedule them accordingly.
Focus on the last 12 months
This doesn’t apply to all cases…but in most cases, what your candidate has done in the past year will dictate whether or not they’ll fit in at your organization. It only takes 66 days to form a habit, so that means over the last year, your candidate has developed many tendencies, work methods, and adjusted to a specific work pace. It’s not impossible, but it can be hard to adjust to an environment that is drastically different from their most recent employer’s.
Culture and values
Ask your candidate questions to figure out if they’re a match for your company’s culture and values and to see if they’ll fit in with your team. Also ask the candidate what they’re looking for in a job. This should give you an idea of whether or not they can achieve their career goals at your company. Other questions you might want to ask:
- What is your work style?
- What type of working environment do you thrive in?
- What type of work environment would make it hard for you to get your work done?
- What did you like and dislike about your last job?
- What do you look for in a boss?
Get a reaction
Sometimes the reaction to a question is more important than the answer. Ask a few unexpected questions to get a reaction out of your candidate. Don’t ask them anything too obscure, but ask a couple questions that force them to think outside the box.
Google’s hiring practices have been getting lots of hype for some time now. Apparently Google’s hiring managers are known for asking some obscure questions such as “Why are manhole covers round?” and “How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?” or “How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?” Make your candidates think and surprise them with a couple questions but don’t make them squirm. And certainly don’t make them feel stupid.
Once you get past the pressure that comes with a job interview, and figure out the questions to generate the information you’re looking for …you have to admit, interviewing candidates for an open position at your company is kind of fun. It is a chance to get to know someone, and an opportunity to further the success of your company. And at the very least, every interview is a learning experience of what to do next time around.
For more of my take on HR topics & trends, check out the Qimple blog here
