You've gone through the pre-selection process, and now you've lined up interviews with the top contenders. The stakes are high. To remain competitive in today's tough business world, you need the best possible people working with you.
Now how do you go about choosing the right person? And how do you help ensure that the candidate will want to work for your company?
Prepare for the interview
The interview process begins when you develop the job profile for the position. The profile will determine the key discussion points and serve as an outline for the interview.
Once you have determined your interview outline, you should decide if the interview will be done by an individual or a panel. The more high-ranking the position, the more important it is to involve more people. You may also want to plan to have a second round of interviews, which involve other people who will be working with the new employee.
Get at the heart of the matter: the interview questions
To make the most of your time with the interviewee, prepare your questions in advance. To make sure the questions are clear, it may be a good idea to try them out on someone before the first interview.
The interview is your chance to find out more about the applicant. This includes measuring less tangible aspects such as the "fit" with the company, so you want the interviewee to talk as much as possible. Avoid questions that require a yes or no answer. Instead, focus on inviting people to talk about themselves and to give details about their experience.
Using a mix of question styles is recommended:
Behavioural-style questions help predict future behaviour by asking about past behaviour. They can help you assess the person's self-confidence, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Start your questions with, "Tell me about a time when you…" Ask the candidate about:
- the circumstances around that situation
- what they did about it
- what they learned from it
- use examples or challenges that are relevant.
Examples:
- Tell me about a situation you faced, where there was no one around to help you, and you could only rely on yourself to get the work done.
- Tell me about a time when you were faced with a difficult decision and the answer was not readily available.
- Tell me about a time when you were involved in a highly emotional confrontation.
Situational questions present the applicant with potential situations they could face on the job. This can help you evaluate the person's knowledge, skills and work methods. Start your questions with, "What would you...?" or, "How would you…?"
Examples:
- What would you do if a client asked you for something that wasn't in stock?
- How would you handle it if two of the employees under your direction stopped speaking to one another?
- How would you react if you needed to come in to work on a weekend?
Descriptive questions help you get specific information about the applicant. Asking people to talk about themselves and their future plans can also help you judge their compatibility with your company values and culture.
Examples:
- Why do you want to work here?
- Where do you see yourself in 2 years? In 5 years?
- What are your strengths?
- Describe your weaknesses.
Personal questions
Beware of asking questions about personal interests. They can get the interview off track or annoy people who want to keep their work and private lives separate.
Sell your company
The interview is also your opportunity to sell the candidate on the benefits of working for your company. You can begin the interview by talking about the position, the company and its future direction. This can provide the potential employee with the insight needed to decide if they want to work for you. You can also give interviewees a company brochure or information kit.
You should be prepared to answer the candidate's questions about the position and company. Only give information you are certain about. If you don't know the answer, tell the person you will find out and get back to them.
Take notes
It is important to take notes during interviews, especially when there are a number of applicants. This will allow you to refer back to your notes in order to help you remember the various candidates.
To help you make your decision, you can create a point system or an analysis grid to compare and rank the strengths and weaknesses of the interviewees. Your grid should be based on the skills and qualifications identified in your original job description. Consult the Finders Keepers recruitment guide by the Alberta government for a sample rating chart.
Other things you may want to note for future reference are the candidate's relevant skills, abilities or past experiences, future plans, self-presentation and comfort level. Keep in mind that most people are nervous during interviews.
Salary
Discussing the interviewee's salary expectations is usually left for the end of the interview, or for the second interview, if there is one. To avoid an awkward moment, you should do your research before the interview. Find out what the industry norms are, know what you are prepared to offer, and be aware of whether or not your offer is competitive. Average salaries can give you a general idea of the salary norms for various industries.
While salary is important, remember that respect, interesting and meaningful work, and communication with co-workers is also crucial. Be sure to let the interviewee know all the advantages of working for your company.
Offering the job
When you have selected your front runner, call and offer the position. Begin your conversation on a positive note, and congratulate the candidate on having been selected. Offer the candidate a few days to consider the offer before accepting it. Once this is confirmed, it is usual to write a letter of offer that states in writing what was discussed over the phone.
Don't forget to write a short letter to all the unsuccessful applicants to thank them for their interest and their time. If appropriate, you may want to keep the names of other interesting candidates on file. These can be considered when another post opens up.
Have a hiring strategy
Because hiring is time consuming, it pays to have a long-term strategy. Your efforts during the recruitment and interviewing process will benefit you in the future. Keep notes on what works and what doesn't, so that you can make changes the next time around.
To keep costs down, you should always be on the lookout for good people. Keep notes on outstanding interviewees and maintain a file of impressive resumes that you receive - even when you are not actively hiring.
