Candidate Interviewing Process
One of the critical steps in hiring an employee is conducting an interview. Many managers dread the interviewing process but with the proper preparation and focus, you can increase your odds in identifying a potential employee that can positively impact your company.
Once you have identified a candidate that “looks good on paper”, you need to contact the candidate to arrange an interview. In order to save time, many companies are routinely scheduling phone interviews first to gauge a candidate’s viability before bringing them in for a live interview. While it is a time saver, keep in mind that you also run the risk of eliminating a good candidate because of a botched phone interview. Remember, you are relying solely on a candidate’s voice instead of seeing the total person. And, as we all know, a bad cell phone connection can wreak havoc on any conversation.
When you contact a candidate, make sure you call all of the phone numbers listed on the resume. When leaving voice mail messages, be clear and thorough with your message – state your name, company name and reason for calling. Make it easier for the candidate to get in touch with you by leaving multiple numbers and the best times to reach you. If you don’t get a call back, don’t assume the candidate is not interested. Keep a log of your candidate contacts. Try calling them a second or even third time especially if you really like the candidate’s resume. In your third message, you might want to indicate that if you do not hear back from them you will assume that they are not interested and that you will not be calling again. You may also want to e-mail the candidate.
When speaking with a candidate, remember that the best candidates may be actively interviewing with multiple companies. It’s up to you to “sell” the candidate on your position and company. You should be positive and enthusiastic when speaking with candidates. Once you connect live with a candidate, let them know that you liked their background and are interested in arranging a phone or live (your choice) interview date/time. Resist the urge to conduct a phone interview on the spot because the candidate might not be prepared to do that.
When conducting phone interviews, start out by giving the candidate an overview of your company and the open position. By providing details on the position first, this will allow candidates to qualify themselves. For example, if there’s something the candidate doesn’t like (i.e. hours, responsibilities, location, etc.), he or she may point that out up front and choose to pass on the position, which will save everyone’s time and effort. The phone interview should be fairly brief. You should ask just enough job interview questions to confirm that the candidate merits a live interview. Have your calendar/planner ready to schedule a date/time for a live interview.
When conducting live interviews, remember that your personal mindset plays a key role in the success of any interview. If you conduct an interview when you are not prepared or while you’re distracted, chances are it won’t go well. Keep in mind that interviewing is a learned skill.
When interviewing, commit to a standardized set of questions that every candidate should be asked. You should always be refining your list of questions – throwing out the ones that don’t work and adding new ones to see how candidates respond. Listening is a key to interviewing success. The more the interviewer talks the less he or she learns about the candidate. Try to ask questions that allow the candidate to do most of the talking. Avoid questions that can be answered with a yes or no response. Try to ask questions that encourage candidates to talk about their work experience. It’s a good idea to alternate between easy, straightforward questions and more difficult, open ended ones. Ask questions that require a candidate to describe their past behavior in the kind of situations they will likely come across on the job. Observe the candidate’s body language when they respond to your questions. Note how they present themselves and how completely they respond to your questions.
Always allow time for the candidate to ask you questions. You can really get a good read on where a candidate is coming from based on the questions the candidate asks. Also, give them an opportunity to go back and clarify their response to a previous question. Try to take notes during the interview or immediately after the interview ends while it’s fresh in your mind.
From a legal standpoint, there are certain job interview questions that you cannot ask a candidate. Generally, questions must address job requirements and the skills needed to do the job. Areas to avoid include age, marital status, religious or private organization affiliations, race and national origin. For more information on questions to avoid, consult your attorney or someone with expertise in employment law.
Perfect Office Placement provides its clients with free job interview questions as well as other valuable, time-saving hiring process information. We also offer a unique hiring service for general office staff openings that will handle all of the hiring legwork for you while you focus on running your business. Best of all, it’s extremely affordable and guarantees a hire. If you are interested in streamlining the hiring process, call a Perfect Office Placement hiring consultant today to find out how we can help.
Perfect Office Placement
705 North Mountain Road
Newington, CT 06111
(860) 953-8547 (local)
(800) 290-2168 (toll free)
(860) 953-8567 (fax)
