At the very core of any hiring process is of course the interview. Unfortunately, far too many employers do not give this subject quite enough of their attention, instead relying on tired and ineffective interview methods in when attempting assess a candidate’s skills and experience. In order for an interview to be effective employers must start by giving this process the respect it is due, by allocating the necessary time and effort necessary to get the job done right. Yet another factor companies fail to recognize is the losses they are setting themselves up for when they do not commit to conducting an effective interview process, as this failure will most likely lead to an increased employee turn around, making it necessary that the company spend more time and money in repeating the process all over again. To help employers better their interview procedures, here is a breakdown of the three stages of the interview process as they have been identified by executive search firms.
In order for an interview to go smoothly there is a degree of preparation that must be done before hand on the interviewer’s part. To start with, the interviewer will need to begin by taking a careful look at the job description that was used to initially draw in the candidate. From this, they will then need to figure out how best to identify the necessary qualifications of the candidate and begin outlining a series of questions to ask during the interview. It is important here that a good line of questioning stay on topic and are carefully worded with the express purpose of drawing information from the individual being interviewed. Finally, the interviewer should set aside ten to fifteen minutes just before the interview to review and familiarize themselves with the candidate’s resume so that they are not walking in blind.
When the interview begins, the interviewer should start by describing the format of the interview so the candidate knows what to expect. During the interview, it is most important that that the candidate be allowed to do most of the talking with the employer only asking questions to help guide the interview. This line of questioning should be kept open-ended in order to draw information from the candidate, but should also be targeted enough to draw out specific situational and behavioral information where necessary. It has been suggested that the candidate be allowed to do 80% of the talking during this process, leaving the interviewer to listen. Throughout this process, observations should be made regarding the candidate’s nonverbal behavior, or body language, and notes should be taken. Finally, time should be left at the end for the candidate to ask their own questions, and the interviewer should conclude by telling the candidate what to expect from the rest of the process and given a general timeline.
Once an interview has been concluded, it is then up to the employer to take the time to review and assess the candidate. Here is when it should be decided whether or not further interviews should be conducted, or how best to proceed. Also, thorough reference checks should now be made. Above all, throughout each stage of this process, from any preliminary phone interviews onward, it is important that employers show candidates the respect they deserve. All too often this simple necessity goes overlooked, and it is done so to the employer’s detriment. The executive search, candidate sourcing, and hiring processes are tedious and time consuming, and are therefore all the more important that they be done correctly the first time through as they will not have to be unduly repeated time after time.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
