It’s About People—Part 2

Employers make a serious investment in a new hire. When you total the time spent developing an accurate job description, posting the vacant position, reviewing resumes, scheduling and conducting interviews, making a decision on one candidate, and then training the person, finding that one great hire can be a long, time-consuming process. Once you find candidates qualified to interview, be sure to invest enough time to be deliberate in the interview itself.

Ask Good Questions

Create a list of questions that pertain to the job itself, as well as to your company overall. These questions should be in line with your expectations of the candidate once they are hired. Another set of questions to include during your interview will challenge the candidate to see how they react, and to see if their career goals are in line with your company. Inc. recently published an article giving an example of one such question: “What do you see yourself doing when you finish at my company?”

Listen with Full Attention                        

TheHRSpecialist.com recommends monitoring a potential hire’s attitude during the interview. From the candidate’s tone of voice to body language, their attitude will tell you whether or not they are a fit with your company culture. The Attitude Meter is a short and sweet but effective method to help evaluate the candidate’s soft skills

Understand it’s a Two-Way Street

Keep in mind that the interviewee is also determining whether or not you are a good fit for them as an employer. If you sense that they have reservations about working for you, or are not asking many questions, it is likely that the candidate does not have a real interest in the position. They may be getting the sense from the vibe in your office or from you that it may not be a pleasant place to work. Being honest about the pluses and minuses you bring to the table will go a long way in building trust.

Behave with Respect

Spend as much time preparing your interview questions and reviewing a potential employee’s resume as you expect them to prepare for you. This preparation will help save you time, energy, and training costs, and will ultimately bring you the best fit for your open position.