Hiring mistakes will result in firing pains! by Nick Coleman
So wasting time doing a futile interview will cost you in more ways than one. Here are few simple, but tried-and-tested steps to formulate that near-perfect interview structure.
Know what YOU want!
Put yourself in the shoes of the job you’re offering. Look at the job on offer by reflecting on the people who held the position before; their strengths and weaknesses / what made them successful or unsuccessful. Have a list at hand (at least in your mind!) while you do your homework which will lay a solid foundation for the interview.
Ask the ‘Right’ Questions!
Phrase your questions along that list as much as possible. A practical pointer: ask at least 2 questions where they performed well (positively) and 2 questions where they didn’t. i.e- maybe a mistake they made and how it was remedied. This is sure to give you an insight into the candidate’s sincerity and confidence. Any candidate, who is forthcoming in voicing a mistake that was duly rectified, is worth your time!
More the merrier?
It’s recommended to have at least 2 interviewers per candidate. The logic of ‘2 heads are better than 1’ does work in this instance. Fundamentally, when you have multiple interviewers it’s easier to look for consistency of the answers and thereafter the compare/contrast approach will enable objective assessment.
Rating Systems work!
Resist the temptation to go with just the first impression based on what’s commonly called ‘falling in like!’ Not all candidates who WOW with first impressions actually deliver results. Thus the rating of criteria against each candidate before doing the candidate comparison, will lead to an objective and unbiased selection.
Write more, talk less!
When interviewing candidates, confusing candidate experiences is not hard to come by. So write your own notes as much as possible. And lastly; while you should hold authority over the interview in maneuvering it to get the answers from the candidate – remember that the candidate should do most of the talking and not you!
