All businesses need employees. However, finding employees that work well for your business can be a challenge. The employees have to be competent, but they also need to be a good fit with your company’s morals, values, and dynamics. Having an action plan that addresses key components during the interview process will help ensure the right people are working for you. Spending the time developing interview strategies is a great investment in hiring quality people that will take your business to the next level.
Prep Questions in Advance – There are tons of questions you can ask during an interview. Choosing the top questions that really challenge your applicants is the key to a successful interview. Make sure that several people go over the questions to ensure the wording makes sense and that nothing is vague. The questions shouldn’t be generic, but questions that give insight into the character of the individual.
Have the Right Interviewer – Interviewers are also an important part of the equation when it comes to interviews. The interviewer should be someone who will be a direct supervisor for the position being interviewed. However, it is imperative that the interviewer is a great judge of character and comfortable speaking with people and allowing them to open up. Having two people in on the interview is a great idea, so they can discuss the applicants together and determine the best fit for the agency.
Listen – Make sure you listen more than you are talking. Listening is a very important skill to have when interviewing. Ask open-ended questions and allow the interviewee to answer the question to the best of their abilities. Start out very general and ease them into the larger and more important questions as the interview continues.
Talk about the Company – After all of the important questions have been discussed, give the candidate some insight into the company and how the culture is in the workplace. Discuss what the company offers as far as health benefits, work schedule, and opportunities for growth. Then give them a reason to believe they would be a good fit in the company and that they have the same goals and interests. Sell yourself and the company to interviewees that really do well and are those you would like to hire.
Dig into their Resume – Many people gloss over resumes, but there are very important jewels of information in resumes that can be used in an interview setting. If anything stands out, ask about it. Consider they have job-hopped several times, ask them why they haven’t found the right place to grow roots and what they are looking for in a forever career. Maybe their degree took two years longer than the average, ask them why and let them explain what may have held them back. Questions like this can open the window to honest discussion and maybe some personality traits that are not desired if they become defensive. Honesty is the best policy, but sometimes it is a great weed-out tool.
