This is the final installment of a series on Best Hiring Practices.\u00a0 The series is not intended to be all-inclusive, but rather an examination of the most impactful things you can do to improve your hiring process.\u00a0 In the previous postings, we\u2019ve talked about the need to hire well . . . and the high cost of a bad hire.\u00a0 We\u2019ve talked about the need to write a detailed job description including desired behaviors.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve talked about the need to script interview questions that will reveal the behaviors we\u2019re looking for.\u00a0 Now we need to talk about the actual conduct of the interview.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t conduct job interviews very often and are unsure of your skill as an interviewer, please read below.<\/p>\n
Prior to inviting an applicant in for an actual face-to-face, in person interview, you should do a brief screening interview on the phone.\u00a0 In a tough job market as we have now, desperate job-seekers will apply for positions even though they don\u2019t meet the job requirements.\u00a0 So the purpose of the telephone screener is to make sure an applicant has the essentials of the job requirements before we devote interview time to him or her.\u00a0 What we\u2019re looking for here are the \u201cdeal breakers,\u201d the quantitative things that an applicant absolutely, positively must have . . . if you don\u2019t have these essential job requirements, don\u2019t call, don\u2019t write, don\u2019t stop by because we have nothing to talk about.\u00a0 These would include specific skill requirements, college degrees earned, years of experience, and so forth.\u00a0 The qualitative stuff is what we\u2019ll try to ferret out during the in person interview.<\/p>\n
So now we\u2019re armed with well-scripted interview questions and we have some qualified candidates that we want to interview.\u00a0 So what\u2019s next?\u00a0 How do we get the most out of the interview?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 First and foremost, listen intently to the answers an applicant is giving you.\u00a0 Seems obvious, right?\u00a0 But an inexperienced interviewer may see the questions as a checklist that needs to be completed.\u00a0 Such an interviewer is so focused on checking off the current question and formulating the next that he or she misses a lot of what the applicant is saying.\u00a0 So stay in the moment and stay focused.\u00a0 If an applicant\u2019s answer to your question is unclear or needs refinement, be prepared to ask clarifying follow-up questions until you\u2019re satisfied you have the information you want.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Use your eyes.\u00a0 Look for body language.\u00a0 Is the candidate making good eye contact?\u00a0 Does the applicant appear confident or apprehensive?\u00a0 Is he or she energized or more subdued?\u00a0 A candidate will give you a lot of visual cues if you\u2019re alert for them.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Take notes, particularly when you\u2019re doing a number of interviews.\u00a0 Otherwise, afterwards, you may have difficulty remembering which candidate said what.\u00a0 If you want to jot your notes immediately after the interview rather than during the interview, that\u2019s OK as long as you capture your important thoughts and reactions about the applicant.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Keep control of the interview and don\u2019t let it wonder off topic.\u00a0 However, don\u2019t be so tied to your script that you ignore your natural curiosity.\u00a0 If a candidate says something interesting or surprising (but relevant), go with it.\u00a0 Make it a conversation, but keep the conversation focused.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Consider involving someone else in the interview process . . . either jointly with you in your interview, or separately in a second interview.\u00a0 It\u2019s often useful to have a second opinion when you\u2019re weighing one candidate against another.<\/p>\n
Remember, one wrong question, or one critical question you should have asked but didn’t, could result in a bad hire, disrupting your company and costing it thousands of dollars.\u00a0 If you or your hiring managers have\u00a0 not had any coaching or training on the topic of legal interview questions, how to secure proof of a person’s accomplishments, or how to evaluate skills effectively, please call me right now to learn how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is the final installment of a series on Best Hiring Practices.\u00a0 The series is not intended to be all-inclusive, but rather an examination of the most impactful things you can do to improve your hiring process.\u00a0 In the previous postings, we\u2019ve talked about the need to hire well . . . and the high<\/p>\n