A Well-Planned Interview Process is Key to Successful Hiring

Never underestimate the value of a well-planned and executed job interview. Outstanding leaders will remember the experience long after you extend an offer to your preferred candidate. A robust interview process will help ensure that you fill positions successfully the first time around.

Deliver a Consistent Candidate Message

If you treat all your job candidates similarly and with respect, you’ll be able to trust your judgment when one of them emerges as a front runner.

• Have a pre-interview plan. Meet with key leaders and strategize which skills and priorities are of the foremost priority. Create a list of assessment benchmarks so you can evaluate all candidates in a methodical manner based on this criteria.
• Pose similar questions to all candidates. Utilize a checklist. If a multi-stakeholder committee is involved, implement both numerical and quality analyses of candidates and their responses.
• Provide every candidate with the same information. Your checklist and interview message points should cover the advantages of the position and of affiliating with your organization.

When you ask every potential employee the same questions and present them with consistent information, you can compare results more precisely. You can then effectively debrief with stakeholders. Consensus and consistency are keys to success.

This approach has the added benefit of enabling you to:

• Control the interview process. Secure the information you need to make a timely and informed decision.
• Maximize objectivity.

Watch for Inconsistencies in Candidate Presentations

If you ask probing questions and get to know each candidate, you pinpoint inaccuracies in the information they provide. This becomes the basis for your decision whether to continue considering them as candidates.

• Determine which individuals are responding by rote. Any candidate who has made it as far as an interview has done their homework. They’ve visited your company website and reviewed related collateral such as brochures and annual reports. Front runners will be prepared without being rote.
• Identify your superstar. Less qualified individuals will be inconsistent in their presentation. Natural leaders will offer strategies for improvement and organizational development without being judgmental or heavy-handed. They’ll have command of the issues, offer constructive suggestions, and communicate their thoughts easily. You’ll discern a high level of honesty, clarity and optimism.

Sell Career Development

The goal is to hire the right person to fill a job opening. By and large, candidates want to find a position where they can contribute, grow and learn. An interview is a two-way process. For the prospective employee, this translates into an opportunity to advance according to their own individual career plan.

• Sell candidates on your company and why it’s the best place for them to succeed. They should walk away feeling intrigued by your organization’s past accomplishments and excited about its future. Describe your company’s vision and strengths in a highly compelling manner.
• Align the position with your vision. Discuss where the company is now and where it plans to be in one, two and five years. Demonstrate how the position on the table coincides with that vision. Emphasize opportunities for growth and promotion.

Are you prepared for your next candidate interview? For additional guidance, contact the expert search team at BrainWorks today.