Making a good hire depends in large part on having positive interview experiences with your preferred candidates. An interview is the initial personal dialogue where both parties get a sense of whether they’re truly
compatible. And yes, first impressions do count!
Build Questions around Success Traits
A success trait is one of three to five characteristics that are “must haves” in your ideal candidate. Once you nail down these critical characteristics, you’ll have a mental profile of the person you want to hire.
Success traits may be technical and industry strengths or soft skills such as the ability to work with demanding clients or carry out effective mediation.
- Do your homework. Create interview questions based on success traits. For instance, if you’re looking for someone with a high level of determination, you might ask, “Can you give me an example of how you succeeded at a task when the odds were against you?”
- Revisit your job description. Analyze how each credential, skill and quality aligns with company priorities. Make this part of the criteria for a position’s success traits.
If you’re sure of what you want going into an interview, you’re more likely to find the candidate who fits the bill.
Have an Interview Guide
This is a structured, objective and fair standard that enables you to select the best possible candidate while minimizing the impact of “gut feelings” in your hiring decision. Remember, when you hire, you want to avoid the potential pitfall of selecting candidates just because they mirror you, or mirror your current best performers, or simply “feel right.”
Your guide should include:
- Background questions: These help ensure that a candidate’s skills, education and experience meet minimum job requirements.
- Behavioral questions that tell stories: These are designed to elicit responses in the form of specific examples of a candidate’s success in situations similar to those they may face on the job. Ask for details and data. If a person can’t go beyond generalizations, they probably aren’t a good fit.
- Questions to determine cultural fit: Do a candidate’s responses and behavior reflect your corporate values and the overall feel of your workplace?
The final interview guide component is a rating sheet to determine how well candidates fit the key attributes of the position. Various interviewers’ scores can be averaged for optimal objectivity, and any discrepancies can be debated and discussed.
Look for Passion
Make each candidate feel comfortable and help them to relax as much as possible during their interview. This way, they’ll be more likely to disclose their real interests and concerns – and the passions that drive them to achieve results.
- Ask pointed, relevant questions. Successful individuals will be prepared without being rote. They’ll reveal themselves by their command of the issues, their suggestions, their humor, and the ease with which they communicate.
- Pay attention to tone, word choice and body language. Listen actively and process candidates’ responses. What’s being said? Equally important, what’s not being said? Afterwards, consult with others as part of the evaluation process.
As your staffing partner, PrideStaff Fresno can help you achieve success throughout your interview and hiring process. Contact us today to learn more about our strategic solutions.