It’s important to hire the right people – they can either strengthen your company or weaken it. That’s why it’s critical to screen candidates properly, right from the very beginning. And one of the best ways to do this is with a strategic interview process. You can take key steps to immediately help improve the way you interview. Here’s how.
Tips for improving your interview process
Follow these tips to help ensure a great interview, every time.
- Ask all candidates the same questions. This way, you can compare “apples to apples”, helping you make the best choice.
- Keep the questions applicable to the job. In other words, don’t include any if-you-were-stranded-on-a-deserted-island–style questions. You’re trying to learn more about how well a candidate fits with a position, so keep your questions focused on qualifications, skills, experience, education, etc.
- Test candidates as part of the interview process. No one likes to think that a candidate has exaggerated on his or her resume. But just to be on the safe side, include a test right after the question-and-answer portion of the interview. You might test for technical or clinical skills or personality (e.g., Myers-Briggs).
- Include other people in the interview. Inviting a colleague to interview with you can always help you to form a more well-rounded opinion of each candidate. It can help to choose someone who will be working with the candidate directly.
- Don’t go with your first impression of the candidate. It’s important to listen to your instincts. But if a nervous candidate makes a less-than-great first impression when he or she is actually perfectly fit for the job, you may miss out on a great new employee. Give all interviewees the benefit of the doubt and ask interview questions that allow each candidate to prove they are the best pick for the position.
- Jot down notes immediately after each interview. This way, your thoughts are still fresh. After a long day of interviews, this can make it easier to review your list of candidates and choose the best one.
- Use a scoring system. Rate each interviewee’s answers to your interview questions on a scale of 1–5. This can help you compare interviews against each other and choose the most qualified person for the job.
- Work with a staffing partner. Recruiters are experts at finding, interviewing and hiring new employees for their clients. After all, it’s how they spend 40 hours each week! You can trust in a reputable staffing company to do the legwork to help you find a qualified, motivated new hires—saving you the time and money it can take to do it on your own.
Are you looking for new staff
in the Atlanta Metropolitan area?
Check out Snelling Georgia Group. Our experienced recruiters pride themselves on placing candidates with best-fit positions. If our clients and candidates are happy, we’ve done our job well. To learn more about how Snelling Georgia Group can help you supplement your staff, contact us today.
