There’s no debating it: when it comes to identifying the right candidate to fill a job opening, the interview is the deciding factor. You can write a great job ad, post it in all the right places, and attract a slew of talented people to apply – but if you fail to execute the interview properly, your efforts will ultimately fall short.
Given that, it’s surprising that organizations don’t pay more attention to what happens during the interview process. With hiring as challenging as it’s ever been, this is the perfect time to do a deep dive and make sure things are flowing as they should. Here are 6 questions that will jump-start that effort.
1) Are your hiring managers equipped with the right listening skills? It’s one thing to ask questions and make sure candidates check the appropriate boxes; it’s quite another to be able to distill the information contained in responses and understand what a candidate is really telling you. Can your hiring managers do that?
2) Do they know what questions they should – and shouldn’t – be asking? Sometimes, an interviewer can get tripped up on the basics. They need to be asking questions that generate the right information to evaluate candidates, but just as importantly, to stay away from ones that are legally prohibited, or ethically unacceptable.
3) What are the appropriate questions for the position, and the candidates, being considered? Before launching into the interview process, hiring managers should be talking to department heads, managers and supervisors to understand the skills and qualities that separate top candidates. Armed with that knowledge, they can tailor questions to focus in on those key areas.
4) How are hiring managers interpreting the responses they get? Interviewers that understand what’s being sought can make better assessments of a candidate’s interview performance. In this case, the onus is on the hiring manager to listen closely and properly gauge how well the candidate is connecting to the questions.
5) Are consistent questions being asked from one candidate to the next? It’s difficult, if not impossible, to decide between candidates if they’re not responding to the same set of questions. When interviewers vary the script, they create an apples-to-oranges comparison that is neither efficient nor effective when it comes to choosing the right person for the job.
6) How often are executives, managers or supervisors sitting in on hiring manager interviews? While it’s not necessary for everyone to be part of every interview, it is a good idea to get a flavor for how interviews are being conducted. It’s a great way to see which interviewers are truly listening, keeping candidates engaged, and asking questions that yield valuable information to influence the hiring decision.
A strong interview process is critical to a successful hiring experience, not only for an organization, but for the candidate, as well. Alaant’s recruiting consulting services can help your company evaluate whether your hiring managers are touching the right bases when it comes to interviewing – and if not, we can also help retool and/or overhaul your hiring process. Contact us today and let’s get the conversation started!
