Interview Tips for Employers: Getting the Right People on the Bus

Website design By BotEap.comEmployers and managers are often the center of attention when asked to lead an interview process for their organization, with little training or guidance. Getting the right person into your organization, in the right position, at the right time, is one of the most strategic business decisions today.

Website design By BotEap.comThe cost to an employer for a job rotation can be the equivalent of a year and a half of salary. This takes into account recruitment costs, lost productivity, training, and other onboarding expenses. As a result, it is important to get the correct fit for the position the first time.

Website design By BotEap.comKeep the following tips in mind as you approach your next interview process; These ideas could literally save you thousands of dollars:

Website design By BotEap.com 1. Think about the interview process and develop a consistent process for all candidates:

Website design By BotEap.comTo ensure the best “fit” for your organization, make sure each candidate is measured in the same way. What this means in practice is that all candidates should be asked the same questions and followed exactly the same steps. This is important not only for selection, but also to ensure consistency, which could be challenged in the legal environment.

Website design By BotEap.com 2. Know the legislation:

Website design By BotEap.comEach country has different legislation that will affect the interview process. Here in Canada, employers must be aware of the impact of the Canadian Human Rights Codes and the questions that may be prohibited by them. Not knowing the legislative framework in which you operate can be a very costly mistake. Make sure that all personnel involved in the selection process (from recruitment advertising to application, interview and selection process) are aware of the prohibited grounds.

Website design By BotEap.com 3. What really are the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) you need to hire for?

Website design By BotEap.comKSA stands for knowledge, skills and abilities. When putting together a job description and hiring process, focus on the KSAs needed for that position. Knowledge includes the technical knowledge and information that a candidate needs to get the job done (for example, knowledge of marketing principles). Skills are the hard and soft skills required to perform a position (for example, keyboard or multilingual). Skills are demonstrated observable competencies (for example, the ability to thrive in stressful environments or meet tight deadlines).

Website design By BotEap.comWe in HR talk a lot about KSA and job specs for good reason. How many times have you attended an interview where the questions and the interview process did not really take into account what was required for the position? In addition to the legal issues, it is important to really focus on the KSAs required for any position. KSAs will play an important role in your recruitment, selection, compensation, performance management (evaluation), and training and development processes.

Website design By BotEap.com 4. Group decisions are better than individual decisions:

Website design By BotEap.comToday it is increasingly common, and good practice, to conduct panel interviews. Panel interviews involve two or more interviewers speaking with each candidate. Research continues to show that group decisions are better than individual decisions for many reasons, including the fact that our own personal biases do not play such a dominant role.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen conducting a panel interview process, ensure that all panel members are informed about the process, the position for which you are hiring, as well as the best interview practices. It is often helpful to have time at the beginning of the talk show for a 15 to 30 minute meeting between the panel members at the beginning of the interview process to discuss what it will look like – who will ask the questions, when and how. An interview kit can be developed for panel members about a week before the interview, giving them some time to review it before the interviews. The interview kit can include resumes of shortlisted candidates, interview questions, interview scoring information, and any other information.

Website design By BotEap.com 5. Block time between candidates:

Website design By BotEap.comBlock the time between candidates for interviewers to fill in their notes and also to synthesize the group’s comments or recommendations. If you have 6-8 hours of back-to-back interviewing, it is natural for each candidate to start to look like each other. By blocking the time between interviews, you can summarize your findings and then move on, returning to your summaries for each candidate at the end of the day or at the end of the interview process.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen conducting a panel interview, make sure all panelists feel comfortable and are aware of the process and measurement (for example, if you are using some kind of matrix to measure). Also make sure all panelists are on the same page (for example, a rating of 5 is consistent with the appearance of other ratings of 5). It may be helpful to provide some specific examples of what behavior would be considered 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (if using a 5-point scale).

Website design By BotEap.com6. Avoid closed questions:

Website design By BotEap.comWhenever possible, avoid using closed questions as well as leading questions. Closed questions are those questions that, when used, would elicit a yes or no answer. For example, “Have you had experience as a supervisor before?” Seek to rephrase this as “Describe your previous supervisory experience” or, better yet, “What are the lessons you have learned from your previous supervisory experience?” Notice how the second question gets even deeper than the first?

Website design By BotEap.com 7. Be clear on the next steps:

Website design By BotEap.comA common interview mistake is a lack of clarity regarding the next steps in the process. Will there be a second interview? When can the candidate expect to hear from the panel? Be as specific as possible about when the candidate can expect to receive a response from the company. Remember, impressions are everything and interviews can be a public relations opportunity. Even if the candidate is not elected, what message are you sending with the communication you are sending about the next steps?

Website design By BotEap.com 8. Interviews are a two-way process:

Website design By BotEap.comRemember that interviews are an opportunity for you to see the candidate and for the candidate to see your company. Often times, strong candidates can walk out of an interview realizing that they don’t want to work for the company they just interviewed with. What is the image of the company you are portraying through the interview process? Does this match your corporate values, culture and ways of working? If not, what changes do you need to make?

Website design By BotEap.comThe interview is often referred to as an art. What can you do today to improve your interview process and skills?