How to interview because interviewers are interviewed too!
Have you ever wondered how you could have been so wrong about that cheerful dynamo who turned out to be such a morose plodder, or why that person who seemed so keen and reliable at interview left after only a few months?
How could you have missed the signal? Research shows that most recruiters do not know how to interview effectively. Common errors include not preparing adequately, not pursuing a line of questioning enough to clear a point, doing more talking than listening, and making decisions about applicants in the first few minutes of an interview.
No matter how experienced you are at interviewing, the task of spotting problem candidates is becoming harder as more and more of them learn the art of presenting themselves well. CV’s and resumes are written by professionals, and many books are available advising people how to minimise their failings – I’ve written two of them myself!
The more sophisticated applicants become, the more you need to be systematic and thorough in your approach. That does not mean you should disregard your intuition when recruiting – it just means that to make sound choices, your intuition must be backed by proven methods of ‘detection’.
The following five steps will greatly enhance your chances of making the right choice. The savings in time, expenses and goodwill are well worth the extra effort involved.
1. Be clear about your requirements
You are doomed to failure if you start interviewing with notions as vague as, ‘I’ll know what I want when I see it.’ Yet this is precisely how many recruiters attempt the task. It is a frequent cause of frustration among applicants.
Many applicants find advertisements ‘very hard to decipher’. A comment which I’ve heard many times, ‘…there was an air of incompetence about the interviewers.’
Adequate preparation starts with formulating an accurate position description (PD), detailing tasks and responsibilities involved, the specific demands of the job, such as regular overtime, and the people with whom the incumbent will have to liaise.
It ‘s only when you try setting a job description on paper that you realise how unclear you are about it, or how little you agree with other people’s perception of that role. The time spent by panel members to agree on their expectations and requirements will save time at interview and during ensuing discussion.
One effective method of screening applicants is to have them request a copy of the PD prior to sending in their curriculum vitae. Only those who bother to comply with your instructions, and who bother to relate their application to the demands of the job should be considered.
Once the PD is formulated, it’s an easy matter to develop a profile of the ideal employee. Again, you must be clear about which skills and attributes are essential, and which are desirable but not a priority. Avoid all-embracing terms; ‘intelligence’ might be better described as the ‘ability to learn quickly’ or ‘good at research’.
Naturally, this document is only a yard stick against which you will measure potential candidates. Having prepared the PD and employee profile, you will find a clear and precise advertisement is all but written.
2. Prepare thoroughly before the interview
A standard assessment form is an invaluable tool. During the interview, applicants are awarded points for each criterion. It will help you make a methodical comparison and patterns will become evident.
It is not wise to interview without first seeing written applications, unless the position to be filled is very basic. CVs should reveal an applicant’s success rate in a related field, the qualities that must have been used to achieve those successes, and standard of performance. What each applicant chooses to highlight and in what depth will show you if he or she has assessed the position correctly. You will also make a note of any gaps to be filled, or aspects to prove during an interview. Your line of questioning should take into account the applicant’s:
- qualifications and innate abilities (such as alertness)
- flexibility, tolerance, impact on others
- attitudes, opinions, ambitions, approach to life and work
- experience, trend in achievements, standards aimed for and attained
- perseverance, reactions to problems and pressure
- personal likes, dislikes and motivation (to ensure they will enjoy the job and it matches their career plan)
3. Create the right atmosphere
The purpose of the interview is to get as much information as possible from applicants in a very short time. A common misconception is that putting applicants under stress will reveal the most about them. This could not be further from the truth – they reveal little if they are defensive and tense. An informal conversation in a relaxed setting is much more likely to get them to drop their guard. Peering at them from behind a huge desk is less likely to achieve this than sitting around a coffee table, especially if a panel is involved.
Allowing interruptions is unforgiveable. If possible, have your calls held, or at the very least, terminate them in a few words. Allocate enough time between interviews for you to finalise your notes and gather your thoughts for the next one, or to allow for delays.
These basic courtesies are too often overlooked. Remember that two people can play the selection game – you can lose good candidates by giving a bad impression of yourself or of your organisation!
4. Question with a purpose
Although it’s essential to remain flexible enough to pursue any direction the conversation might take unexpectedly, it is advisable to have a structure which will allow you to keep control.
Begin with gentle small-talk to put applicants at ease, and use open questions to encourage long answers from the start. Set the stage by explaining roughly how you intend to conduct the interview, rather than take up valuable time by describing the job first (and giving away too many leads) I suggest you save your discussion of terms and conditions for the end of the interview. If, by then, you have decided the applicant is not suitable, you can keep this portion brief.
In the most effective interviews, applicants are asked to reconstruct their employment history in strict chronological order.
This method allow you to assess their thought processes and detect significant patterns of behaviour, or to spot incongruities. By the time you get to the more complex questions, they should be quite comfortable talking about themselves. Stock question, such as ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses?’ have limited use, because every candidate has a ready answer for them. Depending on the level of the position or the age of the applicant, try some of these very revealing questions:
- Describe the best/worst person you have ever worked with–and how you handled them
- Tell me about emergencies in the past when you’ve had to re-schedule your time. This reveals what applicants perceive as an ’emergency’ and how much flexibility and initiative they have
- How would other people describe you?
- How have your experiences in … contributed to your present capabilities? Don’t ignore unrelated fields – look for transferable skills
- What improvements would you like to have made in/did you make in…? (Attempts make by the applicant reveal his or her level of responsibility, approach to work, initiative – or lack of it.)
- Of which achievements are you the most proud? Why?
- What did you find most challenging (or most stressful) about…?
5. Check references
It is not unknown for applicants to fake their credentials, forge references and exaggerate their experiences! It is folly not to check at least two references. Fear of litigation makes some referees very reticent to give any opinion about applicants, but you can only try. Ask referees to describe the duties the person had and whether they think he or she is suited to the position you have in mind. A question I always ask is, ‘ Would you re-employ her/him?’ If the referee doesn’t sound very enthusiastic, probe.
Finally, don’t delay in making a decision. Many a good candidate has been lost because interviewers took too long to make up their minds.
Do you feel as if you need more training or practice to interview well? Or you need some advice on your own career? If so, contact me to arrange a convenient time.
I’d love to know what you think of what I’ve said here.
You can give me your feedback, ask a question by email.
If you or someone you know would like a personal consultation, please call +61 439 969 081.
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