HIRING THE BEST: CONDUCTING JOB INTERVIEWS
Poor interviewing skills cause many problems and can cost an organization dearly. In today’s dynamic and fast growth companies, most managers will be faced with the task of interviewing candidates – something at which few people are naturally adept. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid:
- Don’t choose candidates simply because they clicked in the interview and ignore other important facts like whether they truly have the qualifications for the role. Being a great conversationalist and fitting in with the rest of the team is important, but you want to make sure the individual has the skills and knowledge that match the position.
- Don’t forget to articulate everything that the role entails and avoid excessive focus on just the glamorous aspects of the job. Be upfront about what they need to bring to the table and what they can expect from the job in return. Since hiring, training and development require a lot of time and resources, setting clear expectations upfront will help ensure a great fit and also provide a worthwhile return on time and investment for both parties.
- Don’t forget to check ifthere is a good fit between the candidate's values and passions and the culture of the organization. Otherwise, in a tough job environment,employees tend to disengage leading to a significant loss in productivity, creativity and well-being.
- Although you have short-term pressures and tasks that need to be completed, you need to hire someone who can make solid contributions to your organization years down the line. Unless the position requires very specialized expertise, a hire should be capable of contributing to the organization in many different ways including taking over your role at some pointof time so that you can move to a higher position of responsibility.
- Don’t take a gamble on a candidate with lack of relevant experience. Unless it is an entry level role, this is a risk which could translate into longer learning curves and more pressure on team mates that need to pick up the incremental work.
- Don’t pick a candidate who is an exact copy of you and who matches your style, personality or disposition, and don’t fill your organization with people who are all the same. Of course, you want each new hire to fit into your culture, but try to choose people with different backgrounds, interests and competencies. The best candidate is someone who complements and brings something new to the existing team. Your organization will be richer for it.
- Don’t hire in haste even for jobs that need to be filled urgently. If you decide to compromise and hire a mediocre candidate rather than wait a bit longer for hiring the best possible candidate, you would have to deal with negative consequences, such as loss of productivity, decreased motivation among other staff members etc. It could be that the whole process of looking for a new hire would have to start again from scratch. In this case a considerable amount of money as well as time would have been wasted.
- Don’t be too slow in making your decision to hire. Recruitment is a fast-paced process and great candidates apply at various companies at the same time. If you come across a great talent, don’t waste too much time and let the person know you are seriously interested in them. It would be a pity to have found the perfect fit but too late, because the person already got an offer from another company.
- Don’t hire solely on the recommendations of other people.Asking others for recommendations can be a good strategy and many people get jobs due to this approach. However, it would be advisable to still include some kind of assessment. A candidate’s career might look brilliant on paper and achievements might have been proven but if motivation seems to be low, it could manifest later with disappointing consequences.
- Don’t forget to check references thoroughly. Also look beyond them by trying to find additional professionals who are prepared to share their experiences with you as to how good the candidate really is.
Avoiding a few of the above pitfalls would help in selecting the best person for the defined role in the organization and help the team achieve its growth plans in a dynamic work environment.
