The interview process is a long one. First the job post has to be published, following that, you have to wade through the endless amounts of CVs from prospective employees, and only then begins the interviewing. Job interviews are an interesting procedure, with employers trying to recruit the best talent, while at the same time sussing out which of the many applicants are simply exaggerating. Hiring the wrong person can be a complicated and disruptive problem for a company, so it’s important to get the right person from the get-go.
Interviewing has been referred to as an art and there's no doubt that it calls for insight and creativity. It's also very much a demanding process, with certain methods and consistency used to produce effective results. During interviewing you will need to thoroughly investigate candidates, which of course can sometimes be easier said than done. We have compiled some tips that will lead you down the right track with selecting the best candidate for the job and avoid choosing the wrong employee:
1. Review each candidate’s CV again in great detail:
Prior to the interview, it is very important to have another in depth look through a candidate’s CV to get a proper feel for what they can offer your company and to the job role. Look out for a flawless presentation, correct spelling and grammar and attention to detail (particularly with their personal profile and work experience). This will give you a proper insight into how they use teamwork and their initiative amongst other key skills and qualities.
As well as reviewing the CV, it’s also good to ask yourself these questions: What will this person be expected to do? What are the technical knowledge and creative skills essential for the position? What do you expect this person to accomplish?
2. Identify soft skill job attributes
When identifying the position you need to fill, don’t forget to determine the skills a successful employee will be required to have. There will be many potential candidates who meet the requirements, but by considering the social skills needed, this will help you distinguish the best candidate from dozens of equally qualified ones.
According to a careers study from the Guardian, 89% of global professionals believe that communicating with clarity directly impacts their career and income and this is still the case. So ensure that your future employee has the communication and social skills needed by asking them open-ended questions. These types of questions allows you to assess the creativity of each response, while giving the candidate more opportunity to prove themselves, some examples include:
Asking questions like “Why do you want to work for us?” or “How did you hear about the job?” shows the amount of research that has been done prior to the interview and at the same time you can discover the effectiveness of your company’s advertising.
3. Pitch them a real-life situation
According to Peter Economy, (author of the Leadership Guy) the best way to get straight to the point and find out exactly what you are after, is to throw a real-life work situation at the candidate and see how they react.
This unpredictable aspect of the interview enables you to check the applicant’s ability to perform under pressure. Not only this, but adding this dash of imagination to the interview can help you see the interviewee’s expectation of others. Some ideas to consider would be asking how they would deal with an unsatisfied client or how they would increase publicity, all depending on the type of company.
4. Make sure they are team players
It’s important that potential employees present themselves as a true team player and are keen to create solid work relationships. Enthusiastic people, who are attentive to how their interactions with people make them feel, tend to generate productivity throughout the workplace. This is because they are creative in connection and it’s important you feel this when speaking to a candidate.
In companies like Netflix, the corporate culture is all about freedom and responsibility to lead the market in innovation, their emphasis is on hiring colleagues who are fantastic collaborators, asking questions including “Can you tell me about a time when you showed true team spirit?”, “How do you deal with conflict at work?” or “What are the benefits of teamwork?”, will help you get a proper insight into their views.
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Interviewing has been referred to as an art and there's no doubt that it calls for insight and creativity. It's also very much a demanding process, with certain methods and consistency used to produce effective results. During interviewing you will need to thoroughly investigate candidates, which of course can sometimes be easier said than done. We have compiled some tips that will lead you down the right track with selecting the best candidate for the job and avoid choosing the wrong employee:
1. Review each candidate’s CV again in great detail:
Prior to the interview, it is very important to have another in depth look through a candidate’s CV to get a proper feel for what they can offer your company and to the job role. Look out for a flawless presentation, correct spelling and grammar and attention to detail (particularly with their personal profile and work experience). This will give you a proper insight into how they use teamwork and their initiative amongst other key skills and qualities.
As well as reviewing the CV, it’s also good to ask yourself these questions: What will this person be expected to do? What are the technical knowledge and creative skills essential for the position? What do you expect this person to accomplish?
2. Identify soft skill job attributes
When identifying the position you need to fill, don’t forget to determine the skills a successful employee will be required to have. There will be many potential candidates who meet the requirements, but by considering the social skills needed, this will help you distinguish the best candidate from dozens of equally qualified ones.
According to a careers study from the Guardian, 89% of global professionals believe that communicating with clarity directly impacts their career and income and this is still the case. So ensure that your future employee has the communication and social skills needed by asking them open-ended questions. These types of questions allows you to assess the creativity of each response, while giving the candidate more opportunity to prove themselves, some examples include:
- Can you describe yourself?
- What goals have you set for your future?
- Describe the work environment or culture and the communication style it uses in which you experience the most success.
- Describe the type of communication in a company that is essential for you to work most effectively.
Asking questions like “Why do you want to work for us?” or “How did you hear about the job?” shows the amount of research that has been done prior to the interview and at the same time you can discover the effectiveness of your company’s advertising.
3. Pitch them a real-life situation
According to Peter Economy, (author of the Leadership Guy) the best way to get straight to the point and find out exactly what you are after, is to throw a real-life work situation at the candidate and see how they react.
This unpredictable aspect of the interview enables you to check the applicant’s ability to perform under pressure. Not only this, but adding this dash of imagination to the interview can help you see the interviewee’s expectation of others. Some ideas to consider would be asking how they would deal with an unsatisfied client or how they would increase publicity, all depending on the type of company.
4. Make sure they are team players
It’s important that potential employees present themselves as a true team player and are keen to create solid work relationships. Enthusiastic people, who are attentive to how their interactions with people make them feel, tend to generate productivity throughout the workplace. This is because they are creative in connection and it’s important you feel this when speaking to a candidate.
In companies like Netflix, the corporate culture is all about freedom and responsibility to lead the market in innovation, their emphasis is on hiring colleagues who are fantastic collaborators, asking questions including “Can you tell me about a time when you showed true team spirit?”, “How do you deal with conflict at work?” or “What are the benefits of teamwork?”, will help you get a proper insight into their views.
For more helpful HR tips and advice, CLICK HERE to sign up to our newsletter.
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