Interviews can be stressful for both you and job applicants. They're worried about you not liking them and you may fear hiring the wrong person. While you may have already interacted with candidates through resumes or phone screenings, you can't gain a full understanding of applicants until you meet with them. You'll need to ask the right questions and listen to determine who will fit in best with your company.
1. Prepare
When job seekers apply for open positions and secure interviews, they need to be ready to answer questions about why they want to work there. These people have extensively researched to prepare themselves. You need to do the same, Entrepreneur explained. Read over their resumes and cover letters, search their social media pages and have a set of questions to ask. You want to know what you're looking for in a candidate before you meet with anyone, and then you should know details about each individual without having to look at their paperwork.
"Make it quick and simple, and you'll find the right person."
2. Keep the process simple
Long, drawn out interview processes can send applicants running, Harvard Business Review explained. You need employees just as much as candidates require jobs, so difficult interviewing methods aren't going to help anyone. They'll look elsewhere and you may miss out on a great hire. Instead, get a few of your staff to participate in interviews and schedule them all for the same day or do the meeting in a group. When job seekers have to take multiple days to meet with members of one company, they may feel stressed or dismayed. Make it quick, simple and casual, and you'll find the right person.
3. Make candidates feel welcome
Think back to when you interviewed at your first, or even your sixth, job. Remember how nerve-wracking it was? Your applicants are feeling the same way. Helping your candidates feel welcome can go a long way toward ensuring you meet the real interviewee, Entrepreneur claimed. Give them the details of the meeting beforehand, and then offer them water and talk about hobbies and interests when they arrive. When candidates are relaxed, they're more likely to give you answers that will demonstrate their abilities.
4. Create a conversation
While you may be searching for the right fit for a company, candidates are also deciding whether they want to work for you. The key to an excellent interview is to ask questions and to allow applicants to do the same, according to Entrepreneur. Your inquiries will deal with their skills and qualifications, and theirs will help them learn what you expect and whether they'll fit in with the environment. Make sure you ask the same questions of every candidate to ensure consistency across
Being friendly and welcoming helps relax applicants, so you can hold a conversation.5. Switch up the style
Conversations between you and the candidates will provide you with plenty of information about why they think they're a good fit for the position and your business. However, just because they say they have skills doesn't mean they actually have them. The best way to determine whether applicants can work with their peers and perform the tasks required of them is to test them out, U.S. News & World Report claimed. Ask them to describe how they would handle a certain project or give them homework assignments. It also doesn't hurt to throw all candidates in the same room to work on a problem. You'll get to see who stands out, who can think outside the box and who works well with others.
You don't want to waste money from your business banking on the wrong candidate. Develop an interviewing style that will get you the most information out of applicants, and you'll find an employee that will do the job correctly.