Job interviews have followed the same basic format for decades: a few handshakes (virtual or otherwise), small talk and then questions geared toward identifying if a candidate is a good fit for the company. If the interviewer has a good feeling about the candidate, the hiring process will commence. If not, the company and candidate will go their separate ways. A few references may be called, followed by a background check. And once the offer letter is accepted, the recruiter’s job is over. Or is it?
Every recruiter and hiring manager have watched someone they thought would be a great addition to the team turn into a problematic hire. Sure, interviewing will never be as easy as one, two, three, but there are a few ways to revamp the process to get a more accurate impression of your potential candidate. Let’s discuss a few key ways to improve the hiring process for all involved.
Invite other employees to participate
While recruiters may think they’ve found the perfect candidate after a single conversation, current employees are a more reliable resource for culture fit. After all, they’ll be the ones working with new hires for roughly 40 hours per week. Use current employees to your advantage by asking those who have been with the company for a while to give candidates a tour of the office during an interview. This can help candidates feel more at ease with the interview process because the stakes are not as high when speaking with a would-be colleague. Informal tours or conversations can open up the candidate to asking more questions about the company or how operations in the office run. And the more questions, the better.
This will give both the candidate and current employees time to connect and hit the ground running or mutually realize this may not be the right fit. Either way, it’s important for hiring managers and recruiters to consider employees’ opinions.
Challenge candidates to think outside the box
Don’t be afraid to challenge candidates during an interview. Candidates have likely faced the same handful of questions at every interview, and they’ve probably prepared for the most basic questions like, “What made you want to apply for this position?” While these questions are great for getting the ball rolling, it’s important to throw in questions that will get the candidate thinking.
For example, instead of asking a candidate about a time they’ve excelled at work, ask how they would approach a situation within this new company. Another great option is to pose an inventive question like, “What’s a quality that you admire about someone in your life?” This will provide a better understanding of how fast the candidate can think on their feet along with their levels of creativity.
Eat together
While it may seem unorthodox to take an interview away from the office, doing so is a great way to connect with the candidate personally. Going to a restaurant or coffee shop and seeing how a candidate presents themselves can reveal a lot about who they are as a person. Everything from how they treat the staff to their table manners can be indicative of if they would be a good fit for the office culture.
The addition of food in a setting outside the office, mixed with casual conversation, can also reveal information about candidates that would never come up within the confines of a traditional interview. What the meal or coffee interview looks like will be different for each company. Some recruiters and hiring managers would rather meet the candidate by themselves, while others may want to include the candidate’s potential boss or a future team member. At the end of the day, a food interview will be a win-win because hiring managers will either find a great new employee or get a nice lunch.
Interviews are conducted to find strong candidates and provide interviewees with clarity about whether they see themselves working at an organization. That doesn’t mean interviews need to be the stuffy and stress-inducing. Involving current employees in the process can give the team and candidate a good idea of whether the relationship is a good fit. Challenging the candidate with more than the standard interview questions can show their creativity and speed of thinking. And having an interview at a non-traditional location like a restaurant or coffee shop can give a better look into who the candidate is as a person. Above all else, when interviewing, don’t be afraid to try new things that will help you find the best fit for your office culture.
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