E-Tip 274 - How to Hire the Right Employee (Part 2 of 2)

Last week, we walked you through five steps for preparing to hire the right employee. We discussed the importance of research when it comes to a potential candidate - of acquiring as much relevant information as you can in order to draw a more complete, three-dimensional picture of your candidate. Once that is done, all that is left is the interview, itself.

As we stated last week, the interviewing process should involve more than just sitting across a table and asking the candidate a battery of questions. The process should be an ebb and flow of shared information, not a one-sided conversation. In order to achieve a natural flow during the interview, we have listed below a number of tips and suggestions.

For The Actual Interview.

For employers who are looking to hire, it is easy to fall into a rhythm of asking questions. Nevertheless, if you really want to get to know the candidate, you need the interview to be a mutually comfortable conversation. Here are a few ways to shape an interview into a conversation:

• Provide the candidates with opportunities to ask their own questions, without prompting them.
• Ask open-ended questions that force the candidate to open up, instead of delivering pre-prepared responses.
• Ask hypothetical situation questions for the candidate to respond to.

While keeping a candidate on their toes by throwing a few curveballs is always smart, you do not want to overpopulate the interview with these types of questions. There is still room for the standard line of questioning, such as:

• Tell me about yourself and the things you enjoy.
• What are your greatest strengths?
• Are there areas in which you feel you need more experience or training?
• What do you consider your greatest achievement to date?
• Tell me about a project or a sale you feel you could have handled better; what did you learn from it?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What are your salary expectations?

Other tactics to utilize during the interviewing process include changing up interviewers, changing up interview locations, and changing up interview styles - one-on-one interviews, group interviews, etc.

After The Interview Is Over.

Just because the interview is over does not mean your work is done. We highly suggest checking references as well as conducting background checks and drug tests. As we all know, the person who is giving the reference is going to be positive. During that conversation, keep an ear-out for what a reference does not say or chooses to avoid answering.

Summary:Do not dominate the interview; engage your potential employee in a push-pull conversation. Remember, you are looking to add a new player to your team. Your new hire will need to play well with others, and complement your operation in their own unique way. Look beyond who a person is on paper and see who they might be in your employ. And remember, 35% - 50% of the résumés you receive will contain discrepancies about work experience or education history, so take advantage of references.

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