A 15-minute interview can mean the difference between someone staying at their old job or setting off into a promising career. Therefore, it is no secret why so many are seeking to research as much as possible into ways to have a great interview. The following list includes a variety of things to keep in mind in order for you to be able to find the best candidate for your open position.
Know What You Need
When you are hiring, it is incredibly important to know what you are looking for before you get to the interview stage. If you don’t know what you need from a candidate, you won’t be able to find the right candidate to fill your needs. You should look at what you need in terms of both professional skills and soft skills. When constructing the job posting and preparing for the interview, make sure you really tailor everything to the actual job your new hire will be filling. The more specific you can get, the easier it will be to find the people that you need. If you have different people creating the job posting, evaluating candidates, and interviewing, make sure everyone is on the same page. If everyone has a different idea of what they are looking for, it becomes very difficult to find quality candidates.
Ask the Right Questions
When it comes to interviewing, the questions you ask are going to make or break the interview. If the candidate is qualified, but you don’t ask the right questions, you may not be able to tell. Conversely, you could also end up hiring someone who isn’t a great fit for your company culture if you don’t ask about that. The best questions are open-ended and require the candidate to share experiences or stories. You should focus on both skills and culture fit. If you know that there is something about your job that people have a hard time with, make sure you ask about that. Job interviews are an audition on both ends; no potential employee should be shocked by the job when they get hired. Just don’t ask any questions that would discriminate or that you wouldn’t be able to answer yourself.
Pay Attention
Some hiring managers know if they want to hire the potential candidate within the first ninety seconds of the interview. How do they know this? They pay attention to everything. Don’t worry if it takes you longer to figure things out, but you can still learn to pick up on signs of whether someone will be a good fit. Pay attention to the details, such as body language, how they introduce themselves, and whether they can sell themselves as a valuable contributor. Most people get at least a little nervous about job interviews, but there is a difference between nerves and not being qualified. You should also be evaluating their personality to see if it will fit in with the people they would be working with. You know your team, so you should be able to pick up on things that will tell you if they will fit in.
Whether this is the first interview you are conducting or you’ve been doing this for years, with these tips you can interview confidently. If you know what you need and you are prepared, you’ll be able to easily find the right person for the job.
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