Employees are the most critical element to most companies’ success. Employers need to put their best foot forward to attract talent and your interview process is a candidate’s first impression of how your company operates.
Here are 5 basic steps you can take to ensure your interview process is a selling point instead of a deterrent.
1. Know What You’re Looking For
Identify the internal decision makers and make sure you’re in agreement on pertinent job details, the interview process, and what a successful candidate profile will look like before you start recruiting. A thorough job description provides credibility and an attractive job ad detailing more than just the responsibilities/qualifications will help you stand out on job boards, too.
2. Design Your Interview Process
Long and drawn-out interview processes can send the wrong message to candidates and are one of the big reasons they lose interest in an opportunity. With 40% of candidates accepting the first job offer they receive, it’s crucial your interview process operates with speed and efficiency. The magic number of total interactions or interviews with a candidate before a company reaches a decision should be no more than four.
3. Prepare
Formulate your questions before the interview by reviewing the candidate’s resume and comparing it to the job description/requirements. “Winging it” rarely goes well and can come across as unprofessional or not taking the interview seriously. Five minutes tidying up the conference room or office can go a long way in making a favorable impression, too.
4. The Interview
45 minutes to an hour per interview segment is usually the sweet spot to assess someone’s skills and experience. Feel free to include some small talk at the beginning and end of the interview, but most of the time should be spent asking open-ended questions so the interviewee can articulate their experience and why they’re a fit. A mix of behavioral, situational, and skills-based questions are a good idea. It’s an interview for the employer as much as the candidate, so make sure you’re prepared to answer the candidate’s questions and ultimately sell the opportunity/your company.
5. Be Decisive and Communicative
Schedule an internal meeting as close to the completion of the interview as possible. Communicate the time of the meeting with the candidate and let them know that you’ll reach out to them with feedback or even a decision immediately thereafter. This goes a long way in building trust and shows them you’re serious about working with them.