Top 10 tips to get the most out of your interviews. Video interviews have been thrust into the forefront of recruitment processes over the past few years thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and are undoubtedly likely to play a part still in the interview process moving forward. However, good old-fashioned face to face in person interviews still carry enormous weight for both parties to get a feel for each other and make an informed decision. Face-to-face interviews can be tough and are an absolutely critical part of any interview process. Get it wrong and it can be a very costly exercise. Get it right, however, and it can be a terrific experience for both Hiring Manager and the candidate. Remember that the best experience a candidate can have with you during an interview process can go a long way in securing top talent, especially in this competitive market. Whilst sometimes it can be quicker and seemingly easier to jump online these days, inviting a candidate to come to meet you on-site is key. They need to see the working environment in the flesh as this forms an overall opinion on if they can see themselves working at your company. We've put together our top 10 tips for getting the most out of interviews. 1. Be ready! To avoid any chance of a candidate having a negative interaction with your organisation, make sure your role is approved and good to go before you commence the interview process. It is also important to know your company processes to minimise any possible risks that may hold things up. Long drawn out processes that include background checks or testing without clear communication can be detrimental. 2. Be clear on what you are looking for 'Fail to prepare and you'll prepare to fail' as the saying goes and it works both ways for interviews. Not only should the interviewee be thoroughly prepared but the interviewer must be as well. First, you need to be clear on what your needs are, what skills you are looking to hire, and what culture traits you are looking to bring into the organisation. You may already be very clear on what you are looking for, but a good way of identifying what you need could be taking a quick inventory of what skills, experience and strengths you have in your existing team. Systematically you can then assess what is working well, and what you would like to add. In a talent short market, it's not always wise to have a rigid list of demands for your next hire. Keeping open-minded in your hiring is going to open the pool a little wider. It's not about settling for second best at all, it's simply about knowing what are your nice to haves v your must haves. 3. First impressions matter The first tip is to be on time, don't keep your candidate waiting! If you are running behind schedule - ensure this delay is communicated. Upon greeting your candidate, know that they are assessing you as much as you are assessing them. Great candidates will likely be making mental notes on how you present, how well prepared you are, how well you articulate the role and the organisation. They will also be looking to see if you have done your research - for example: is it clear that you have thoroughly read their CV? Being prepared and doing your homework on a candidate goes a long way. Even if you find something personal on their LinkedIn profile to acknowledge can set you apart. A bit like tidying the house before you have guests over - if you have a candidate coming for an interview at your office, ensure you have an appropriate space to conduct your meeting. You may not have access to a boardroom but you will need a quiet private space to talk freely. Whilst you may offer to go for coffee to perhaps take the formality out of things, this can be risky due to noise and other unwanted distractions. Save the coffee meeting for further down the process and ensure the first interview is a formal and professional meeting. Ensure your phone is silenced and your candidate gets your full attention for the duration of the interview and be sure to have questions prepared. 4. Break the ice It's always important to break the ice before you really get stuck into the nuts and bolts of an interview. Your candidate may well be quite nervous and you want to put them at ease to get the best out of them. Alternatively, if you are not overly experienced at interviewing, you may experience some nerves yourself! Finding some friendly conversation before the formalities will help you see the individual in their natural relaxed state, and will help you both ease into more direct and robust questions. There are countless things to make mention of but use this opportunity to make it personal rather than making idle comments on the weather. For example, you may have noticed on their CV that one of their personal interests is adventure racing, cooking or painting - use one of those as a starting point to open dialogue. You'll often be witness to something that someone is quite passionate about, and you may well find something...
Maximise your interviews to uncover the right candidate
Top 10 tips to get the most out of your interviews. Video interviews have been thrust into the forefront of recruitment processes over the past few years thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and are undoub...