Human Resource News

Tips For Conducting Great Interviews 
:: Deidre Siegel
Director, Human Resource Services
G. R. Reid Consulting Services, LLC



The key ingredient to a company’s success always circles back to the people working in the organization. The heart, the pulse, the “soul” of a company’s anatomy if you will, extends from every level of talent you hire and retain. As you look to hire future talent to take your business to greater levels of success, do you think about the impression you leave on the potential new hire during the selection process? To master the best practices of impressionable and successful interviews, a business owner or hiring manager needs to create a vision of how you want your company and the position/opportunity to be perceived and received. Here is a list of suggestions that will be important for each meeting you have with a prospective new talent you are considering for hire.

Make Yourself Available for Interviews | There have been countless occasions where a candidate often has to wait weeks for the first interview and weeks for follow up interviews. Make yourself available by allowing a specific designated weekly timeframe in your schedule to conduct interviews.

Show Up and Be on Time for Interviews | Standing a candidate up, or having them wait outside your office for more than 15 minutes is not acceptable. The idea that you are more important, or that your time is more valuable speaks volumes about your management style and company culture to the person waiting.

Be Prepared for The Interview | Read the resumes of everyone before the actual interview. Have questions prepared beforehand and remember to let the candidate speak, too. Provide important details about the position, and just as importantly about the organization. Know what you are looking for beyond the skill set necessary for the position. Who is the person that will fit in best with your unique business culture? Who succeeds in your organization?  Who underperforms in your current talent pool?  What qualities are the most important to you? Think about the types of questions you ask, first.  Are they appropriate questions? Are they legal? Tailor your questions to understand the tenure and the true depth of knowledge on the specific subject matter that the candidate has.  (see more hyperlink to blog)

Avoid “Analysis Paralysis”  | With the amount of candidates available, the task of culling resumes takes longer.  If you have had the opportunity of meeting with 3 or 4 candidates that would be ideal for you, the longer you stretch out the process, the faster this talent will be scooped up by another company.

Communicate!  | There is nothing worse than being on the other side knowing you had a great interview(s), the position is something that resonates with you, and there is absolutely no feedback from the business owner/hiring manager. Any communication is better than no communication at all.

Undivided Attention, Please  | Be present. Focus is the name of the game. During any interview, just as you would expect from the candidate, turn mobile devices off. Undivided attention will highlight your level of professionalism, seriousness and respect for the process and the candidate.

Cheap is Cheap.  |  Be realistic about the compensation range for the open position. If it is a replacement position, you should have that historical information. If it is a new position, do your homework. 

With a keen sense of self awareness and preparation, you can be confident that you will impress and attract the talent that you want to represent and succeed in your organization.