Interview Process Tips By Daniel C. Simmons, CPC
Now that you’ve decided you need to hire someone, you’ve got your job description all written out, you’ve determined what qualities you are looking for in a candidate, and created a strong presentation to sell them on the position, what’s left to do? Not much, just get it done! It makes no sense to turn this into a never-ending process of interviews and discussions. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by torturing potential candidates by dragging the process out unnecessarily. They hate it and it’s not effective.
The time it takes to acquire a candidate will vary depending on the position that needs to be filled. Recruiters often say “what drags gets dirty.” What hiring managers think may be productive, might very well be the opposite. The process should be looked at from the viewpoint of the candidate. Keep in mind there are presently more open positions for great talent than great people for the jobs. 2016 is a seller’s market!
People are drawn to companies that make decisions in a timely fashion. With this in mind, I’ll ask, is your interview and hiring process is as efficient and effective as it could be? Furthermore, do you communicate to everyone concerned what this process involves and how long it’s likely to take?
Each company is different in their hiring practices, and there are variations depending on the position being filled. But when this drags into a never-ending process of interviews it inevitably ends in lost hires. Here are some things to incorporate when establishing your company’s interviewing and hiring processes:
- Decide on a practical timeline for the new hire that considers realistic candidate times and the availability of all participants in the process.
- Clearly communicate the details of the job description to everyone conducting interviews so they can be adequately prepared for the task.
- The interview process should be handled as efficiently and quickly as possible.
- The time lapse from when a company receives an application from a candidate and when a company official first responds to them should be brief. This is critical.
- All on-site interviews should be done efficiently. Everyone involved in making the hiring decision should be available on the same day to interview candidates. This is just as important in a work facility as a corporate environment or any other work site. The order of the day is expediency.
- Everyone conducting the interviews should be fully prepared. Often the hiring process gets bogged down when an interviewer isn’t properly prepared or just doesn’t have the requisite skills to conduct an effective interview. Make sure everyone is on top of their game and readily available.
- Finally, when you have completed the interview process, do not drag out the decision. Narrow your choices down to the top candidate and make a job offer. If they turn down your offer, make an offer to your number-two candidate and keep going until you’ve gone through all your top candidates.
If your company is experiencing something unique or you’re having difficulties implementing efficient and effective hiring processes, please contact us. We are happy to help you establish efficient hiring processes that will better serve you in the future. Contact me at (888) 276 6789 or dan@consearch.com for interview process tips.