Conducting effective interviews is a crucial skill for anyone who is looking to identify top talent that not only have the required skills but also fit into your company culture. This person will become a part of your work family – by investing strategic time into your interviews, you reduce risk, reduce turnover and improve your team culture and performance.
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS do at least 2 interviews!!! Here are some other essential tips to reduce your hiring risk:
Prepare!
Have a thorough understanding of the job requirements, necessary skills, and how the role fits into the larger team and company goals before you start looking.
Before your first interview, carefully review the candidate’s resume, cover letter, and any other provided documents to prepare any specific additional questions you may want to ask them during the interview – you need to know what you’re looking for!
Be Consistent in Your First Round of Interviews
Develop a standardized set of interview questions – consistency is key in fair and efficient interviewing. It’s much easier to compare candidate responses if they were all asked the same base set of questions. At this point you are looking to see the broader fit, comparing apples to apples. Try not to deviate a whole bunch.
Ask each candidate anything you’d like to dig into that’s specific to their resume or other provided documentation, but do so in addition to your standardized list. If you have a gut feeling about something, try to explore it – your intuition is key.
Culture & Skill-set Fit
Your list of questions should include some that test the candidate’s technical skills and soft skills (for example, their problem-solving abilities) and some that gauge how the candidate would fit into you company’s culture (for example, how do they handle conflict?). Ask what type of environment they prefer, and what is important to them in a work atmosphere.
Active Listening
Give the candidate your full attention during your interview. This will not only help you assess them and their answers accurately, it will also make them feel valued and respected. Try to make them feel comfortable – intimidation is old school – the more they feel at ease, the more “real” they will be during their time with you.
Two-Way Conversation:
Encourage candidates to ask questions. This does 3 things:
· Helps you figure out if they’re looking for “any” job, or if they’ve specifically done research on your business. Are they aware of the values or structure of your company? It will also determine how well their values align with your business. If they ask, for example, what community involvement the company participates in, this is likely something that means a lot to them.
· Shows if they are also interviewing YOU. Are they asking substantial questions, or are they only really worried about what the pay is and how many holidays they get? I love it when candidates challenge me with questions – keeps me on my toes, too!
· Gives a more realistic view of what the job entails to the candidate, including both rewards and challenges. Discuss possible career paths and growth opportunities within the company. It’s much easier for candidates to either walk away from or be excited by a fully informed decision!
Avoid Bias & Discrimination
If you do have biases – as we all do – it’s crucial that you’re aware of them to prevent unconscious judgements. Base your decisions on objective criteria. Often we are drawn to people just like us, but if everyone in the business was just like us, the businesses' agility and expertise would become very narrow. Look at the current skill gaps (and culture gaps) in your business and keep an open mind!
Also, understand legal guidelines regarding interview questions – avoid including anything that could be considered discriminatory.
Include Other Team Members
Get different viewpoints from your colleagues to better assess team fit. Everyone comes from a different perspective and has a unique opinion. Consider panel interviews for a more in-depth assessment during a second or third interview. I also always consult with our staff in reception as to the behaviour and overall impression of the candidate. If they are rude or demanding to the person greeting them, they are not right for our team!

Follow-up
Aim to make prompt decisions while the interview and candidate are still fresh in your mind. Provide feedback to successful and unsuccessful candidates in a timely manner to uphold good communication and professionalism, which will in turn enhance your brand.
Testing, Testing, Testing!
Remember as you’re going through the interview process, you’re simultaneously wanting to reduce as much risk as possible in any other ways you can. A great way to do this is, of course, through references and testing. Whether it’s skills, personality, or vocational testing, these can all be effective ways of reducing risk outside of the interview process. The more you know, the less the risk!
If you’re not sure where to start, give us a call! We offer a variety of skills and personality assessments here at Select.
An interview is never just about evaluating a candidate’s performance during the interview – you need to consider all of the background stuff, too, including: their experience & education, the organizational fit, the culture fit, and their career goals. It is also about putting your best foot forward and showcasing your company as an attractive place to work. It forces you to ask yourself the question: why would someone choose to work here? If you struggle with an answer, perhaps they will as well.