When managers need to
fill a position, they are usually overcome with an extreme sense of
urgency. Projects may be late! Phones may go unanswered! I may lose
my mind! As a result, they often hire the first suitable warm body who
walks through the door, then live to regret that hasty decision. Hiring
the best people requires patience and planning. Here are some helpful
suggestions.
1.Thoroughly understand the position.
You can only hire better
people if you know what you want them to do. Before looking for
applicants, you must be able to answer these questions:
·
What results do I want this person to produce?
·
What are the primary responsibilities of the job?
·
What specific tasks does the person have to perform?
·
What are the working conditions for this position?
2.Define the ideal candidate.
Realistically, you
probably won’t find a totally perfect person. But creating an ideal
candidate profile will help you evaluate applicants more effectively.
Consider the following questions:
·
What knowledge does this person need to have?
·
What previous experience do they need?
·
What job-related abilities and characteristics are important for
success in this job?
·
What career interests might be important?
3.Figure out where these people might be.
Don’t just post an ad on
Monster. Give some thought to where your “best fit” applicants might be
located. Professional associations? Competitors? Trade schools? If
you have a tight salary budget, consider a bright young person who is
early in their career but can learn quickly. Or perhaps an experienced
retiree.
4.Establish specific goals for the interview.
You don’t want to simply
have a friendly conversation with your applicants. You want to
determine if they possess specific qualities in three areas: ability,
motivation, and “fit”. So ask yourself this question: what do I want to
have learned by the end of the interview? The answer will represent
your goals.
5.Develop an interview road map.
An interview is like a
journey, with your goals as the destination. And for any journey, you
need a good map. That means developing a plan for the interview, with
specific questions to ask all applicants, plus individual questions
related to each person’s resume.
6.Use clever questions.
Certain common questions
show up in interview after interview: What are your goals? What are
your strengths and weaknesses? What do you know about our company?
These are frequently asked because they focus on useful information.
But the problem is that candidates hear them so often that their answers
are well-rehearsed. We provide suggestions on questions at the
following page: Sample Interview Questions.
7.Do “detective work” on resumes.
Don’t just scan the
resume five minutes before an applicant walks in. Thorough scrutiny can
yield all kinds of clues to help you assess the applicant and identify
areas to question. Consider neatness, formatting, and spelling. Look
for red flags like employment gaps or downward career progressions. See
how well the applicant’s qualifications match your “ideal candidate”.
8.Don’t keep talking and talking and talking.
The purpose of an
interview is for you to learn about the applicant. Unfortunately, some
inexperienced interviewers learn nothing because they start talking and
never shut up. Use your road map, probe with follow-up questions, and
listen while the applicants talk.
9.Use work samples wherever possible.
The best way to find out
if someone can do something is to actually have them do it. So if they
need to use a software application, sit them down at a computer. If the
job involves writing, ask them to write something.
10.Don’t describe the job until you’ve asked
your questions.
Novice interviewers
often give a detailed job description at the beginning of an interview.
This makes no sense. For one thing, your description will tell the
applicant how to answer many questions. For another, why waste time
giving detailed information to an applicant you may not want? So just
give a very brief overview at the outset.
If you are the only
person to interview candidates, then your personal biases will drive the
selection process (and we all have them!). Although the hiring manager
makes the final call, hearing other perspectives will help to inform
your decision. Possible interviewers include your boss, co-workers,
employees, other managers, or internal customers.
12.Systematically compare applicants against
one another.
List the criteria from
your ideal candidate profile and use a rating scale to compare the
applicants on each one. You may or may not decide on the person with
the highest score, but the process will insure that you’ve considered
all relevant factors.
13.Don’t assume the person wants the job.
Even after they start.
Once you’ve found a
great candidate, be prepared to sell them on the position. Although the
person may be your top choice, you don’t know whether you are theirs.
But avoid creating unrealistic expectations. Many hiring managers have
been dismayed when a great new employee decides to leave after a week on
the job – or even one day!
