Whether you’re new to managing or not, hiring the right person is always going to be a tricky task. Unless you are able to develop the right interviewing skills, there is no way you will be able to accurately assess a candidate in the short amount of time you have with them. So, what skills do you need? They can be broken down into 3 sections: pre-interview skills, during the interview, and post-interview skills.
Preparing for an Interview
It’s not just the candidate who needs to prepare for the interview! You need to take time, as well, to make sure you know what questions you are going to ask and what you need to look out for. Ideally, you should have a set of questions that you ask each and every candidate who interviews for the job. That allows you to assess them on level ground. But there will also be times when something on a candidate’s resume raises questions for you. Don’t forget to jot down those questions so you can bring them up in the interview as well.
Remember, you won’t be the only one asking questions during the interview. A good candidate will come prepared with questions, so make sure you brush up on your company’s benefits packages, market statistics, and the particulars of the job description. You should be able to answer most questions with ease, if you take just a few minutes to prepare your mind for them.
Skills You Need During the Interview
It’s important to be focused during the interview. Sometimes, you just “click” with a candidate, and when that happens it is easy to get sidetracked chatting. Be watchful if you have this habit, and make a point to steer the conversation back to the job opportunity as quickly as possible.
When a person is talking, can you tell if they are being sincere? This is a talent that not everyone possesses, but if you can cultivate it, you will have great success when hiring. Most candidates these days practice their answers and know what to say to win your favor. The trick is in assessing whether they are telling the truth, or just saying what you want to hear. One good way to sift out the posers is by using situational interview questions. These questions require the candidate to give concrete examples of actions they have taken – and actions, as we all know, speak louder than words.
Post-Interview Skills You Need
Make sure to follow up quickly on your interviews. Utilize your team to help assess candidates. Narrow down your short list, and conduct secondary interviews if necessary. Often times, a manager will conduct the initial interviews, and then during the second round, they will have another member of their team sit in. This will help ensure you didn’t miss any warning signs!
Hiring is tricky, which is why so many people entrust Staffing Resources for their recruitment needs. We provide permanent placement as well as temp services in Atlanta, GA.