You’ve found the right candidate; now you’re ready for the interview. But before that, you have steps to take.
In Jane Clark’s continuing IdeaXchange blog series on recruiting, she has already covered creating a successful job description and the phone screening process, As she moves on to the next phase, the in-person interview, she discusses the fact that there’s a process a company should undertake before the actual interview takes place.
The absolute power to control the message that once belonged to employers is gone. Qualified candidates can check out your company before the interview, not just the company’s website itself, but on social media networks to see what past and present employees have to say. That means candidates may be coming into the interview with their own set of questions, based on their own research.
But before this happens, Jane notes, before the interview even takes place, it’s necessary to decide who will be conducting the interview. Will it be one-on-one or before a panel? If more than one person will be participating, will the interviews be scheduled back-to-back on a single day or over the course of days or weeks? After this has been established, then the three following decisions need to be made as well:
- What questions will be asked? Jane notes that a script is not necessary but it is important to outline what to ask and, if multiple people are involved, who would ask the specific question.
- When will everything take place? Since companies normally consider more than one person for a job, it’s essential to choose a date and time that works for all involved. It should also be agreed upon as to whom will make the ultimate decision to hire or not.
- Where will the interview take place? This often depends on the job description itself. A technician might be interviewed, as least partially, on the shop floor. For others, a conference room or office will do. What you don’t want is to start searching for an interview location after the candidate shows up.
Jane also stresses that the longer a company waits to make a decision, the more likely they could lose a truly qualified candidate to another company. So tighten up the process and make decisions on a timely manner.
How is your interview process? Compare it to Jane’s by reading her full blog.
