How to interview candidates to get the best results
Feb
16
Written by:
2/16/2012 12:14 AM
There's an old saying that you can never really know someone, which is why a lot of companies struggle with hiring new employees. How much can you really know about a person from a paper resume and a 30-minute interview? It's an important concern, since picking a new employee can be just as important as selecting a business partner, such as a New York courier to handle your business' logistic services.
It turns out, if you're selective, observant and ask the right questions, you really can get a good basis to judge the quality and character of a person in a short amount of time. Of course, a hire still might not turn out the way you expected, but there are a few ways to narrow your search into an even smaller pool of well-qualified candidates.
First, scan each applicant's resume. If there are careless errors and mistakes with grammar or punctuation (and there are often a lot more than you'd think), eliminate the candidate. If they haven't taken the time to double-check their resume, they very likely don't care that much about the job.
Next, when you do have interviews with the remaining applicants, pay close attention to them and their behavior. Are they are on-time, dressed neatly and maintaining eye contact? If not, they probably aren't the right fit for your company.
But, probably the most important aspect of the interview falls on you - asking the right questions. Have them ready ahead of time, and create thought-provoking questions that have them thinking on their feet. Their ability to answer these questions not only allows you to see how well they know your company, but also what unique perspective they bring to the table.
Only by asking thoughtful questions that let you gain insight into their strengths, motivation and character, will you truly determine if a candidate is right for your business.
