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Interviews are easily one of the most important parts of achieving high quality of hire.
However, they’re a double-edged sword.
Time and again, we hear stories of companies holding way too many interviews – and losing great candidates in the process!
It’s important to remember two key facts:
- Interviews are the most time-consuming and demanding part of a candidate’s experience
- Great candidates are usually employed and are BUSY solving tough challenges at their current employer
If you’re not VERY careful about how you structure your interview process, you’re likely to miss out on the best candidates.
Here are three ways to improve the process for everybody.
Choose Your Interviewers Wisely
It’s tempting to include lots of different people in the interview process. There’s value in getting different perspectives, and it can be helpful to introduce the candidate to different people on their prospective team.
At the same time, it’s very easy to create a draining and exhausting process having someone interview with 5+ individuals. You need to include the hiring manager, but who else really NEEDS to be included?
Be explicit about who gets to make what decisions. Who has the final call regarding the hiring decision? Does anyone have veto power? Make sure every interviewer knows the answers here.
You can easily create a “too many cooks” situation if there isn’t clarity around who gets to green light a candidate.
Create a Specific But Succinct Description of the Job Ahead of Time
One of the best ways to make any interview successful is to walk into the interview well-prepared. Everybody creates a job description, but most job descriptions suck!
Create a succinct job description that outlines the absolute must-have skills for success. Bullet point five skills or traits that are vital for the role.
This keeps interviewers focused on the most important topics. Furthermore, it allows you to rapidly evaluate candidates, as well as communicate decisions faster. The faster your team decides which candidate to hire, the better odds you have of landing a top candidate.
Foolproof the Logistics
The simplest oversights can lead to big complications with an interview. Make it cyrstal clear when and where the candidate should show up. Give straightforward directions for where to park, how to find the office, where to go once they walk in the front door, etc.
If your office has multiple front doors, even telling a candidate which door to go to or providing a picture can reduce anxiety and make sure the interview starts on time.
If you’re interviewing someone over Zoom or asking them to take online assessments, provide step-by-step technical instructions. Think about how you would tell a five-year old to do it – it’s better to provide too much detail than not enough!
