There are tried and true job interview questions and techniques that lead to success in hiring. When I'm asked how to interview employees and get the very best, one answer comes to mind every time. Character. If you look at most employers, they hire skills first and only vaguely consider character. Often the problem is that those with high skills and mediocre character end up going away or being fired for character issues. Why not improve employee retention by hiring character first and skills second?
A Purpose Behind Your Job Interview
As I indicated, you should always hire character and attitude first and then skills second. To do this, you must be prepared to interview knowing which character traits are vital to your business. Then you can structure the proper interview questions.
How to Interview Well
A job interview that succeeds gives both the employer and employee vital information. It is a win-win situation for both parties. The job interview questions must elicit the character and skills information you need and the proposed employee must learn about you, your company, and their future fellow employees. The candidate at the job interview needs to get information they need, to learn if this job is for them. Don't waste the time money that constant hiring and firing entails, rather improve employee retention by learning how to interview better.
You must be able to communicate, when hiring employees, what the job involves, what the culture of your company is, what your desired character traits are, and walk them through an ordinary day. They must understand what your business is like.
It is both a skill and an art to be good at interviewing employees. A common mistake many employers make is to just run through their job interview questions and never explain to the prospective employee what the culture of the business is. Both you and the person in the job interview have to make good decisions.
Your Current Employees Can Make the Difference!
Always have at least one employee involved in the job interview, letting the prospect visit directly with them. This helps them to determine if the job is one they will be comfortable with. Spending time with one of your employees and finding our about your business culture first hand is very helpful to them. They will likely ask questions to the employee that they will not ask you. Hiring someone who doesn't fit with your business culture is foolish. It wastes everyone's time and is expensive for you.
Not Once, But Twice!
Here is a job interview tip that is just good old common sense. The wise old carpenter says: measure twice, cut once. This also works really well when recruiting employees. Interview twice, hire once!
You must give a second interview to any candidate with potential. Never make a hiring decision at the first interview. Generally interviews make people nervous. Sometimes a person might do very well at a first interview but another well qualified person may not. That second job interview might just give you the insight you need to understand the person.
Interviewing employees more than once helps them to get comfortable and gives you a better picture of who they really are. After that second interview you will have a better idea of who the best candidate is.
I usually prefer to have another employee be part of the first job interview as part of an initial screening process. When the qualified candidate comes back for the second job interview they usually feel more comfortable and have often thought of other questions they have. Answering those questions will benefit both of you and yield a better hiring decision. Remember it's not just your interview questions that matter, it's also the candidates.
Don't forget, that no matter how well you conduct a job interview, you won't really know how things will turn out until the new employee is on the job.
I remember an employee we brought onboard years ago. Three people interviewed her and she seemed like a wonderful choice. Her first day with us shocked us all. We surely must have interviewed her identical twin sister. The employee who showed up for work was absolutely not like the one we interviewed!
The lesson: some people handle job interview questions well and some don't. Try talking to prior employers of the candidate. It's a great way to gain insights and to avoid unpleasant surprises. Take the time and do it right. Interviewing employees is as much an art as a skill.
A Purpose Behind Your Job Interview
As I indicated, you should always hire character and attitude first and then skills second. To do this, you must be prepared to interview knowing which character traits are vital to your business. Then you can structure the proper interview questions.
How to Interview Well
A job interview that succeeds gives both the employer and employee vital information. It is a win-win situation for both parties. The job interview questions must elicit the character and skills information you need and the proposed employee must learn about you, your company, and their future fellow employees. The candidate at the job interview needs to get information they need, to learn if this job is for them. Don't waste the time money that constant hiring and firing entails, rather improve employee retention by learning how to interview better.
You must be able to communicate, when hiring employees, what the job involves, what the culture of your company is, what your desired character traits are, and walk them through an ordinary day. They must understand what your business is like.
It is both a skill and an art to be good at interviewing employees. A common mistake many employers make is to just run through their job interview questions and never explain to the prospective employee what the culture of the business is. Both you and the person in the job interview have to make good decisions.
Your Current Employees Can Make the Difference!
Always have at least one employee involved in the job interview, letting the prospect visit directly with them. This helps them to determine if the job is one they will be comfortable with. Spending time with one of your employees and finding our about your business culture first hand is very helpful to them. They will likely ask questions to the employee that they will not ask you. Hiring someone who doesn't fit with your business culture is foolish. It wastes everyone's time and is expensive for you.
Not Once, But Twice!
Here is a job interview tip that is just good old common sense. The wise old carpenter says: measure twice, cut once. This also works really well when recruiting employees. Interview twice, hire once!
You must give a second interview to any candidate with potential. Never make a hiring decision at the first interview. Generally interviews make people nervous. Sometimes a person might do very well at a first interview but another well qualified person may not. That second job interview might just give you the insight you need to understand the person.
Interviewing employees more than once helps them to get comfortable and gives you a better picture of who they really are. After that second interview you will have a better idea of who the best candidate is.
I usually prefer to have another employee be part of the first job interview as part of an initial screening process. When the qualified candidate comes back for the second job interview they usually feel more comfortable and have often thought of other questions they have. Answering those questions will benefit both of you and yield a better hiring decision. Remember it's not just your interview questions that matter, it's also the candidates.
Don't forget, that no matter how well you conduct a job interview, you won't really know how things will turn out until the new employee is on the job.
I remember an employee we brought onboard years ago. Three people interviewed her and she seemed like a wonderful choice. Her first day with us shocked us all. We surely must have interviewed her identical twin sister. The employee who showed up for work was absolutely not like the one we interviewed!
The lesson: some people handle job interview questions well and some don't. Try talking to prior employers of the candidate. It's a great way to gain insights and to avoid unpleasant surprises. Take the time and do it right. Interviewing employees is as much an art as a skill.
About the Author:
Steve Schlagel is an author and CPA with over 30 years experience in small business coaching, consulting and teaching. This article on Job Interview Questions is just one of many you can access by clicking here. If you want to know more about him or his services visit My-Small-Business-Mentor.com.
