Recruiting the right people for your business is crucial to its success, and interviewing is one of the most important steps in this process. It’s a great opportunity to assess a candidate’s work experience and skills, but also to gauge their cultural fit within the company. We have all been candidates at least once in our lives and know how daunting an interview can be, but being an interviewer can be just as overwhelming. Below are just a few tips to help make the process simpler and more enjoyable.
Interview Style: This can largely depend on the nature and size of your business, but should also reflect your personality and what works best for you. Some interviewers prefer a relaxed and informal style, whilst others are more comfortable with the structure of a formal interview.
Preparation: Failing to be suitably prepared could cost you dearly in the interview process. Remember, interviews work both ways and you too are being assessed. In this scenario, you are the face of the business and if you are unprepared, it will come across as unprofessional to the candidate. There are 4 key points to consider when preparing:
1. Prepare a set list of questions to ask in each interview. This will ensure you assess each candidate fairly, and be useful to put the conversation back on track if you find yourself moving off topic.
2. Study each candidate’s CV before their interview to familiarise yourself with their previous experience and skills. Take a copy to the interview itself to refer to.
3. Ensure you have allocated enough time for each interview. If booking a number of interviews back-to-back make sure you allow time for running over and to reflect.
4. Be prepared to answer questions from the candidates during, and at the end of their interview. If they are truly interested in the job on offer, they will want to quiz you on the business’ activities, goals and culture.
Interviews work both ways. Your candidates should have done their research on your company and be ready to present themselves and their skills to you, but on the flip side, you as the recruiter are representing your company and it’s just as important for you to sell the position to the candidate. There is nothing worse than going through the process of writing a job specification, advertising the role, sifting through CVs, interviewing multiple candidates, finding your perfect match and then have them turn down the job.
However, using a recruitment agency such as Swindale Parks could massively reduce that work load for you!