4 Steps to Successful Interviews

By Stephanie Navasu, Assistant Branch Manager

When interviewing for openings at your company, of course you hope to find the best talent available. Yet there are common pitfalls that many employers experience when getting ready to talk to candidates. The good news is, these pitfalls are completely avoidable! Here are four steps you can follow to help ensure that you select top candidates:

Identify what you need. Don’t start interviewing candidates until you have completely determined the type of candidate you want, including skill set, experience, education, and culture match. I’ve experienced many clients starting their interview processes prematurely without laying this groundwork. After a few interviews, they come back to me with, “Well, we liked the candidate, but we’re not sure exactly what we want. Can we see more candidates?” This approach will frustrate your recruiter, disillusion the candidates, and delay your company’s search efforts. Decide what type of candidate you want before you actually begin interviews.

Define your process. Decide how many steps you want prospective candidates to go through, such as phone interviews, in-person interviews, second in-person interviews, panel interviews, and meet-and-greets. Make your decision about this from the very beginning, and always inform each candidate what your process will be. Keep this structure the same for every single candidate to ensure you achieve both equal comparison and legal compliance.

Remember, you and your company are being interviewed too! Don’t forget, the first impression you make matters to the candidate as well. Make sure you are organized and attentive to every candidate you interview. If you have scheduled a phone interview at a specific time, don’t skip it—call the candidate. It leaves a bad taste in a candidate’s mouth when you don’t keep a set appointment. The same thing goes for in-person interviews. Give each candidate your full attention. I know it can be tough, but turn off your cell phone, your work phone, and your computer. Nothing leaves a more horrible impression of your company and yourself than when you allow the interview to be constantly interrupted. Give candidates your 100% full attention.

At the end of each interview stage, let candidates know what will happen next. And make sure either you or your HR rep keeps them informed on their status. I’ve watched many candidates lose interest in working for uncommunicative organizations. Even your calling to let them know that a decision hasn’t been made is still news to them. Good communication is key to attracting and hiring top talent.

Interviewing can be a complex process. With these tips, you’ll have a better chance of finding the right candidate for your position. If you need expert help with your hiring process, call on us at Amtec—we’ve been conducting successful interviews for 55 years.

Do you worry about making a hiring mistake because you don’t know how to ask the right interview questions? Since the best predictor of candidates’ future behavior is their past performance, behavioral interviewing is crucial to making a well-informed hiring decision. This coming May 29, 2014, join Scott Kuethen, Amtec’s CEO, in a free upcoming webinar that will cover this topic in depth. Your newfound knowledge will give you confidence to better conduct future interviews and make smarter hires! Watch our blog for more information, or contact us to receive our monthly employers’ newsletter and updates on Amtec events.

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