Getting the Hiring Interview Right
Here is another question that i recently received
My question for you is … I would like to know the circumstances in which you would walk out of an interview with a potential employee, and have no doubt that you will hire the candidate. In short, what catches your eye and make you think “I HAVE to hire him/her. I can’t possibly NOT hire him/her after that brilliant interview”.
Most of the time i think interviewing is more of an art than a science. The question is more about what is the role that you are asking the person to fill and how do they handle themselves in an interview.
For example, if i am employing sales related people, i am employing them to sell. I therefore don’t go into their background (with them) as i take what they have written on their resume as being truthful. Also, i also don’t spend too much time on asking them simple questions about what they have done as no one is realistically going to tell you a bad story.
What i rather do is set up the meeting as if they are selling something to me. The object is them and they have to get me to say yes to signing them up as a sales person. If you cant truly sell yourself, then what can you sell. I expect them to ask me qualifying questions (to understand what i am looking for), to position themselves as the answer to my issues, to clearly articulate any concerns i have and to ask for the order. It is amazing how many sales people do not ask for the order – ie can i have the job!
I also give people the chance to ask questions of me. No questions = no preparation = no job. The quality of the questions also leads me to understand if i should say yes / no to them.
For management and leadership roles it is all about how they drive the interview and not me. Leaders will make it happen and will get the role.
I usually can form an opinion in about 5 min and spend the rest of the time confirming that opinion.
Finally, we put all new employes on a 3 month probation period. They sorts out the contenders from the pretenders.
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