Interview Tips for Employers
The Access HR Team | 1 Jun 2009 1:22 PM
The interview is the most important part of the recruitment process. So after shuffling through a pile of resumes, you’ve short-listed the ones that have stood out and the next step is to meet them and see if they are the right person to join your company.
Once you have your shortlist, you need to think about what it is that you need from the right candidate. Whether it be amount of years experience, qualifications, what kind of personality etc. This combined with the resume and the references, you will form your final decision.
Before the interview, you must prepare. Make sure the your interviewee knows where your company is. Help them in finding it easier by giving them directions or naming a few landmarks in the area. With this help, your interviewee will arrive on time and
relaxed. Ensure that the candidate has a name to ask for upon their arrival. And make sure that the person at Reception knows that you will be holding interviews on that day.
Have a set position description ready so the interviewee can know what the job entails. The interview is for you to find the right candidate and for the candidate to find out about your company. It is up to you as the employer to explain what the position is, why they should work for your company and to make it interesting and appealing to candidates.
To also be prepared and to get the most out of conducting an interview, you can have a set list of questions that you will ask the candidates. Noting each candidates answer can help you compare the candidates and come to the conclusion of who to hire. You can have one list of questions that shows the experiences with questions such as - “Why did you leave your last position?” and “What are your responsibilities in your current position?”. And have another list of questions to find out about their personality with questions such as - “What can you bring to this company?” and “What made you apply for this position?”. These questions are important in helping you look for the experience and personality traits that you are after in an employee.
When the interviewee is answering your questions, it is important that you listen intentively. If you don’t understand their answer, ask them to repeat it or explain their answer. You can also look at their body language to see if they are confident or shy and
nervous. Remember, throughout the interview, to examine whether their personality will fit in with your current employee culture.
It is important to make your candidates feel comfortable during the interview to get past their nerves and jitters. Candidates who are at ease are more likely to answer your questions with confidence and you will be able to see their true self. If the candidate seems to be stumbling on a question, make sure you move on to the next question as to not embarrass them and make them nervous.
At the end of an interview make sure to be happy and polite. Thank them for coming and let them know when they should expect to hear from you. It is important to not leave them hanging.
After the interviews, note down any thoughts you have of the candidate and how the interview went. This is important to have when it comes deciding on which candidate to take on.
Don’t make any decisions on who to hire until you have interviewed all the candidates. If you hire the first person you interview, you might miss out on a more experienced candidate.
It’s decision time. Gather your notes from each of your interviews and group them with their resumes. From their resumes, qualifications, experience and the notes taken down during the interview, you should be able to come to a final decision on who to hire with confidence that you are making the right decision.
Ref: www.hospitalityguild.com/GuidePro/Management