Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, hiring the right people can make all the difference in setting up your organization for long-term success. By recruiting the right hires, right from the start, you’ll save your business valuable time and money in trying to correct those who aren’t the perfect fit.
Organizations that are clear in their needs, expectations and obligations are well positioned to attract, hire and retain the strongest people. Below are three key planning steps to help you get started:
STEP ONE: BE PREPARED
- Have a current job description
Detail duties, responsibilities, reporting relationship, qualifications, skills and attributes
- Update your organizational chart
Provide candidates with a sense of perspective and demonstrate reporting relationships
- Clearly set out the required skills and qualifications
Measure qualifications in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities
- Identify where candidates will come from
Explore as many avenues as time and budget allows
- Review internal candidates vs. external sources
If a qualified internal candidate exists, you may choose to promote from within (which can save you time and money) presuming the candidate meets or
exceeds your criteria
STEP TWO: SELECT AN INTERVIEW FORMAT
The interview format defines how the interview will play out. This format can vary, depending on the position being interviewed for, as well as the hiring policies established within your organization. In addition, interviews can be conducted on a one-on-one basis or using a panel approach.
Interview formats to choose from:
- Non-directive – This format is unstructured and more conversational, for example:
"Tell me about yourself…"
- Situational – The goal of this format is to draw out analytical and problem-solving skills—for example by asking hypothetical questions such as, “How would you handle it if you had to..."
- Behavioural – Behavioral focuses on a past experience where the interviewer might ask:
"So tell me about a time you had to deal with…”
Whatever approach is taken the interview format should provide:
- A framework for establishing the quality of the response;
- Fairness and equity; and
- Bias free standards and measurements.
STEP THREE: EXECUTE THE INTERVIEW
Develop your interview plan before you meet with the candidate. This can include clarifying the purpose of the interview and developing questions based on the format you’ve selected.
When conducting the interview, keep the following in mind:
- Be an active listener
- Establish and maintain rapport with the candidate
- Be careful with nonverbal cues
- Provide information as freely and honestly as possible
- Use questions effectively
- Separate facts from inferences
- Recognize biases and stereotypes
- Control the course of the interview
- Standardize questions
Once the interviewing process is complete there of course is still the task of narrowing down your selected candidates, conducting reference checks, drafting up an offer then selecting your winning candidate. However, focusing on the front-end preparation and knowing how to make better use of your interview time can go a long way in helping you choose the right person for the job.
To learn more about how Grand & Toy can help you with the recruitment process, or for details on our full range of services and solutions, call us today: 1.866.391.8111