If you are a new business owner, it is normal for you to be almost as nervous as the job candidate when you conduct your first interviews. The candidates that you hire will shape the future of your business. Because of this, it is vital that you choose the right people to be on your team. The process of hiring can get annoying and expensive, so here are five interviewing tips to keep in mind to avoid the usual troubles with hiring.
Check Resumes
You will want to review the resumes as they come into your office. If you have no interest in the candidates, send them a quick thank you. After all, you never know when your paths might cross again. For the candidates that you interview, write questions you have for them based on reading their resumes. Then, ask these questions during the interview.
Ask Behavioral Questions
You will want to create a list of questions to ask when interviewing a candidate. Ask questions that will explore the behavior and personality of the candidate. You can always train for skills but you cannot train for attitude. You may want to ask about a time candidates failed to meet a goal and what they did about it. You can alsio ask candidates to give an example of a time they used logic to solve a problem.
Let the Candidate Talk
You can often learn more during an interview by listening than you can by talking. An important part of listening is asking active questions. Make sure not to hint at the answer you would like to hear, otherwise, you may not get an entirely honest answer from your candidate. Once you have asked a candidate a question, give them sufficient time to think about their answer. Do not be in a hurry to interrupt candidates or to shut them up. Let them reveal their personality and the qualities that would make them a good fit for your company.
Be Prepared to Sell Your Company
The candidate has an interest in your company to begin with. If they didn’t they would not have applied. However, you need to be prepared to sell your company to the best candidates. They may receive many offers from other companies, and you want them to choose your company. Take time to think about how you want to present your business to your candidate. Share what you love about the company and what makes you passionate about coming to work. A candidate that is on the fence might be persuaded by how you present the business and the position they are applying for. It is always advantageous to leave a favorable impression.
Consider Tests
While you may not have time to give every interviewee an assignment, create some for your top interviewees. For example, if the job is in content marketing, then have them create a short post. Have a coder find a simple error in the code. This will give you an idea if the person is qualified to handle the kinds of tasks that the position will have them do on a day-to-day basis. It will also give the candidate a chance to learn more about the position, too.
Consider these five tips when choosing the right person for your organization. It is an important decision as it will shape the future of your organization. If you hire the right person, you may not have to repeat the process for a very long time.
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