Three Insightful Tips for Interviewers

Whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro with interviewing, you are likely aware of the laws surrounding what you should not ask an applicant (age, family, race, health problems, etc).  If you’re ready to spice up the interview process, here are three insightful (and creative) tips to help both the green and the expert interviewers.

1. Be Cautious of “Casual Conversation”

In the event the applicant is not hired, knowing more than you need to know opens up the grounds for a discrimination claim, meaning a job applicant may sue you for not hiring them based on information you learned in the interview process. So how do you avoid learning more than you want to know? By having a consistent set of questions you ask all applicants and treading lightly with casual conversation when attempting to break the ice.

Questions that provide information on anything considered “protected” should never be brought up at any point in a job interview. This encompasses any questions that may identify age, religion, race, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, and disability.

2. Learn about Interviewers with these Three Simple Questions

John Younger, CEO of Accolo, advises interviewers to ask the same three questions to candidates to help discover valuable insight:

How did you find out about the job?

Learning the pattern of how a candidate finds a job helps understand their career pursuits. An applicant that simply wants a job, any job, will consistently apply for positions from a general posting list. These candidates may not last long in your company, and will be watching for the next opportunity that comes along. Another watch-out is if the applicant hasn’t been pulled into a position by a former coworker or boss after the third, fourth, or fifth job in their career, as this may hint of a lack in competence and/or relationship skills.

What did you like about the job before you started?

According to Younger, rock star employees should be able to describe what they enjoy, understand what motivates them, know the environment they will thrive in, and actively seek it.

Why did you leave?

Sometimes people leave for career advancement opportunities or for more money. Oftentimes, though, there are other issues that may be discussed by answering this question that will help give you insight into the candidate’s teamwork and/or relationship skills.

3. Create and Show a Job Simulation Video

Many employees accept a job offer and start their new job, only to learn soon afterwards that it’s not exactly what they had in mind. Once employees become disengaged with the new job at your company, all the time invested in recruiting, hiring, and training becomes a significant waste of company time. In today’s world of technology, even small companies are able to cost-effectively create a realistic view of what the job entails by making a job shadowing video and showing the video during the interview process. Allowing applicants the opportunity to see what the job entails will help them discover whether the position is truly something in their interest and career objectives.

Effective interviewing is critical for finding talented applicants who will add significant value to your company.  For more information, please contact our Human Resources Experts.