Interview and Selection Process- Thoroughly Preparing for an Interview

Much like other aspects of effective front line leadership, preparation for an upcoming interview is critical for ensuring a positive outcome. Most leaders think of interview prep as things like having the interview scheduled, having an interview packet ready, having a room set aside for the interview, etc. Although these things are important, effective preparation goes way deeper than that.

Let’s look at all of the critical aspects of effective interview preparation:

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
Many leaders approach an interview like they are preparing to choose the kind of bagel they are about to have for breakfast. Should I hire honey oat, cinnamon raison or just plain? No real forethought goes into it. They just walk in the room, ask a bunch of questions and make an offer to the person they ‘like’ the most. Leaders have a tendency of falling into this trap when they have been managing the same department or function for a long time. They think they know what they need and they continue to hire with the same cookie cutter approach. They also continue to hire the wrong people, which is why they seem to be in a perpetual state of hiring. I think, my friend, this is called the definition of insanity. If nothing else, it is definitely a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Short Timer
Although this may come as a shocker to some of you, I would spend a few minutes with the employee that gave their notice and ask them about what they think is needed for the position. As long as the employee is leaving in good standing, and was a solid performer, they can tell you about aspects of the role that you may have no idea about. It is one thing to understand the general tasks and activities required of the role, but understanding what it is like to live in that role for eight hours each day is a whole other ballgame! Departing candidates can tell you if the role is extremely mundane, takes an excessive amount of detail orientation, requires an excessive amount of patience, etc. Unless you have walked for in their shoes for eight hours a day, five days a week, you really don’t fully understand the actual scope of the role. And besides, what’s the harm in asking for their feedback?

You Want Me To Ask My Team Who To Hire??

One of the first things a leader should consider when turnover occurs is what the team thinks is needed. I mean let’s face it, if you have a well running team, your employees probably know better than anyone what is needed for the role and for the department. Based on working side-by-side with the last person, do they feel you need to look for a certain skill set or expertise? Is there a certain personality that might mesh with the team better? Unfortunately, we don’t often stop and have these types of value added conversations with our employees. Worse yet, we don’t even realize that the team works through issues each and every day and is probably in the best position to know what they need. Not only will this help you determine what type of candidate you are looking for, but it sends a powerful message that you are serious about providing your employees with the tools and resources they need to be successful. Just think, you just gained all that additional credibility by just seeking out a little feedback - now that is what I call a return on an investment!

What Does My Boss Know?

If you are a relatively new leader, or just new to the team, I suggest asking your boss for their feedback as well. If they have been around your team for a while, they most likely have some insights into the skill set or personality traits that would be the best fit for the team. They will also have an idea about any potential projects or organizational restructuring that may be on the horizon. This information could certainly position you for making a better hiring decision.

Quiet Time

Although the opinions of others should certainly be considered when making your decision, you must also spend some time soul searching about what you think you need in your department. You know better than anyone the vision you have for your team and what you are ultimately trying to create. Assessing the current team dynamic and skill set will help guide you to making the right decision. Remember to consider the experience level and tenure of the employees on your team. This will guide your decision about whether you must hire someone with experience or whether you have the luxury of being able to take someone who you can train and develop over time.

LOGISTICS MATTER

As referenced above, having all of the interview related details worked out ahead of time helps set you and the candidate up for a positive experience. Here are some key tips for effectively preparing for an interview:

• Ensure you have cleared your calendar for at least one hour on both sides of the interview time slot- This should help with any meetings that run long or last minute world crises. I am actually starting to think it should be one of Murphy’s Laws that all interviews must be negatively impacted by at least one earth shattering event.
• Have a predetermined interview space- I have seen supervisors walking their candidate from conference room to conference room trying to find a place to conduct the interview. What message does this send to a prospective employee? Maybe that you didn’t take this interview seriously or do any prep work??
• Have the application and corresponding interview paperwork prepared and readily available ahead of time- You should be embarrassed if you have to excuse yourself to go locate the paperwork. The candidate came prepared, so why aren’t you? It sends a terrible message about you as a prospective leader.
• Make sure you have familiarized yourself with the questions- It is embarrassing to sit and watch a leader stumble through the interview process. Again, it does not instill much confidence or credibility in the leader.

Although these things may not seem like a big deal to you, when you are not prepared for an interview, it sends a strong message to a perspective employee. If you are acting in the spirit of a true leader, then you should want to impress the candidate as much as they want to impress you. We already reviewed the average time it takes to fill an open position, so why would you want to scare away a potentially great candidate over something silly like failing to prepare for an interview? Would you be that disrespectful to your boss if you were meeting with them? I am going to go with a NO on that one. So treat your candidates with the same respect as you would your boss, and everyone comes out a winner.

SUMMARY

Being fully prepared for interviewing candidates clearly takes some time out of your busy schedule. That said, the time it takes isn’t even a fraction of what you will spend in the perpetual ‘hiringfest’ that will occur if you continue to make the poor hiring decisions. When it comes to the interviewing and selection, what you put into the process will certainly be returned to you in the quality of candidate you attract.

Tomorrow, some of the biases that come to play in the interview process.