The Interview and Selection Process- Assessing the Interview

Although there is often the temptation to bring this process to quick closure, it is absolutely imperative that you slow down and make an informed decision. Take some time to give serious consideration to each of the following questions. It will help you to ensure you are considering all factors prior to making this critically important hiring decision.

ASSESSING THE INTERVIEW

• How was the initial greeting? Did the candidate exude an appropriate level of confidence and/or enthusiasm?
• Did the candidate maintain eye contact and appropriate body language throughout the interview?
• Did the candidate’s answers demonstrate a strong level of knowledge and expertise that you are looking for?
• Did you feel the candidate was upfront and forthcoming in their answers?
• Could the candidate easily cite examples of how they were able to make a difference in their previous environment? Be aware of the professional interviewee. They are all around you waiting to sell you a bill of goods on how amazing they are. Although they can tell you all the jobs they have had, rarely can they give you details and share success stories. 
• Did the candidate talk about ‘we’ or ‘I’?  Too much “I” and not enough “We” can be a warning sign, especially when you are hiring a team member as opposed to an individual contributor. Remember….it is all about the success of the team.
• Does the candidate have aspirations for advancement? This is fabulous news if this person wants to be successful and climb the corporate ladder. Let’s just make sure they don’t want to move into the executive suite before the year is out. Beware of those who have lofty and unrealistic goals. It could be a sign that the candidate lacks self awareness. It can also be a warning sign of impending turnover when the employee does not rise to fame and fortune in the timeframe they think is appropriate. All that training down the tubes with no return on your investment is not where you want to be heading.
• Was the candidate able to articulate a previous employment history or skill set that is a strong match for your open position? 
• Do you think the candidate’s personality will complement your current team? It is very important to consider when there are already existing personality conflicts within the team. Don’t make matters worse by hiring someone who will add to the drama.
• How do you think you would interact with the candidate on a daily basis? 
• Did you find the entire interaction to be a pleasant one? 
• Was there anything about their personality or communication style that may be hard for you to deal with? 
• Is the candidate overqualified? Might they become bored too quickly? Often times these candidates seem like a dream come true. If you plan on hiring an overqualified candidate, you better be ready to challenge and motivate them or they will fly the coop as soon as they find their next exciting opportunity.
• Did the candidate ask appropriate, reasonable and/or relevant questions?

BUT MY GUT IS TELLING ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Most leaders will tell you that any time they had reservations about making an offer, but did so in spite of it; they ended up being sorry they did not listen to their gut. If anything makes you feel uncomfortable, or if you strongly question a candidate’s credibility, you must probe a bit deeper.

There are times where the candidate appears to be a match made in heaven...on paper. And although the candidate said all the right things, you just have a nagging feeling that something is not right. In these cases, reach out to a fellow supervisor or manager and ask them to conduct a follow-up interview. Asking someone else who you trust to do a second interview is a great way to make sure you are adequately assessing all aspects of the candidate’s experience, talents and interpersonal skills. Just don’t share your specific reservations with your fellow manager. You do not want to influence their mindset prior to the interview.


OTHER PITFALLS TO CONSIDER
I have seen many leaders make some common mistakes in the interview and selection process:

• You Remind Me of Someone I Know- There will be times where a candidate’s personality, sense of humor, mannerisms strongly remind you of another employee or personal acquaintance. Beware of making assumptions that the candidate will behave or perform in the same manner…good or bad.
• The Dreaded Employee Referral- Referrals are often a great way to find solid candidates, but be careful not to assume that all referrals will perform as well as the person who referred them. A friendship or relationship has little to do with knowledge, skills, work habits or work ethic. Sometimes your boss may push referrals on you as well. Just because our manager thinks their referral is a match made in heaven, in the end, you are the one who has to manage this employee. If in doubt have another supervisor conduct a second interview.
• Administering the Fog and Mirror Test- This is a popular interview technique is commonly used by leaders who either don’t understand the importance of the process, or have poor time management skills. In a nutshell, this highly analytical test checks to see if the candidate is breathing. And as long as the candidate is indeed breathing and doesn’t say anything incredibly stupid during the interview…they are hired!! In the best of circumstances these employees usually turn out to be mediocre. Under the worst circumstances they become an attendance, performance or conduct nightmare. These employees will suck the life out of you. They will monopolize what seems to be 98% of your time. This in turn will take its toll on the morale of your team because you have little time left for them. 
• Resume Remorse- This comes into play when a leader relies too heavily on a candidates resume. They take everything listed on the document as if it was gospel and assume the candidate is proficient in every area referenced on the resume. BIG MISTAKE! I mean let’s face it, all a candidate has to do is get a copy of their job description and pay someone to whip up an impeccable resume. The candidate could be a complete fake and a fraud, and unless you know how to conduct an effective interview, you can easily be duped. 
• Beware of the Mega Personality- From time to time, even the most skilled interviewer can be WOWED by the magnetic personality of a candidate. They end up liking the candidate so much that they jump to a hasty decision without regard to whether the person can actually perform the key functions of the job. 
• Blonds Always Make Great Employees- Although this may be a bit of an exaggeration, this type of stereotyping happens. Some leaders allow things like a candidate’s physical appearance to strongly influence their hiring decisions. I have worked in environments where employees made bets on whether the boss was going to hire the ‘hot blond chick’ that was currently being interviewed. Unless you are hiring the models for this years’ Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Edition, a candidate’s physical characteristics are the absolute LAST thing a leader should be considering. 
• Resist the Rumor Mill- On rare occasions, you will be given personal or professional information from an outside source during the interview process. For example: An employee sees the candidate come in for their interview. Afterwards, they come to you and tell you that they worked with the individual in a prior job and they had huge attendance problems. Although this may be something you want to consider, the reality is that the employee most likely does not have all the facts related to the reasons for the candidate’s prior attendance. Worse yet, what if the employee is providing you with this information based on a personal dislike for the candidate? Sounds farfetched? Think again, it happens.

SUMMARY
The ultimate lesson in hiring new employees is NEVER SETTLE ! If you come to the interview with the right mindset, fully prepare to conduct a quality interview and take time to thoroughly assess all elements of your candidates, you will make the right decision for you and your team.