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Welcome to Recruiter Q&A, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers!
Today’s Question: If you were training your hiring staff on the art of interviewing well, what’s one piece of advice you’d give them? How might this help them recruit better talent?
These answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization composed of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs.
1. Ask Detailed Follow-Up Questions
It’s okay to have a list of prepared questions, but ask plenty of detailed follow-up questions too. Too often, interviewers run down a list of questions, looking to see whether or not the candidate checks off certain boxes. I’ve found that asking interviewees to elaborate on specific points to be the most rewarding part of the process (for both parties). — Mark Shore, Dabmatch
2. Communicate the Core Values and Culture
My advice would be to clearly communicate what it is like to work at the company as well as the values that are core to the organization. This will ensure you check for values compatibile between the organization and the talent that will ultimately lead to you finding talent and the talent finding an organization that is a mutual fit. This is key to interviewing successfully for the long term. — Akshar Bonu, The Custom Movement
3. Learn What the Candidate Is Looking For
Get an understanding of what the candidate is looking for in their new role. Employers today need to understand that a working relationship is a two-way street, so the goals need to be aligned for both parties. — Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC
4. Ask Questions That Encourage Storytelling
Start questions with phrases like, “Tell me about a time you…” or “Tell me a story about a time when…” The trick is to dig deeper than many open-ended questions will allow. Stories are more immersive. They have characters and a beginning, middle and end. You’ll learn a lot more from stories than you will from any other types of questions. — Jonathan Prichard, MattressInsider.com
5. Prepare With Empathy and an Open Mind
I would tell them to approach the interview with an open mind, empathy, compassion and preparation. As an interviewer, you need to structure your interview and prepare questions in advance. Learn all you can about the candidate so that you can ask the right questions. Also remember to keep the conversation flowing. This will help the candidate get comfortable and you may learn more about them. — Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
6. Understand That Everyone Is Different
When interviewing candidates, keep in mind that every candidate is different. Some may want to share a lot and won’t do well with routine questions. With others, you need to ask them questions to get them to talk. But just because they’re mellow doesn’t mean they won’t be great at the job. You should be able to gauge who is sitting in front of you and let the interview flow accordingly. — Benjamin Rojas, All in One SEO
7. Be More Personable
One piece of advice I have for hiring staff when it comes to interviewing well is to be more personable. Far too often, those conducting interviews are stuffy and overly impersonal, which can lead to potentially good candidates holding back from showing their true selves. This could result in new hires who are a poor fit for the company culture and job dissatisfaction. — Richard Fong, Assured Standard
8. Tailor Your Questions to Each Specific Candidate
Take the time to thoroughly read the candidate’s resume before the interview. That way, you can ask more detailed questions on points that they listed. It’s always best to ask tailored questions rather than simply go through a checklist of generic questions. For example, if someone was an intern at another company, ask what they liked and didn’t like about the experience. — Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
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