Interviews Part II

I had no intention on writing a series about interviews, however there is so much to say on the issue that I’ll do part III next week. As I stated last week job applicants will give your company negative publicity.

In order to strategically position your company you have to hire the right people. See my posts on March 26 and April 8. One of the biggest reasons interviews go awry is because the interviewer doesn’t know exactly what he/she wants. Based on the resumes you received and any other research you’ve done on the applicants you should have a BQ (best qualified) list. Your BQ list should consist of no more than five applicants you will interview.

When conducting interviews you should have some non-negotiables. These are skills, qualities, personality traits etc. the applicant must have in order for you to hire them. If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for you may hire the wrong person. You have to figure out what’s important to you the skill-set or the personality. They can be as equally important. I’ll talk about hiring for skill-set vs. cultural fit in a future post.

It’s better to take your time filling the position than to hire the wrong person. As a manager you should have a timeframe in which you would like to fill the position but be willing to leave the position open longer than you anticipated. You have to look at the position from the broader perspective. It’s not just about filling a position. It’s about strategically positioning your company for the future, which means hiring the best person for the job.

Interviews aren’t solely about getting information. In order to hire the best person you have to give information. Let the applicants know about the culture of the company (I’m a proponent of a cultural fit), if there are busy seasons, if the company is going through some type of organizational change etc. These are some things people consider before they accept a job. Don’t be deceptive about the information you share. If you are deceptive you could end up hiring the wrong person. Be as honest as you can, if you’re honest you’ll get the answers you’re seeking and be able to make a well informed decision.

During an interview both sides are being evaluated. Honesty is the best policy. Next week I’ll talk about interviews from the applicant’s perspective.

Cornell Jenkins If you have any questions please leave a comment or email me at corjoejen@yahoo.com