The interview is daunting..regardless of which side of the table you are on! If you’re conducting the 1st interview, I believe there is a lot of pressure put on you. You’ve already spent time weeding through the resumes, now you’ve got to weed through the ”good on paper” ones. Usually if your company conducts 2 sets (or more) interviews, then generally 3-4 interviewers conduct them. What kinds of questions get you the honest reflection of the person you’re speaking with? If you’ve selected someone for the next round and the second interviewer is not happy, does it reflect badly on your skill? If your company only does one set of interviews then makes their decision this is more intimidating. What if you hire the wrong person?
How about being interviewed? This can also be just as nerve-wracking. There are thousands of tips on the right things to say and how to answer questions etc. if you google it. How about trying not to be nervous, the physical signs of being nervous, getting tongue-tied, loosing track of your thoughts, forgetting what you did in the past that can be used as examples. All these things can come across the wrong way and could botch the interview for you.
My tips:
The interviewer try to make the candidate feel comfortable! start of with some light humor. Start off with just general review type of questions talking about the resume, this may help with allowing him/her to relax and start to ge a bit more comfortable before getting to the nitty-gritty.
Try to ask questions that show how a person has handled difficult or uncomfortable situations. In fact even the way the interview is going can be an indication of how they handle stress. Past behavior is a decent predictor of future behavior.
There are some articles I’ve read on the right types of questions to ask. I read once a blurb about the uselessness of the “weakness” question. I like this question, in fact I believe that every single person has areas of improvement and should be able to identify them to you…the key is though, if they can tell you what they are I like to also hear what they are doing to overcome or improve.
I’ve read this Globe and Mail article http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/management/morning-manager/ten-must-ask-job-interview-questions/article1855882/ which I thought was good, short to the point a good base for putting together a weighting or scoring scheme for your interviews.
Also don’t give the candidate any false information about the position or what it ‘may’ turn into, or eluding to something that isn’t. You may end up hiring someone who is later disengaged because of what they thought the role would be, and isn’t.
The Interviewee - Go into each interview as if you don’t need the job. Be positive. You will find yourself more relaxed. Allow yourself some “spare’ time prior to clear your head. If you’re working until the interview leave work a bit earlier to have some prep time, you don’t want to arrive for an interview agitated from work.
Do your research, know the company, make a list of anything about the company that intrigues you or you need clarification on. Know the person who you’re meeting, what their role is in the company. The more you know about the position and company, the better. You can ask intelligent questions.
Know exactly what it is you want in a new position and what you have to make it successful. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to provide examples of past experiences and how you’ve handled them.
Be HONEST! You would hate to be hired on false pretenses and then not be able to live up to expectations!
So those are just some of my random thoughts on the interview. Please feel free to comment, whether you agree or disagree or want to add a good point.
HR Gal!
