You’ve successfully attracted your pool of qualified candidates. On paper, they may all seem like a decent fit for your position, but how do you know for sure if they’re right for the job? A strategic interview can quickly narrow down your pool to your best, most qualified candidates. Today we’re outlining a few of our best strategies for interviewing, selecting, and ultimately hiring your top job candidates.
Dive Into The Details
Does Their Experience Make Sense?
A great place to start is having your candidate walk you through their job history. By allowing them to elaborate on their prior experience, you can verify if the information lines up with their resume. Are they struggling to provide details? If so, it could be a red flag that their resume isn’t 100% accurate. Asking for specifics can highlight areas that candidates are extremely competent, or could uncover an exaggeration of their experience on paper.
How Do They Relay Negative Feedback?
Asking your candidate to describe their least favorite aspects of prior positions can be insightful. Did they dislike their colleagues? Did they not like working with the public? Did they complain about added responsibilities? There could be good reasons for the previous statements, but the way in which this feedback is portrayed can usually be an indicator of the type of employee they will be.
Listen to the Underlying Narrative
While we don’t expect candidates to openly talk negatively about previous roles, by listening to the underlying narrative, it’s not too difficult to piece together the bigger picture. Vague statements such as “it was time for a change” or “I wanted to try something different” could indicate a tendency to get bored in a position, and might not be a long-term candidate. It’s important to ask for specifics when you can and to read between the lines when they are not provided.
Don’t Discount Soft Skills
Are They Adaptable?
Getting specific details around their experience and skillset can provide insight into their capabilities. Did they receive a promotion or added responsibilities in their previous position? This could indicate that they work hard or are capable of learning new roles. Did they have a wide variety of tasks they were responsible for? This could indicate ease of learning new skills or flexibility and willingness to take on different responsibilities. Hiring employees who are highly adaptable can ease the growth process of their position and the company.
Look for Emotional Intelligence
Employees with high emotional intelligence are more effective team leaders. With fewer interpersonal problems, candidates with excellent ‘soft skills’ can reduce conflict and create more harmony in the workplace. Additionally, they are proven to be better problem solvers, manage stress more effectively, and have a better sense of communication across their teams.
By utilizing these interview tactics, you can gain a better understanding of your candidates’ work history, character, and emotional intelligence. This can help you narrow down, and ultimately hire the most promising candidate for your position.
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At Congruence Talent Solutions, we recruit highly qualified, top-tier candidates in a number of industries to meet our clients’ hiring needs.
We understand that trust and discretion are of the utmost importance, and have a deep and abiding commitment to privacy and discretion throughout the placement process, whether direct or contract.
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