What To Look For In Job Interview Candidates?
The importance of finding candidates that have researched the position and asking them the right questions.
Most companies are aware of the staffing issues we are facing in the current recruitment climate, and when we find a viable candidate, first impressions are crucial. Skills and capabilities can be taught, but personality cannot. Sometimes candidates have the correct skillsets for the role but may not be a great personality fit for the business. Ideally, the main goal is to hire a candidate with a personality and the right skill set.
Suppose we adapt our recruiting mindset to hire the right person for the role and personable people. In that case, we can invest in training and development to mould candidates into who we need for our business and to fulfil a specific role rather than hiring the best of a bad bunch.
Why Candidates Should Research Your Company Before An Interview
One of the first questions asked during phone screens and interviews is, “What do you know about our company?” or “ What do you like best in what we do?”. These questions are usually indicators of whether the candidate will progress to the next stage of the recruitment process or not.
You may think a potential candidate will conduct research when applying for a job or before an interview. However, it is increasingly common that candidates haven’t researched the company they are seeking to gain employment with. Something as simple as research goes a long way, and it differentiates a candidate from the other candidates applying for the same role. Candidates don’t have to know every single aspect of the business, just a few key points will stand out to the interviewer.
Get to know a little bit about the company, what they do and are about, the products and services they offer, their mission, vision, values, and purpose. Another great conversation point in an interview is to highlight team members noted on the company’s website. It’s becoming more common for companies to have a ‘meet the team’ tab on their website. This helps to make the company more personal and allows clients and potential employees to get to know the faces behind the business.
Something as simple as a little research can go a long way when seeking employment as it shows the employer initiative and that you are interested in the position, the company, and what they offer.
Asking The Right Interview Questions
Interview questions need to be tailored for each position you are recruiting for, as this will allow you to ask the correct questions to candidates and ensure you can collate all of the required information to make an informed decision on the candidate.
Try and adapt your interview questions and stray away from closed-ended questions such as ‘how many years and experience do you have?’ Or ‘Have you worked in Customer Service before?’. These questions usually provide a yes or no or numerical answer. Specific questions really allow you to delve into the skills and abilities of the candidate to see if they would be a good fit for the role and the business.
If the role requires the ability to enter data accurately, ask the question, ‘How would you rate yourself from 1-10 in terms of being able to enter data accurately, and can you explain why you have given yourself this rating?’ If the role is customer service based, ask questions such as ‘Can you provide me with an example of when you have encountered a difficult customer, and explain what you did to achieve a positive outcome?’.
Questions like these make the applicant think and provide insight into their capabilities. It’s also good to see if they can provide examples and think quickly on their feet. Personalising your questions to allow for open-ended answers promotes discussion with applicants and will enable you to understand their abilities and experience. This also allows you to gain insight into their personality and whether they will fit well into the role and the business.
Getting help
There are many things to consider when recruiting. Below are some of the major factors that can assist in the recruitment journey to attract the best candidate.
- What position are you trying to fill?
- What’s your budget for filling this role? (This includes Salary and also advertising costs)
- Ensure that the position you are trying to fill is clear. (Have a clear and concise Position Description for the role)
- What advertising avenue will you choose to go down? (Seek, LinkedIn, Indeed, Facebook)
- Are you aware that the process might take a while?
These are only a few things to consider when recruiting. There are many other considerations to consider before and through the recruitment process.
At KBA, our team is working hard to work with our clients to get through the challenges mentioned above. Our clients know that it will take longer to seek the right candidate, and they know we never give up and keep trying. Most of all, they know if things don’t go to plan that we are the first person to get involved to address new employee issues, and we will go again until they get the right fit. Why? Because our purpose is to take our clients on a journey through all aspects of employee engagement and performance. Through this process, this is how we take their business from good to great!
Useful Free Information https://keyba.com.au/free-resources/
And don’t forget to self-help downloads of our FREE Checklist on:
At KBA we are a team that is very passionate about taking businesses from good to great. If you need help with recruitment or managing staff then contact us today!
If you would like help or want to know more about our services, please contact us at Key Business Advisors on 1300 4 ADVICE.
