The careerist: A good interviewer
By Rhymer Rigby
Published: June 27 2010 22:18 | Last updated: June 27 2010 22:18
There is plenty of advice out there about how to succeed in interviews. Considerably less well covered is what to do when you are the interviewer. Yet the ability to recruit the right staff is one of the greatest challenges facing any manager.
How should I prepare?
“Make sure you’ve done your homework,” says Moira Benigson, managing partner of MBS Group, the executive search firm. “Look over the job description, choose five to seven criteria to match candidates against and stick to these.”
How should I treat the candidate?
“Many people come across as very, very formal,” says Paul Falcone, vice-president for employee relations at Time Warner Cable and author of 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before you Hire. “Their philosophy is ‘the candidate has to get past me’.” But, he explains, this is counterproductive: “Make people feel comfortable with you and they’ll open up.”
Jane Clarke, a director of business psychologists Nicholson McBride adds that you should aim to leave a good impression yourself. “Even if you don’t offer them a job, you don’t want them telling people what an awful experience they had.”
What should I look for?
Structuring interviews around competencies and behaviours is a popular approach. You should be looking for concrete evidence and plenty of solid examples. After that, you need to focus on compatibility. “People often look for likeability,” says Mr Falcone. “That is okay, but what is really important is being able to work together in terms of business style. You need to ask questions such as how do you accept criticism and what are your time conventions.”
With higher level managers, he adds, he will often ask them to paint a picture of the kind of corporate culture they create. Finally, you need to understand a candidate’s previous career progression. Falling remuneration and repetitive reasons for leaving previous jobs do not mean you should not employ the person, but they are flags. “If I can understand how someone manages their career, then I can understand how they will manage in their job,” Mr Falcone says.
How should I structure my questions?
Avoid leading questions – people will just give you the answer they think you want. Also, try to stick to open-ended questions. “They help to create a conversation,” says Ms Benigson. “If you’re a good interviewer, you should be chatting by the end.”
Ms Clarke gives this example: “Instead of asking ‘Do you think integrity is important?’ say ‘Can you give me examples of situations where integrity has featured?’”
What if I am still unsure?
“I sometimes ask candidates ‘What makes you stand out?’ ” Mr Falcone says. “It’s a great fall-back question if you’re on the fence and can really change the direction of an interview. I’ve seen senior executives really struggle, but some people really enjoy the challenge. I once had a receptionist explain to me that she’d come up with up an idea to save a $1 on every fax she sent. That’s the kind of thing you’re after.”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
Comments