Building a Strong Workforce, One Interview at a Time

Hiring a new employee is a time consuming and challenging process. Employers need to take a purposeful and specific approach to interviewing in order to ensure that they make the best hiring decision possible. Below are a few helpful interview tips to find the best candidate for the job.

1. Make the candidate feel welcome and comfortable – The goal is to make the candidate feel comfortable enough to relax and show his/her true self. Often candidates are nervous or overly poised, which makes it hard to get a sense of their true personality. Drafting questions for the interview is a great way to prepare. However, if the questions are delivered in a rehearsed, robotic manner, the candidate will respond in a rehearsed way. Using small talk and light-hearted conversation helps candidates relax and allows the employer to get a better sense of the candidate. Conversational interviewing is really the best way to create a comfortable environment.
2. Pay attention to non–verbal communication –This can be anything from eye-contact, facial expressions, posture, fidgeting, or timeliness. Keeping a close eye on the candidate’s body language can answer questions that were not even asked during the interview. For example, slouching may suggest a lack of confidence in their answers or statements or potentially a lack of ability to lead meetings with clients or partners.
3. Have the candidate interact with employees other than the interviewer – A candidate will be on his/her best behavior with the interviewer, but how does he/she act around other employees? Ask the receptionist his/her opinion of the candidate after the interview. Was the candidate friendly? Did he or she say thank you? This is yet another way to discover the candidate’s true self.
4. Read between the lines – Review the candidate’s resume in detail to find discrepancies and discussion points for the interview. Did the candidate leave a position after a short period of time? Has the candidate been in three different positions in three years? These may be red flags that should be addressed during the interview.

To learn more effective interview tips, or to offload your recruiting needs, please reach out to an EctoHR, Inc. team member at hr@ectohr.com or (810) 534-0170.