Weighing up your workers is easy and intuitive. Until you need to weigh up more. Then it gets sticky.
When you’re short on bodies, interviewing new hires is your lifeline. It’s your chance to fill the gaps and spread the workload. But you can’t win if you don’t have a good line of questioning and a good hiring process.
So what’s that process? Here’s everything you need to know about preparing and running your interviews.
Body Language
When interviewing potential new employees, body language is an important factor to consider. Observing nonverbal cues such as eye contact, posture, hand and arm gestures, and facial expressions can be very informative when assessing a candidate’s overall confidence and enthusiasm for a role. Open and animated body language is often a sign of interest.
While overly stiff or closed off body language can suggest a lack of enthusiasm or discomfort. Also, it is important to monitor the candidate’s responses to questions as they can reveal a lot about the person’s ability to communicate, think logically, and problem solve.
Openness to New Approaches
When planning to find skilled workers, it is important to consider their openness to new approaches and ideas. In other words, it is important to ensure that the candidate is open-minded and willing to learn and adapt to different approaches or systems. To get an idea of whether or not the candidate is open to new approaches, ask questions that explore their experiences with change management, risk-taking, and problem-solving.
It could also be useful to ask about the last project they worked on and how they handled the challenges they faced. Doing this will provide insight into how open the candidate is to taking the initiative and coming up with new ideas and solutions.
Soft Skills in Action
When interviewing potential new workers, it is important to consider their soft skills in action. Soft skills such as communication, problem solving, and teamwork are vital for any job. During an interview, ask questions about past experiences which demonstrate their use of these skills.
Ask open-ended questions, and ask the same questions of each candidate to more easily compare answers. Also look out for demonstration of integrity and a positive attitude. Since these characteristics are pivotal for any successful team.
Leadership
When you interview a new hire in terms of leadership, there are important factors to consider such as their communication skills, ability to work smoothly in teams and their decision-making skills. This is especially important for individuals in management positions. Where their qualities of leadership need to be impeccable.
Interview candidates should clearly articulate their goals and passions, and their level of preparedness should indicate their commitment to this particular role. It is also important to assess their conflict resolution techniques, ability to acknowledge and manage different personalities. As well as the extent to which they approve of and endorse diverse approaches.
Confidence
Confidence is another important factor to assess when hiring employees. The ability to present themselves and their ideas in a positive light, while also demonstrating good problem-solving skills, is very desirable. Candidates who possess confidence appear more likely to succeed within their role.
They will typically be better at responding to difficult questions. And expressing their views even when they don’t gel with the interviewer. At the same time, too much confidence can cause problems – the candidate might be too keen and appear pushy.
Passion
Passion is also an important factor to consider when interviewing potential new hires. Passionate candidates will have a lot of enthusiasm and a greater appreciation for the company’s mission and values. Also, passionate candidates that demonstrate the ability to stay motivated and self-disciplined will be more likely to go the extra mile when tackling important projects.
During the interview process, gauge a candidate’s passion by asking questions related to the job, their work experience, and their long-term goals. By listening to their responses, you can decide if the candidate’s passions and goals align with the company’s.
Success Stories
Success stories should can also be a key factor to consider. Not only do success stories indicate that the individual has achieved something in the past, but these stories can also reveal a great deal of the individual’s character and qualities. With success stories, you can gain an insight into the individual’s talents, strengths and passions that you may be unable to obtain through an interview alone.
It is also helpful to ask for specific examples of any success stories, as this will help to further understand the individual’s background, experience and skill set. For example, if the individual claims to have achieved a certain goal, it is worth asking for specific facts, figures and evidence that demonstrate this success.
Curiosity
An employee’s curiosity can be an extremely valuable asset to a company. When hiring, employers should look for individuals who don’t just accept things passively, but instead actively seek to comprehend the ins and outs of their potential new role.
An individual who is curious can bring a lot to the table in terms of creativity and problem-solving. They also bring an invaluable hunger and enthusiasm for the job, making them more likely to remain passionate about their role.
Understanding of the Company
A successful hire needs to understand the company’s mission, values and goals. Employers should ask questions to gauge an interviewee’s knowledge and enthusiasm for the company. Like what they know about the company and why they are interested in joining.
Also, employers should also probe an applicant’s knowledge of the organization’s current events, as well as their understanding of the industry. Questions such as “What unique skills and capabilities do you bring that can help the company reach its objectives?” or “How do you think our organization could benefit from your previous experience?”
Interview New Hires the Right Way Today
An effective interview process should consider the skills, attitude, and experience of potential hires before making any hiring decisions. Ensure you have a good workflow process and appropriate interview questions to properly evaluate each candidate and determine if they are the right fit for the job.
Don’t forget to ask for references for further review. Take your time to find new hires – it will be worth the effort. Good luck!
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