Talent Acquisition & Interviewing Techniques – Do’s & Don't – Part III

Now having got a fair sense of interviewing process, its objective and types of interviews, it is imperative that we understand both 'WHAT TO DO' & also 'WHAT NOT TO DO' .

Let me first touch upon on ‘What Not to DO’ before moving on to ‘What to Do’

• At the outset, it is essential that we develop an habit of going through the profile of candidates much in advance and make the noting about clarification that we may like to see basis the information that has already been provided.  I have seen multiple people (particularly people in senior positions) in organizations grabbing the resume at the last minute and then they try to read the resume right in front of interviewee. It does not leave a good impression and diminish the interviewers / organization image, upfront.

• I have seen people making impressions in mind after going through the resume and then whole interview process is undertaken to substantiate those impressions. We may accept it or not, all of us at one time or another has done it. Let us ensure that we pro-actively avoid this to remain unbiased and fair to prospective candidate.

• I have also observed that some people like scheduling interviews over lunch or dinner. While we may feel that this will create an informal environment and make the interviewee more comfortable, most times it end up making employee uncomfortable.

• Some of us who love talking end up TALKING TOO MUCH about our feeling & opinions etc. and without knowing that we are interrupting the thought process of candidate, we end up doing so.
  

• Some candidates brings in excellent communication skills and are able to make an impression through their gift of gab and ability to articulate well. It is important that while we give due credit for these attributes, we as Interviewer should not be carried away only by positive behavior and responses.

• Sometime we tend to put over emphasis on educational qualifications or give more than required credit for the institution that the person has qualified from.  We must avoid this as this is fraught with danger of creating a bias in our selection process

• Avoid last minute cancellations / postponement as far as possible. 

Having got a fair sense of 'What Not to DO' while planning/conducting an interview in, we may like to take cognizance of following Dos : -

• It is always good to upfront share the details about Role & Responsibility, expected behaviors, company information, Values, Culture, Ethics, Career Development Opportunities etc. Here it is important that we are able to sell the the job to a prospective employee.

• While conducting interview, it is imperative that we get a feel of prospective employee previous levels of responsibilities, Understand previous roles in the context of organizations worked for and associated achievements, How problems were handled or issues resolved. At the same time, we must  understand the candidate’s professional and personal aspirations.

• While obtaining information, it is also critical that behavior i.e. appearance, presentation, verbal and non verbal behavior are observed carefully over and beyond Manner in which questions are handled.

• Once we find the fitment in terms of not only the job but with the organization, it is imperative that we match expectations in terms of available role and candidate capability.

• Treat each candidate as you would a customer. 

Last but not the least it is imperative that we leave candidates with positive impressions of the experience, yourself and the organization.

In my next post, I will deliberate on how to avoid stereotyping and discrimination while taking cognizance of the cultural sensitivity and demographics.  Watch out the space!