Business Blog: Interview Skills
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Interviews are a crucial resource when it comes to finding the best candidates for roles within your company, and for dealing with issues that can arise. The skills are different for the situations. In this blog, we are going to explore how to do it the right way, and tips for avoiding common mistakes.
The Recruitment Interview
Interviews are a key time for candidates, but it's not just those applying for a new role that need to prepare for them. It's important that the people asking the questions are as informed about the role and ready for the interview as the potential candidates.
Although some interviews can take hours, most only last around 30 minutes - if that - so you need to make the most of the time you have with each candidate. A key part of this is asking the right questions. If you don't, you risk losing the perfect candidate or, employing the wrong candidate even worse, ending the interview process and having no idea who is best suited for the job, potentially losing all the time and money you have invested.
But aside from those that are actually illegal, what questions should you avoid asking candidates?
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Or ten years. The period of time doesn't really matter, it's still a bad question. You're asking candidates an almost impossible question - as no one can predict the future - and this means they'll give you an unhelpful answer. They will either tell you what they think you want to hear or use it as a way to advertise their key traits, which you should already know from their CV.
Instead, ask them about what skills they want to develop in themselves. This will give you a much better idea of what type of professional they are, and whether they want to grow in the same ways the wider business does.
What are your weaknesses?
Again, it's a question that doesn't actually give you any useful information about the candidate and it's one that most dread. Job applicants will worry that being completely honest about their faults will put them straight on the scrap heap, and anything else just finds out how well they have judged the room.
A much better question is one that asks them about the qualities they admire in other people. This can be 'who is the smartest person you know personally' or 'who have you learnt the most from', as these will tell you exactly what traits they commend in those around them.
What will you bring to our company/department?
If recruiters are honest, they don't know the exact specifics of most roles they are advertising for until they find a good candidate and they start the job. It's almost impossible for applicants to know what they will bring to the company or department, because they need to be aware of your weaknesses.
Their CV should have already told you about their skills and expertise, and if you want more information about them - ask them a direct question about it. A key part of how well a person gets on in a company is how they work with others so give them a question about previous working relationships or being part of a team.
The Disciplinary Interview
Running your own business can often mean having difficult conversations with employees but how do you do it without jeopardizing your relationships?
Having your own business can be a challenge, although it's also incredibly rewarding, especially when it comes to having those conversations no one wants to have. Whether it's disciplining an employee, giving bad news, or denying them a promotion they had their heart set on, tough conversations are often part of your job.
But how do you say what needs to be said without burning bridges?
Choose your spot
You need to make sure you choose the setting for your conversation carefully. You should ensure it's suitably private and out of earshot. Publicly airing employees' problems will earn you no favours, no matter how 'casual' you intend the chat to be. You may also want to consider whether your spot is too secluded or if you need someone to accompany you or them, depending on the nature of your discussion.
Have a plan
To avoid any awkward silences or flustering, it's important that you go into the meeting with a plan. This should cover what the main objective of the talk is, and what you want the outcome to be. Although you don't need to stick regimentally to your plan, it's a good way to make sure you discuss everything you have to get through and that you don't get sidetracked.
Leave time for questions
Any difficult talk should have at least one section where you let the individual ask any questions they want to. Not only does this help you to understand how they're feeling about the situation, and give them a chance to respond, it also allows them to process the news. If they don't want to ask anything, it's a good idea to direct questions to them, such as 'how do you feel' or 'what do you think'. Employees can often shut down when they hear bad news and this will help you to understand how they are reacting to the meeting.
Be clear
It's important that the language you use is clear and direct. Don't try to soften the blow of what you're saying by using euphemisms and metaphors, which can easily lead to confusion and will make the entire situation worse. You should make sure you explain any terms that may be ambiguous or unclear and keep an eye on their facial expressions to see if they are understanding what you're telling them.
Avoid being accusatory
Even if you're certain of what the outcome of the meeting may be, you need to use this conversation as a time to get their point of view. It's important to keep your tone as open and understanding as possible, even if you are there to discipline them. This will help them not feel attacked by the conversation and they will be more likely to be honest with you.
Long-term working relationships
These steps should make it easier for you to have tough conversations with your employees, while protecting your long-term relations with them. However, it's worth noting that not dealing with issues involving a single member of staff could jeopardize your relationship with the rest of your company.
Whether it's a disciplinary matter or not, it's important that you are consistent with your approach and that you deal with issues head on. Otherwise you could lose the respect of your other employees by trying to avoid problems with an individual.