5 Tips for Interviewing Candidates in a Hot Market
The hiring market remains hot as ever and most companies are struggling to keep up with their hiring needs. In this market it’s more important than ever to have an efficient and thoughtful interview process for candidates. Keep in mind that candidates are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. Here are 5 easy tips we recommend you incorporate into your process now:
Define key attributes in advance.
To conduct an effective interview, it is crucial to predetermine what experience and behaviors this candidate must possess to solve your business needs. Once determined, prepare questions that dig deep into the candidate’s background to understand how their experience aligns. This will give you and the candidate clarity if they’re a fit and will keep the interview on track.
Ask the candidate where they stand in their search.
Candidates are moving quickly in this market. It’s completely fair game to have open dialogues with them to understand where they are in their job search journey. This will hopefully eliminate surprise withdrawals from the process.
Keep the interview process efficient.
Do not cut corners as it’s important to conduct a thorough interview process. However, it’s equally important the process does not lag. Keep the process moving along efficiently and communicate to the candidates exactly where they stand setting clear expectations to what the next steps are. Communicate urgency to your team or your client to ensure that interviews are prioritized in their schedules. An efficient interview process will create a positive candidate experience and increase the odds of acceptance.
Ask the candidate to apply real solutions to your company’s business problems.
Once you’ve assessed that a candidate can do the job, it’s time to disclose the challenges they would walk into on day one. Getting insight to how they would approach these problems will demonstrate how they operate and collaborate with you and your team to develop solutions.
Sell the impact.
In this market, companies are competing for top talent. Once you’ve assessed that this candidate has what it takes to do the job and will competently solve problems, it’s critical that you leave them excited and motivated about the role. Wait until the end of the interview and then disclose why you think they would be a great fit and what makes this role exciting. Be crystal clear on the impact they will be able to make in the organization and the team. People are drawn to jobs where they can bring influence and value.
In a candidate’s job market, conducting a top-notch interview is crucial in securing the best talent. Identifying the candidate’s competencies and assessing problem solving skills will confirm to you and the candidate that they have what it takes to do the job. Considering your candidate’s timeline and selling them on the role will enable you to secure candidates who are likely to go off the market soon.
Happy interviewing!
