Most small business owners don’t take the decision to hire a new employee lightly. The costs and benefits of a new hire are weighed carefully.
Once the decision to hire is made, however, many take the process of hiring too lightly, just wanting to get it over with so they can cross it off their to-do list and get back to business as usual.
The need to hire is precipitated by one of two scenarios. In scenario one, growth has caused a company to become so busy, an additional hand is required or the rest of the crew will start a mutiny. In the other scenario, someone has abandoned ship and a replacement is necessary because others have taken on their workload and the pressure is building.
All too often, employers respond to that pressure by hiring someone on an impulse to fill the gap. They often regret it later. The answer is not to hire the first person with a pulse who responds to your “help wanted” ad to fill the position as fast as possible.
Hiring isn’t something you do every day, so it pays take the time to do it right, even if it means going a few more days or weeks with an open position. In the long run, taking the time to hire well is better for your company than having to let someone go and start the whole process over again. And while it takes time, interviewing candidates is one of the most effective tools in the hiring process – if it’s done right.
WHY Interview?
Even if a job candidate looks good on paper, sounds good on the phone, and gives you references, a formal in-person interview is still essential to make sure a candidate is right for the job. Before you even shake hands, you’ll have learned by bringing them in for an interview if they are punctual, if they can find their way around your locale, if they are neat in appearance and if they have the confidence to look you in the eye. Then if you introduce them to the rest of your staff you can get a feel for how well they’ll fit in. These are things you can’t do over the phone. They, in turn, will be sizing up you and your company in a way they couldn’t do over the phone. For the job seeker, it’s better to decide you just aren’t comfortable with a work situation at the interview than on your first day of work.
How To Interview
1. Be prepared. Have the job candidate’s application or resume in front of you and read it over before they arrive so you aren’t wasting time getting reacquainted with his or her basic qualifications. Make a list of questions you want to ask so you don’t forget anything. Have a private office or conference room ready to use for the interview. Invite a business partner or trusted employee to sit in if you think a second pair of eyes and ears would be helpful. Often two people will observe different things about a person or interpret what they say differently.
2. State the facts. After greeting the candidate, begin the interview by presenting them with basic information about your company and a clear description of the job. List the skills and qualities you are looking for and your expectations for the position. You may want to put this information on a fact sheet for them to take along. People often forget things that are said to them in an interview because they are nervous and worried more about what they will say than what the interviewer is saying.
3. Set the agenda. To put your candidate at ease, you might explain that you plan to talk in the office for a few minutes, and then take them on a tour of the facility. Give them an estimate on how long the entire process will take.
4. Ask good questions. Begin by saying, “Tell me a little about yourself and why you are interested in this job.” Ask open-ended questions. These usually start with what, when, why or where, and cannot be answered with just a yes or no. Ask about past work experience and how that experience applies to this job. Encourage them to talk more by asking situational questions. That means asking what they would do in a specific work situation that is likely to come up if they get the job.
5. Don’t ask these questions. It is illegal to ask about a person’s age, race, religion, marital status, plans to have children or disabilities.
6. Take notes. This will help you review when making your decision. Be careful not to write anything you wouldn’t want the candidate to see, however, since in some cases when a person isn’t hired they can request to see any notes taken during the interview.
7. Turn the tables. Allow the candidate to ask you questions about the job and company. Answer as honestly as possible. A candidate who is lied to in an interview quickly becomes a dissatisfied employee.
8. Don’t leave them hanging. Let them know what will happen next and when they can expect to hear from you. For example, you may tell them you are interviewing a few more candidates, then checking references and that you’ll be making a decision in two weeks.
9. After they leave. Review your notes and then check references to confirm the information provided in the application and interview is accurate.
10. A footnote. It’s up to you if you want to check into the background of job candidates by using the Internet. You can learn a lot about a person by searching their name. As of this writing, the jury is still out as to whether you can ask job candidates for Facebook passwords to view their profiles. However, it seems likely you can learn on Facebook the answers to questions you can’t legally ask a job candidate, so you may be on shaky legal ground by demanding their password.
Happily Ever After
These steps should help you hire the best person for the job, not necessarily the person who made it through the door first. This, in turn, should result in a long, productive relationship between your company and your new hire.
