How do you rate at selecting the right staff?

“All management know how to interview for new staff” – Right or Wrong?

Do you remember when you conducted your first interview? Were you actually taught by someone (who knew what they were doing), or did you find yourself jumping in and going for it? Interestingly, the majority of line managers have no formal interview training, and as a result magnify the risk of selecting the wrong person. The cost of getting it wrong can run into tens of thousands, yet the selection process of so many companies remains abysmal. Why not rate yourself against the following and see if your game could be lifted - even if just a little.

The first step involves allocating enough time to write the best advertisement possible (rather than just putting in “the same advert as we did last time”). Investing the thought and money needed to make sure you place it in the right place for this particular position should also help maximise response. After reading the resumes and selecting the “possibles”, phone them yourself to “acknowledge and thank them for their application”, and at the same time ask “what attracted you to the role”? The next 5 minutes should tell you a lot about their motivation, salary expectations, and communication skills and even indicate their personality style. Assuming they are up to scratch, you can invite them in for an interview; however, that quick call may have weeded out half a dozen hopefuls that miss the mark, saving you hours of time later.

Next the step most Australian companies rank as the most important part of the hiring process – the interview. So if it’s so important why do so many of our candidates call us after interviewing with the client and describe the experience as “weird, unstructured, unprofessional, and ineffective or I’ve no idea how that went”? (You may have experienced this yourself when you were a candidate). Part of the problem is that there is usually only you and the candidate in the room, and they’re never going to pull you up and tell you you’re doing a lousy job. Hence the same mistakes continue.

When it comes to the interview, make time to plan and be prepared. Good candidates have never been as scarce as they are today, so be aware that they will be judging you as much as you are analysing them. Hence, the old adage that you never get a second chance to make a first impression will be working both ways.  

Obvious “little things” like not leaving them in reception for twenty minutes, meeting in a quiet room, not taking phone calls and ACTUALLY READING THE RESUME (use a highlight pen and be familiar with it) are also important but amazingly often complained about. 

Your interview plan should outline the information you want to tell or discuss with the candidate, as well as what you want to ask them. Consistency in terms of structure, information given, and using the same pre-determined key questions ensures a level playing field, making your comparison more objective. Obviously, you may also need to add some specific questions to draw out more information in light of a candidate’s initial responses.

To work out your questions, detail what the new incumbent will be doing in a well written job description, which should be backed up by a person specification. This outlines what the candidate’s needs in terms of: Talent, Right experience, Attitude, and Knowledge in order to perform the tasks listed on the job description. You may want to break these down into “musts and preferences”, and rank in order of importance (i.e. technical skills, attitude, motivation, initiative, and work habits, social skills, analytical ability, etc). Then develop a selection of targeted questions which will test how strong they are in each of the areas you defined.

Starting the interview with a two minute introduction (a sentence on your background, how long you’ve been there, why the position exists, etc), allows them to get their bearings and relax a little. A couple of “light questions” may also settle them down, however don’t get distracted and waste too much time. Body language should also be observed, and notes taken throughout – but not on the table where they can read them (and yes most candidates can read upside down).

Avoid asking yes/no questions, and perhaps try a popular and effective questioning technique known as “behavioural interviewing" where in essence, you   ask the candidate how they reacted in a real situation instead of a theoretical one. Rather than "how do you react to stress?" you might say "describe for me a recent situation when you were under a lot of stress and tell me how you reacted to it." Don’t settle for inadequate answers – press and ask again to make sure you are satisfied.

The next tip is simple – LISTEN. In order to assess the candidate’s suitability, it is important that they do most of the talking.  While ever you’re talking you learn nothing. Half-heartedly listening while trying to formulate your next question isn’t much better. Learn how to listen to what the person is really telling you. A common complaint by candidates is that “I couldn’t really sell myself as the client did all the talking”. At first interview two-thirds of the talk should be them, but ensure it’s on track and answering your questions.

Take notes during or immediately after the interview, and then give a mark out of 10 for each of their answers. Try and see all candidates in close proximity – it’s hard to compare/remember with someone you saw a week ago. I also strongly recommend you bring the best couple (or even only the one) back for a second interview. This gives you a second chance to look at the candiate, and if happy, you can talk a little more, ensuring they understand the major selling points of the role – career path, bonus schemes, culture – maximising your chances of them saying yes when you make your offer.

Ensure references are done - preferably with whom they reported – and particularly if ringing on a mobile, verify the authenticity of the referee by calling back on a switchboard number.

Once a verbal offer and acceptance are complete, the contract of employment should be sent as soon as possible. At this point candidates are usually keen and enthusiastic about their new company and opportunity, wanting to resign and get started ASAP. Waiting a week for the letter to arrive, not only gives them time to look at other things, but also dampens their view of the efficiency and professionalism of both you and your company.

Finally, now that you have selected the best person and received their written acceptance, maximise their chances of staying by preparing for the next critical step – the induction. 

(Garry Connell - Inside Retailing Magazine)