Interviewing

The goal of the personal interview or the first of two interviews is to determine if the applicant has the background and aptitude for the position.  The personal interview process actually starts when the applicant arrives at your office.  When possible, note not only if he/she was on time, but what type of transportation was used.  This topic can be addressed in the interview, if necessary, and can assist you with your decision.

Other items to observe are whether the person was on time, prepared to fill out the application completely and appearance.  These items also give you clues as to who that person is.

Upon arrival, have the applicant start filling out the application, background check permission forms and any other paperwork you may have.  We suggest that if there is a skills test, that it be given after the interview, only if the interview is passed and in another part of the office.  If the applicant does not pass the interview, you will not need to administer the test.

Before sitting with the applicant, thoroughly review the application.  Note any areas of concern or of interest.  If the application shows the applicant is not qualified, give a short, cursory interview, before moving on.  You asked the applicant to come in, it would be unprofessional to just take the paperwork and send the person away.  If you find that happening too many times, you may want to review your phone screening technique.

Before entering the interview, have an agenda and a list of questions you want to ask based upon the position.  There are a few things to keep in mind.

• Each applicant is trying to “sell” you on them.  Look around the “fluff” and exaggerations, and try to find the “meat” and the “truth.”  
• Note the body language and reactions of the applicant.  They will tell you many things words will not.
• Be ready for and unhurried in conducting the interview.  It is only fair to both the applicant and your company to do a good job.
• When applicable, use open-ended questions. They lead to a smoother interview and better answers for making a decision.

A final but important note before you head into the interview.  Know what you can and cannot ask in an interview.  Do not allow you or your company to open itself to lawsuits from asking illegal questions.  Some of the topics of questions one cannot ask are:

• Religion, marital status, children
• Disabilities, other health related items
• Age, or any question that enables one to calculate age

In addition, if the applicant starts to give you this information freely, we advise that you should immediately steer the interview back to the proper topics.  Also, be very careful about making jokes.  Approach the interview process in a professional manner.

When conducting the interview, start by setting the agenda of the interview.  This will allow you to control the process.
When you start talking to the applicant, ask about experience and background, ask about different situations that are common with this position and how the applicant will handle the situation.  Use open-ended questions, as mentioned before, to draw out the person.  Often the applicant is nervous.  Open-ended questions should help the applicant relax.

Any tests or surveys to be given should be done after the interview and only to those that appear to qualify for a second interview.
Do not make a final decision on any applicant until after you have interviewed all of the applicants, unless you are absolutely sure you have your person.  Review your written and mental notes and tests first.  If the applicant becomes a candidate for the position, proceed with the background check.

Second Interview

The goal of the second interview is to find the best of your candidates for hiring.  You should have already established that the person has the background and skills.  You now need to determine if they will do the job and if they will fit into your organization.

Once you have determined the candidates for the position, schedule second interviews.  For this interview, have a second person, preferably the supervisor of the position to conduct it.  Give that person a copy of the application, test and survey results, background check and any notes taken during the first interview.

In the second interview, the interviewer should dig deeper into the candidate’s qualifications and personality.  Occasionally repeating questions from the first interview to double-check answers will give insight to the person as well as helping determine the veracity of the answers.  In addition, the interviewer needs to ask questions to determine if this person will do the job.

Review And Evaluate All Applicants

After conducting all of the interviews, it is time to review the applications, interview notes, background check, and any surveys or tests that were given.  Also evaluate what your instincts are telling you.  These instincts will sharpen as you do more and more hiring.  You need to determine if there was an applicant in the group you want to hire.  Do not feel that you must hire one of the candidates.  It is better to start again than to hire the wrong person.  

The Decision

At any point that you have made the decision to eliminate an applicant from being hired before the final decision, inform them through a “Thanks, But No Thanks” (TBNT) letter.  This letter will inform the applicant of your decision, eliminating the phone calls asking about their status. The TBNT letter shows a level of professionalism, and gives you a record of the decision for your files.

Once you have made your decision, you will need to inform the candidates of your decision.  Send a job offer letter to the candidate that you have decided upon.  If that person agrees to come on board, you are ready to process your new team member and start the training.  If your first choice does not accept, go to your second choice or start the process again.  Hold off on sending the final “Thanks, But No Thanks” letter to the job’s candidates until you get a commitment. The rest of the candidates, who you do not want to hire, should get a letter.

Review The Process

After you have gone through a round of interview and hiring, you should take some time to evaluate your hiring process.  
First, tally up costs and results of the sources of your applicants and your hires. This information when combined with the information from your next hiring attempts will give you an idea how much it costs to hire at a certain position.

• Next, take some time and evaluate your interviews.  
• Did I follow my interview process?  
• Did I ask good questions?  
• Did the interviews go smoothly?  
• What can I do better?  

Evaluating the process and making adjustments will help you make better hiring decisions in the future.