As one of South Florida’s leading staffing services firms, Future Force knows that candidates are typically stressed and nervous during a job interview. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to truly gauge them when you’re looking to hire. So how can you put them at ease so you can better assess their strengths and skills rather than their nerves? Here are a few tips to help you:
Greet them properly.
When a candidate arrives, make sure there’s someone there to greet them and escort them to the appropriate place. Don’t let them hang out in an empty waiting room or lobby area for long, wondering whether they’re in the right place. Shake hands and offer a smile when you first meet them. Doing so will help put them at ease.
Give them quick a tour.
Take them on a quick tour of the office and introduce them to a few staff members. Doing so will help break the ice and also give you a chance to see how they interact with others.
Ask if they need anything.
Part of being a good host is to ask whether your guest needs anything before the interview begins.
Get rid of distractions.
Turn your cell phone off or on vibrate. You don’t want candidates to get distracted and derailed by a constantly dinging device. Make sure you give each candidate your full attention, as well. That means no texting or checking your email during the interview.
Ease them into the interview.
Don’t start off with hard hitting questions. Instead, give them some time to ease into the interview. You might want to talk a little first about your own role with the company and what you’re trying to achieve by hiring a new employee.
Don’t ask wacky questions.
“If you were a superhero, which one would you be?” These are the kinds of questions that often leave candidates confounded. And really, there’s no benefit to asking them, so avoid them altogether. Instead, stick to questions targeting the candidate’s background, experience, skill level and achievements. Their answers to those questions will elicit the real information you need to make a smart hiring decision.
Tell them what will happen next.
Explain to the candidate what to expect next and in what timeframe a decision will be made. If you decide not to hire a candidate, inform them as soon as possible. They might be disappointed, but they’ll also appreciate your honesty and timely response.
Need more help with the interview process? Call Future Force. As one of South Florida’s leading staffing services firms, we can handle the sourcing, interviewing, testing, and evaluating – all so you can make great hiring decisions. Contact Future Force today to learn more.