Playing your cards right:
13 tips for running interviews
Recently I had the relatively nonchalant experience of interviewing a batch of candidates for several internal roles, during which most reacted and responded in predictable and expected ways to various interviewing techniques I and others were exacting upon them. Unfortunately, I must use the word “most”, because there were others who didn’t, and it’s these people that never went on to be subsequently considered for employment. Their loss, right? What if it wasn’t?
One would think it quite common to ask some fairly standard styles of questions and for the candidates to be forthcoming with the answers, and yet the reactions we received in some cases were not at all hospitable towards our inquiries. Granted, these situations were in the minority, yet it was easy to find yourself overwhelmed by the directness and difference in attitude that some of these candiates boldly showed in haste.
I decided to figure out ways I could handle these seemingly more frequently occuring outbursts with some genericised rules about how I approach difficult candidates; maybe these will come in useful for that next interviewee that graces your office.
K♥ Find the balance between domineering and being a pushover.
As with most things at work, it doesn’t pay to to let yourself be a push over; conversely though, it also won’t work out for you if you’re a control freak. Find the balance between the two during the interview. Make sure you don’t push your candidate so hard they freeze up, but don’t let them be lax and not show their potential as a result.
Q♣ Be human and don't run the interview on autopilot.
Interviewing a candidate is not just about trying to find a person who is intelligent and fits the role, but about finding somebody who fits in with the company on a personal level. It’s important to connect with the candidate in this way to ensure that there aren’t going to be any personality clashes later; if you’re busy reading interview questions from a sheet of paper, chances are you’ll forget to explore this side of the person you’re interviewing.
J♦ Give them an opportunity to show their personality.
Following on from the previous point, once you’ve grappled with making sure you give them a chance to speak for themselves, make sure you give them a chance to speak from the heart. You want to make sure you’re judging them for the sort of person they actually are, and not what they are trying to appear to be.
10♠ Don't be afraid to explain yourself further.
Sometimes, the candidate might want further information about the question you’re asking, the role they’re applying for, or the company within which they will be working. It is of absolute importance that you don’t shy away from explaining yourself with as much detail as possible; this applies mainly to when they’re asking questions regarding your questions.
9♥ Have a legitimate reason behind every question you ask.
Don’t ever ask a question without a reason behind it, preferably one that you can explain clearly and easily. I’ve had more than a few interviews where people questioned my reasoning for asking a variety of things, and having an explanation up your sleeve can really save an interview from going downhill, fast.
8♣ Be ready with a range of questions for all skill levels.
This all stems back to trying not to ask questions right from a sheet of paper; make sure you are prepared enough to ask questions off the cuff for any level of skill that you may be presented with. People aren’t always as they appear on their CV, and you can’t always be perfectly prepared for that in advance.
7♦ Try not to tell them whether they're right and wrong when they answer questions.
Telling them they’re getting questions right will bring them out of their shell, but also boost their ego; conversely, not letting them know whether they’re right or wrong will keep them in the zone, but might make them nervous or defensive if they feel they’re wrong. Sit in the middle of the two and you’re in a sweetspot. Acknowlege their response, occasionally giving them a “yes” or “no” at spread intervals.
6♠ Remember they're feeling nervous.
Doesn’t need much explanation: just remember you were in their position once, feeling nervous and vulnerable. They don’t need you to be condecending, nor over the top; be yourself, be warm and be welcoming, and people will open up much more easily.
5♥ Introduce them to the environment they'll be working in.
Everybody wants to know where they’re going to work, and keeping it a secret only helps your ego to believe you’re working in a place nobody else could match. Show them where they’ll work, introduce them to the team, even show them the facilities. As much as they are campaigning for your vote, you’re also campaigning for theirs.
4♣ Don't be afraid to ask for more.
Not satified with the answers you’ve got? Don’t feel you know enough from the interview? Ask more questions, or even ask them back for a second or third interview; certainly the more extensive the role, the more appropriate this is, but it should be equally as appropriate to anybody who feels they can’t judge somebody by the end of an interview process.
3♦ Mix it up and get others to help.
Don’t hold the interview by yourself, or with the same people, every time. Mix it up and get other people in on the act. We’ve had great success with getting other members of the team to join in; it helps to keep the balance of power shared, and gives us a good idea of who is better at asking what questions to different types of candidates.
2♠ Change your questions for every interview.
Never ask the same questions during each interview; this is a surefire way to get yourself into a habit of being lax until you have a difficult interview that will leave you unsure of what to do. Furthermore, every candidate is different, so there should be no reason you’re tempted to ask the same questions to each person.
A♥ Remember, well trained candiates will drastically improve on their face-value.
What might seem at first glace to be a valueless candidate might turn out to be your greatest asset. It’s important to give people chances, and to judge people on their potential and not on their current value. Unless you’re hiring people you intend on getting rid of very frequently, the company’s future successes will be made better on tomorrows work, and not on todays.