Corporations are continuously evolving their product and image, so why shouldn’t hiring and interview practices follow suit?
Every company wants to hire the “all star” candidate. While each company and role is unique, here’s a look into a more innovative approach at hiring, as well as the accompanying interviewing technique.
Hiring managers and HR professionals certainly need focus on the technical skills required to complete a job. While that is obviously a huge factor as to which candidate is a good match for the role, focusing on the candidate’s personality is equally as important. Here are some important questions to ask:
What is the culture of the department the candidate will potentially be working in? Invite members of the team/department to participate in the interview. By allowing participation, you will have different perspectives to take into consideration (more on that to come in a following blog!).
What are important character traits that this candidate must have in order to be successful in the role? If you’re hiring for a supervisory role, ask the candidate to list examples of how they served as a mentor in the past or to explain their managerial style. If the position is more of an individual contributor role, ask the candidate to describe how he/she works independently but also as part of a larger team.
There are going to be times in any role where an employee who works very hard will be faced with a “stressful situation”. Ask the candidate how they overcame a specific, challenging situation. See how they have reacted to constructive criticism from a former mentor or supervisor. This can help provide insight as to how they will perform on the job.
While senior level roles will require more experienced candidates, try to invest in training for more entry level candidates. Entry level candidates are often times more motivated to learn, take innovative approaches when the job allows and are eager to form mentoring partnerships. This can prove to be very beneficial when building the foundation for a successful and collaborative team.
