As an organization that is hiring, “selling the job” is absolutely critical to a successful hire. So many companies fail to adequately position their job in a way that attracts talent. Whether your role is the hiring manager, a member of the interview team, HR, or recruiting, being able to explain what the job is and why someone would want the position is crucial.
While this seems like the easy step, we constantly hear from candidates leaving an interview with a poor impression of the job. Here are 3 examples of questions that candidates ask an interviewer where responses can take a turn in the wrong direction.
- “What do you like about working here”
If you are going to have an current employee be part of the interview process, find out how they would answer this question. A candidate last week told us when they asked 2 different members of the interview process, the response was, “the commute”. The commute! Here was a candidate fired up to go interview and hoping to hear about cutting-edge technology, innovation, and room for growth.
Sure, for some people, the commute is a huge selling point and factor of job satisfaction. When attracting a candidate, you want to highlight why your company is better than any other. Draw on your culture, collaboration, technology, or initiatives.
- “Why did the last person leave?”
Candidates understand, sometimes an opening is due to a previous employee leaving. Many ask this question to understand if there is a red flag about the position or to learn what they can do better than the last person.
It is best to be open and honest here. If your previous employee left on bad terms, getting out in front of the problem will lead to better retention of your new hire.
- “What will a typical day be like?”
“Exciting, fun, challenging, rewarding! And here is what you will be responsible for….”
Or “long, stressful, mundane, boring. You will have to do a lot of this and that”
Which answer sounds like you’re selling the job? Some companies try to “scare” candidates off by going on about long hours, high pressure, and tough work environments. Again, you want to be honest, but the first answer will position your opportunity significantly better in the eyes of a candidate.
When you open a new position and decide who will be part of the interview process, assess and discuss how these questions will be answered. Your team should tell a consistent story. Each person should be able to craft their own spin, but the messaging should be similar. Have a kick-off meeting to relay the details, set expectations, and even role-play answers!
If you need help preparing your team to be ready to interview, reach out to DAVIS! Our interview training and consultations can help you streamline and improve your interview process resulting in a significantly better candidate experience and a faster hire.
