Authored by Phil Cohen
Nobody particularly likes to go in for a job interview—it is a high-stakes, intense social situation in which one must prove their worth to a potential employer. And, though it is not often given much attention, the process can be equally stressful for an interviewer. How can one ensure that the job candidate at the interview is the right fit for one’s company? Who can be trusted to oversee a company’s assets and operations? What kind of character traits are required to help a company grow? We’ve compiled a list of the best interviewing strategies you can use to ensure you’re bringing the right person onto your team.
The Four Best Interview Strategies
Have applicants send a sample of their work
If you want to maximize your time when filling a job, ask all of your applicants to include samples of previous work in their initial application, if possible. For instance—if you are looking for a content writer, ask him/her to send links to past writings, like a blog, previous webpage that they have written or, if they are recent grads, an essay could even suffice. Regardless of what type of position you are trying to fill, find a way for your applicants to show you the type of work that they are capable of and base your decision upon their track record.
Implement a job simulation
Don’t be afraid to make candidates undergo a type of “trial run.” After you interview each candidate, have a station prepared in the office that simulates an on-the-job task and see if you like what they bring to the table. It is intimidating for job applicants, sure, but it is a great way to filter out the weaker candidates.
Another common technique for finding the best candidates is conducting behavioral interviews. This is a great way to find out what candidates are really like and how they handle specific situations.
Hire for attitude
One of the most simple, yet challenging best interview strategies is asking questions to understand the interviewee’s attitude. While it is obviously crucial that your candidates be trained and prepared for their prospective positions, it is also prudent to keep in mind that attitude is everything—you can usually train an employee in the skills necessary for a job, but you can’t train them to adopt a successful attitude.
Bring in candidates from a wide array of disciplines
Don’t limit yourself to people trained in industry-specific skills or educational backgrounds—you will find that a multidisciplinary workplace is a strong workplace. Naturally, when hiring an accountant, you need somebody with a CPA, when hiring a nurse, you need somebody who has gone to nursing school, etc. That much is obvious, and for such positions, you are pretty limited on how diverse your applicant pool can be—your future employee must have the necessary credentials. There are some positions, though, which can be filled by a broad range of candidates. Your firm’s marketing and administrative branches can benefit from a diverse group of employees. Don’t look to hire only marketing and business majors—consider candidates from all academic and professional backgrounds. They will bring a unique approach to their work and can ultimately give your business a refreshing dynamic.
Even implementing one of the four best interviewing strategies in mind the next time you interview, you will see positive results.
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