above

and beyond

what you'd expect

Interviewing Tips for Employers

Before the Interview

1) Determine your options.

• Which skills are vital as opposed to convenient. A perfect fit may be unlikely, expensive or even impossible to find.
• Can you afford the time and/or money to train in any of these areas? Many times a candidate with similar experience or someone lacking only one or two skills can acquire the missing pieces by the time the perfect candidate is found. This may also have the advantage of cost savings in terms of salary.
• Personality and cultural fit may be more important than technical skills.

2) Choose a recruiter that is able to satisfy your needs.

• Do they understand the technologies that this candidate should possess?
• Are they sensitive to the cultural and human issues that are important to you?
• Will they interview these candidates prior to you meeting them or are you expected to pre-screen them?

3) Have company information available for candidates: Company benefits (in detail), annual reports, sales/marketing literature, product brochures, news clippings, etc.
What are the things you would appreciate knowing if you were the candidate?

4) When setting the interview time:

• Allow plenty of time for the interview. You may find that 45 minutes to an hour is not long enough if you really "hit it off" with the candidate.
• Have the recruiter provide you with detailed information about the candidate (technical skills, details about prior duties, career goals, insights to personality, why they are "looking").
• Try to keep the interview process reasonable. Early morning, lunch and early evening appointments are greatly appreciated by candidates that are employed.
• Try to keep the interview process as short as possible. Long delays between first and second interviews or between the interview and an offer of employment may cause the candidate to lose interest.

During the Interview:

1) Interview the person, not the skill set.

• Do they fit: Personally/culturally
  • Goals (will they be satisfied here?)
  • can they do the job?
• Ask for real life examples of situations they have faced and problems they have solved, not hypothetical situations.

2) Be open and honest with the candidate.

• You want the candidate to be open with you, not put on their "game face".
• Ask open-ended questions. This invites conversation and you will learn more about the candidateís communication skills.
• Remember that the candidate is interviewing you and your company as you interview them. Make good eye contact, smile, etc.
• Avoid detailed conversations about inter-office rivalries.

3) Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

• Tell the candidate what to expect in the hiring process.
• Tell them your expectations: career advancement, training, duties, experience expected, the direction the department is headed in.
• Tell them about: overtime, travel, unusual hours, etc.
• Show the candidate where they would fit into the organization.
• At the end of the interview, if you are interested in the candidate, let them know.

4) Don't talk money. The candidate hasn't had time to consider their salary requirements in light of your opportunity yet.

After the Interview:

1) Take time to update the next person in the interview process.

2) Keep your recruiter informed and expect them to give you detailed feedback on the candidates reaction and interest.

3) Don't extend an offer without first getting feedback from your recruiter. Let the recruiter negotiate for you. This allows difficulties to be bridged without having the candidate turn down your offer due to unforeseen issues.

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