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Typically there are two nervous people in an interview – the person being interviewed and the person conducting the interview. You the employer, however, can overcome these jitters and the result will be a “great interview” for both of you.
As with any other task, preparation is the key. You go in cold and you will fumble through the process, forget to ask key questions and will not be relaxed enough to hear what is being said between the lines. After all almost all prospective employees have done some home work on what to say in a standard interview. You need to go beyond the expected and dig a little deeper if you want to hire an employee who will really shine.
Before the interview takes place, however you should carefully review all the resumes submitted in response to your job offer. What are you looking for? Besides name, address, job and education experience look for several other items. Neatness, spelling, and a sense that the person is being honest should be part of your first scan. Are there empty periods between jobs or has the person not stayed at several jobs for very long? These are signs that this might be a problem employee. Does their education and/or job experience fit your requirements? Do they have a life outside of work – that’s why we ask for hobbies, interests and membership affiliations. After all a person who is dull, uninterested, only associates with fellow workers often means an employee who will show up at work, do the job and only the job defined and then leave. Unless you are looking for just a body to fill a slot then this is not the type of employee you want.
Now, prior to the interview, check all the references given on the resumes that you find interesting. And now you are down to a much smaller group of people who you would like to meet.
Try to schedule your interviews in the morning, when you will be fresh and not bogged down by everything that might have happened during the day and your interviewee is also likely to be fresh. Mid-week is always better than Mondays or Fridays.
And prepare, prepare, prepare! Make a list of standard questions that you will ask each and every potential employee. And then a sub-list of questions geared specifically to each individual. Remember the goal is not just to determine the work and education qualifications of a person, but to get to know them. What do they like to do, what is it that really bores them? Do they like getting into the nuts and bolts of a situation? Do they feel comfortable at social gatherings or public speaking or are they more likely to be a quiet introverted type? While experience and education are certainly important it is often the personality fitting the position that makes or breaks a good hiring.
And if appropriate, have the prospective employee meet some of your employees and don’t forget to get feedback from both the interviewee and your current people. But remember the final decision is yours to make.
Do not get fooled by someone who has all the answers at their fingertips, they may be very practiced in interviewing but really are less than honest vs. a person who has to think about an answer or two. And lastly if you find a person who you really feel comfortable with but might have less qualifications or perhaps have a less than perfect job record then don’t be afraid to take a chance. You can always offer then a trial period where you can both try on each other.
Whatever your decision when you finally make an offer, put it in writing. The written job offer should include a job description, starting date and end of trial period if it is part of the offer, salary or wage, descriptions of hours required, a copy of the employee handbook or company rules if available and a list of benefits including paid time off allowances. If a trial period is in play, then the terms of the trial period should be clearly stated in the written offer. Include salary or wages paid and benefits offered within the trial period if they are to be different than those paid when the job becomes permanent. Also include a detailed description of what will determine whether the trial period becomes a permanent job offer. This will eliminate misunderstandings down the road.
And your last task is to send out letters thanking those who you did not hire. After all, you might want to consider then in the future.