Too often an interview is viewed as a one-sided affair. One should remember that an interview is about the impressions both the candidate and the interviewer make. Looking at the situation from each perspective, asking targeted questions, and being honest ensures better understanding of a candidate’s experience and their desired organizational culture.
Once we pass along a candidate to you, we’ve vetted them based on what we think would work best for your organization. Below are some tips to guide you through this process to your top choice(s):
• Be welcoming and leave a lasting impression; remember that you are selling the job to the candidate, too. At the Executive level, competition for the best people can be tight and the job laid out needs to seem as attractive to the candidate as their experience is to you.
• Don’t make decisions on a resume alone; the resume is only a “skeleton” of experience – The “meat” of the job can include much more. Take the time to explore past history and don’t make snap judgments based on what is, essentially, an outline.
• Have a strategy:
• A good interviewer speaks only 1/3 of the time and helps the flow of the interview.
• Ask open-ended questions and don’t be afraid to ask for specific instances to get clarity regarding individual and group accomplishments. Feel free to ask follow-up questions to dig deeper.
• Read body language and try to sense the mood. Understandably, most candidates are a little bit nervous during an interview but body language can help the interviewer discern interest and honesty. Positive body language includes relaxed limbs, leaning in, continuous eye contact, and true smiles. Negative body language includes looking away to the side, feet pointed towards an exit or away from you, scratching or rubbing the area around the eyes or the back of the neck, and crossed arms. There are many more great resources online to help you interpret body language as well.