Inexperienced interviewers sometimes fall into the trap of letting the interview become “free form”, spending different amounts of time on different questions, basing follow-up questions on how the candidates answer. This can result in a candidate taking control of the interview and leading you where he or she wants to go, rather than where you can get the information you need.
Job applicants have many sources of help for interviewing, and it’s easy to learn acceptable answers to the standard questions. That means even the wrong candidate for your position could answer the questions in a way that fools you into thinking he or she is a fit.
If you could design your own job, what would it look like?
What’s your favorite part of the work you do now? Why do you like that?
Ask questions like these and, instead of practiced responses that tell you virtually nothing, you’ll get insights into who these people really are.
If you have a candidate in front of you who seems like a great choice, you obviously want that person to accept your job offer. Sometimes, though, you know the job has inherent challenges or downsides, and you may be afraid if you talk about these things you will lose a good employee. The trouble is if you hire them, and they discover the negatives themselves, you may well lose them in the first week!
Every organization has a culture. It comes from a blend of the industry you are in, the ages of those who work there, the size of the company, the number of people, the geographic location, and many other factors. But that culture creates its own work environment, and if employees are not comfortable with that environment or do not work well within it, they don’t “fit”. This person will never be an asset to your company, and may in fact leave very quickly.
Sometimes a person might have one outstanding positive: worked for your major competitor, attended a university with a track record of successful graduates, or even just comes from your hometown. If you also instinctively like the individual, it is tempting to be overly influenced by this fact, and not pay enough attention to others that are not so attractive.
Candidates are often sophisticated job seekers, who are well-prepared for the interview. To avoid costly hiring mistakes, hiring interviewers must be equally prepared for the process.
