Most of us have read articles on how to interview, questions to prepare for and what to expect on the big day.  But what if you are the InterviewER?  Do you know what to do to make the interview process more productive for you?  Here are nine steps to ensure hiring the candidate that best fits your team.

1)   Work with your human resources department to write the job description and job posting.  Too often hiring managers push this responsibly on human resources without providing guidance.  Take the time to define what you are looking for.  If you are using outside recruiters, have a conversation directly with them in the beginning of the process. 

2)   Review the resume’s that are coming in, not just the top three that are presented to you.  I’m not saying you need to look at all of them, but take the time to review at least 10 of them along with your human resources professional.  Discuss what stands out to you and ask for them to screen the rest of the applicants based on characteristics you like or want to avoid.

3)   Write down a list of questions you want to ask each candidate, as well as a list of items you want to tell the candidates about the job, the company and your team.  It is important to ask the same questions so that you can compare candidates.

4)   Once you have reduced the candidates down to two or three, have your employees interview them as well.  You want their buy in on the new team member before they get hired.  This will ensure a quick ramp-up onto the team and make all parties more comfortable and supportive of one another.

5)   When your employees conduct the interview, make sure they also have a list of questions to ask each candidate.  They should each come up with their own questions pertaining to their interaction with the new position.

6)   During all interviews make sure you, and your employees, write down the answers of each candidate so that they don’t forget what was said.

7)   Immediately after each interview take the time to write down your thoughts about what you liked or did not like about the candidate and each of their answers.  Make sure your employees do the same.

8)   Once all interviews are completed conduct a meeting with your team and your Human Resources professional working with you.  Have a round-table discussion about each candidate have everyone state the pros and cons referencing comparisons in answers.  Everyone should be free to state their opinions as long as they are backed up with examples and comparisons from the interviews.

9)   Ultimately the person you hire is your decision, but make sure you take everyone’s comments into consideration.  Talk to your team about your decision and what lead you to it.

Hiring the right person for the job is not just about experience, but also about their ability to fit into your organization, you’re culture and your team.  By following these nine InterviewER tips you will be able to jump start success from their first day on the job.  Not to mention you will make your target candidate feel good about their decision, which helps you in the negotiation.

Written by Lisa Woods, President ManagingAmericans.com

Lisa is a successful entrepreneur, world-class marketing strategist, and dynamic business leader with more than 20 years experience leading, managing and driving growth. Throughout her career, Lisa has been influential in integration techniques, organizational and cultural overhauls, financial turnarounds and developing employees into exceptional leaders, results driven managers and passionate team contributors.

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