Effective interviewing techniques to clinch the right talent

Seeking the right talent can take up an awful lot of time, particularly when it comes to conducting interviews. There is so much information needed, in order to ensure a culture fit, job fit, and future-fit between the candidate and the company. So how can we make interviews more effective when time is of the essence?

Effective interviewing tips to keep on track:

Plan the interview process

With all the relevant stakeholders, plan the full process and set timeframes for all the stages from pre-screening to the offer stage. Streamline the process where possible, making it more effective and efficient. Get buy-in from all involved and stick to the plan once in motion. Inform candidates being interviewed about the process to manage their expectations.

Be time conscious

Ensuring that the right candidates are interviewed face to face is imperative not to waste both the candidate’s and the hiring manager’s time. You can choose to have a telephone screener to further sift through the shortlisted candidates prior to calling them in for an interview. You can also opt for a one-way video interview, where the candidate is required to answer a list of questions while recording the answers. These methods will guarantee effective shortlisting and will only bring in those candidates that would really add value to the organisation.

Interview questions

Prepare a list of questions and ensure that they are:

• Behavioural-based: the candidate will need to describe experiences that demonstrate a specific competency, highlighting their achievements.
• Open-ended: these will give you an understanding of a candidate’s thought process and more importantly will not lead the candidate to the answers you would like to hear.
• Competency-based: these will highlight the candidate’s suitability with respect to the skills and competencies required for the role.
• Value-based: the candidate will need to highlight what value would be given to the organisation at present and in the future.

Know your candidate

In the same way that candidates are expected to do some research on the company prior to the interview, thoroughly understanding a person’s CV and also looking at their LinkedIn profile will assist in giving the interview an edge. You will have further insight into what the person has achieved previously as well as be able to tailor the prepared questions to reflect the candidate’s experience. This will ensure the candidate gets a personalised interview while you get to cover the same topics with all other candidates.

Be active

Play an active role by listening carefully to what is being said and read between the lines. This will allow you to ask further questions and get clarification where necessary.  Be aware of the candidate’s non-verbals. This will give you useful insight to probe further when what is being said does not correlate with what is being shown.

Be enthusiastic

During the interview process, you are the person responsible for selling the role and the company. Use the interview process as a time to highlight what the company can give to the candidate’s career aspirations and also give examples of success stories.

Keep in contact

Communication is key to keeping the candidate engaged in the process. Providing them with updates on their status will highlight the importance of their application and the value of their time.

For more information about effective interviewing, contact ThinkTalent or Ceek. Our HR consultancy and outsourced HR services will have you covered.