- Find creative ways to understand who they are
Candidates usually research likely questions before attending any interview, the recruiter will therefore have to find creative ways to truly uncover how a feeling or what they are thinking. Look for clues about the candidate in arm movements, gestures, handshakes, and eye contact. The candidate’s body language can give you insight into how they’re feeling, what kind of person they are, and how interested they are in your opportunity.
- Probe their Attitude.
Delve into their previous work experience and be on the lookout for language that indicates the candidate has had difficulties working with colleagues or management in the past. And, ask questions about how the candidate handles high volume of work, and restructuring of priorities. Do they embrace change or they get offended and irritated by it?
- Find out if they are Life-Long Learners.
Employees with great potential tend to be very curious. They want to continuously learn – adding new skills and tools to their arsenal of knowledge. This type of candidate can grow at your company and become an invaluable resource.
- Don’t Forget to include your other employees
You may opt to have a few team members to interview candidates. This is a great way to involve the team in the hiring decision. But, it’s also important to get feedback from those who interacted with the candidate outside of the interview. How did the candidate treat the front-desk employee who greeted him or her? If they received a tour of the office, what was the first impression from those who briefly met the candidate?
- Be Conversational and Open
Want to learn more about the candidate? Be conversational and open. Get them talking about what they love to do. You are more likely to collect valuable observations about them and find out what makes them “tick.”
- 6. Be Challenging
Give them a Problem or Project to solve. The idea isn’t so much about seeing their end result. It’s a smart way to determine how they develop processes, how they go about finding solutions, and their thought process whiles at it.
- Pay Attention to the questions they ask.
All great candidates should have questions about the job, your company, and the organizational culture. Are the questions insightful? Do they give an indication of how enthusiastic they are about the role? You can gain meaningful information about their level of interest, the way they diagnose problems, how they process data, and more.
- Have your Corporate Culture in Mind
The right employee is one who is a good culture fit for your organization. Assess your organizational culture to know exactly what kind of person will be a good fit, then ask questions which will help you determine if they will fit your culture and the job.
In conclusion, don not judge a book by its cover. Employers should make sure to look beyond the skills and how candidates look on paper. The best candidate should have the most necessary skills but also have the potential to grow and be a culture fit for your team.
The writer is Head of HR at UMB Capital. She is passionate about Human Capital Development. She enjoys providing support for SMEs who cannot afford to set up full-scale HR Departments. She loves everything about People & Culture in the corporate environment.
