In a ‘Do-It-Yourself’ world, HGTV and Pinterest make everything seem so easy. One thing we hear from clients who try DIY when it comes to hiring is that they felt they wasted so much time only to discover that the candidates they were interviewing weren’t really the right ones.   In the first post, we covered the basics. Then we talked all about the job description. Finally, the interview.

Part 2: The Interview Expectations   

Great candidates are lost if the interview process is shoddy, and the interviewing team members’ time may be wasted. Excellent prospective employee relations include: 

·       Set the expectations in terms of timeline—when will interviews be taking place, how long will they be, and what are the next steps? 

·       Establish attendance and format—who will be present and what will the agenda be? Don’t give too much information, make the candidate work a little. (If you’re a candidate, look for our blog on “Candidate Experience”) 

·       Manage the timeline of contacts and points of connection. Too long without a touch point will leave a candidate wondering and potentially they will walk away. Follow up matters, especially for those not selected. 

Excellent internal relations include: 

·       Identify who should be present for interviews, what their role will be, what their specific areas of focus with the candidate interview should be and remind them that candidates are interviewing the interviewer too. Avoid asking the candidate the same questions repeatedly. 

·       Manage their schedules accordingly with pre-scheduling interview times, and then filling in candidates. Also, set up debriefing times so that the hiring team can discuss candidates and their suitability in a timely manner. Determine who and what will be communicated to the candidates and when. 

·       Provide resources—such as the hiring guide, questions for interviewers, copies of resumes and CVs, and other materials across the board for all in the hiring committee. Make it easy for your internal team to serve in this capacity and not be overwhelmed. 

Sure, these are straightforward enough on the page (or screen), but are these areas included in your hiring strategy or overlooked? When they are overlooked, candidates will feel it and your brand integrity may be weakened. When they are included, you may get the right candidate ready to work and already starting off on the right foot.