Interviewing Tips For Hiring Managers

A Job Interview date written on a Calendar.

CNI Recruiting presents five interview tips that will help Hiring Managers achieve effective face-to-face job interviews.

1. Be Prepared

Job descriptions should be based on requirements proven to correlate with success for the job and your company, rather than anecdotal information. Include “soft” job requirements, i.e. attitude, behavior, professionalism, courtesy, appropriate dress, enthusiasm, and energy. Prepare a list of open ended questions related to the job requirements. Ask candidates probing follow-up questions in order to test the accuracy and completeness of their answers. Follow-up questions can be as simple as “why” or  “tell me more”. Check each question as you ask it, to avoid skipping or duplicating one.

2. Engage Candidates

Don’t lead candidates. For example, if interviewing sales candidates, ask how they pursue an opportunity, rather than asking which sales process they use. If you don’t agree with something that candidates say, tell them and determine their reaction. Do they moderate their statement or support it? Test candidates. For sales candidates, request that they “sell” you their current solution. Ask questions and raise objections.

3. Score Cards

Prepare score cards with a column for your questions and line items for communication, trust, knowledge, etc.  Include a column for numerical scores, i.e. 1 – 5, and a place for the total score. All interviewers should complete score cards for all candidates. This will provide an objective method to measure and rank candidates, rather than relying on subjective assessments.

4. Past Performance Is The Best Indicator Of Future Performance.

Discuss candidates’ performance in all prior jobs, or at least in the last three jobs. Ask questions in the past tense, i.e. “what did you do about”, rather than “what would you do about”? Discuss relationships with supervisors, successes and challenges, and  what they liked and disliked about the jobs. Talk about achievements and failures. Ask what motivated and frustrated them. Discuss job tenures and reasons for leaving.

5. Be Candid. Describe the job and your organization candidly, including the challenges as well as the rewards. Doing so may result in some candidates withdrawing, but these are candidates who probably would not be a fit.

CNI Recruiting is located in NJ and recruits throughout the U.S. for Sales, Marketing, Operations and IT candidates at all professional levels for the Commercial and Healthcare markets.  We refer “A Players” who fit our Clients’ requirements and budgets. Our referral fee is only 15% of candidates’ first year base salary including Executive Searches. There are no other charges and no surprises. In addition, we provide world-class service, including a market-leading guarantee in the event of resignation or termination for any reason.

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